HOLIDAY SETUP VISITS
New phone or iPad for Mom or Dad?
The gift is the easy part. Moving the photos, contacts and passwords over, then making the new one feel familiar, is what trips families up. I come to their home, set it up with them, and leave large print steps behind.
In person, at their home Large print steps to keep Visit report emailed to you
At a glance
A setup visit is in person at your parent's home in Orange County. I move photos, contacts and accounts to their new iPhone, Android phone or iPad, make the text easy to read, teach the first three things, leave large print steps, and email the family a visit report. Visit prices are not posted online: call or text (949) 994-2407 for a straight number before I come.
Written by Kiran Gopinath, founder of Teach Me Tech. Last updated .
Do this first
Before you wrap it
Four small things that make setup day go smoothly. None of them take long.
- Write down their Apple Account (also called Apple ID) or Google account email and password, plus the home Wi-Fi password. Keep the paper somewhere safe at their home, and please do not send passwords by text.
- Back up the old phone to iCloud or Google, and make sure you know its passcode.
- Keep the old phone charged and nearby. Moving everything over can need both phones on and plugged in at the same time.
- Keep the box and the receipt until everything works, and do not erase or trade in the old phone yet. Once photos, contacts and accounts are confirmed on the new one, it is safe to clear.
Need a place to write them down? My free logins and passwords sheet (PDF) is a printable page for it. After setup, my phone and computer safety checklist (PDF) has ten things to check off together.
What a setup visit covers
One visit, one device or two, at their own kitchen table and at their pace.
Moving everything over
Photos, contacts and accounts come across from the old phone, and I check that the important things made it before I leave.
Made easy to read
Text size, brightness, volume and ringtone set at their kitchen table, so the new phone is comfortable before I go.
The first three things
Answering and making calls, replying to a text, and one video calling app. Just those, done well. More can come later.
Safety settings
Emergency contact and medical info on the lock screen, plus the scam call and spam text filters the phone already has.
Large print steps to keep
Written for their exact phone and left beside it, so they can do it again next week without calling anyone.
A visit report for you
An email after the visit: what we did, what is left, and anything worth watching.
Something to keep
Large print steps they can use again
Nobody remembers every step, especially for something they do once a week. So the steps are written down on paper, in big plain words, and left beside the phone. Here is the kind of page I leave behind.
Sample page for an iPhone
How to call your daughter
- Tap the green Phone picture.
- Tap Favorites at the bottom.
- Tap her name. The phone will call her.
For an Android phone or an iPad, the page is written for that device.
For sons and daughters
You get a visit report
If you cannot be there, you should never be left guessing. After the visit I email you a short report: what we did, what is left, and anything worth knowing. Here is what one looks like.
Example visit report
What we did. Set up the new iPhone, moved photos and contacts, made the text larger, and practiced answering calls and replying to texts.
What is left. Practice the video call app next visit. Erase the old phone once she has used the new one for a week.
Worth knowing. She was unsure about calls from unknown numbers, so the spam call filter is on. Large print steps are on the table beside the phone.
How it works
- Call or text. Tell me what they have, what they are getting, and what worries you.
- I give you a straight price on the phone before I come. Visit prices are not posted online.
- I visit in person, at their home, set it up with them, and leave the steps in large print.
- You get a visit report by email: what we did and what is left for next time.
Give the visit as part of the gift
Ask about a gift certificate for a setup visit. We arrange it by phone, and I give you something printed to put in the box with the device.
Where I visit
I come to homes across Orange County. A few of the communities:
- Irvine
- Anaheim
- Costa Mesa
- Fullerton
- Mission Viejo
- Newport Beach
- Tustin
- Orange
- Laguna Woods
Visits are in person. Call and I will confirm your parent's address is in range.
Common questions
Can I call before we buy the phone or iPad?
Yes, and it helps. The best device is usually the one your family already uses, because sharing photos and video calls gets easier. Call or text and I will talk it through with you before you spend anything.
Do I need to be there for the visit?
No. Sons and daughters often arrange it from out of town. We confirm the plan by phone or text, I set it up with your parent at their home, and you get a visit report afterward with what we did and what is left.
What if the old phone is an iPhone and the new one is Android, or the other way around?
It can be done, but not everything moves over as is. Texts and some photos need extra steps when you switch between iPhone and Android. I will tell you what will carry over before we start, so there are no surprises.
How long does a visit take?
It depends on how much is on the old phone and how much your parent wants to learn. I will give you a time estimate when we talk. I would rather teach the first few things well and book a second, shorter visit than cram everything into one.
What does a setup visit cost?
I do not post prices for visits because every phone and every family is different. Call or text (949) 994-2407 and I will give you a straight number before I come, with no obligation to book.
What should we do with the old phone?
Keep it charged, and keep the box and receipt, until we have confirmed that photos, contacts and accounts all made it to the new one. After that, the old phone should be erased before it goes to a trade in, a donation or recycling, and I can walk you through that.
More questions? Read the full senior tech help FAQ, my guide to a realistic first week with a new phone, or see my free printable guides.
Buying a phone or iPad this season?
Tell me what they are getting and where they live. I will come back with a price and a time.