Setting up the Memory Companion

You only need to do this once. After that the page updates itself every day.

What you need

Any tablet or phone with an internet connection. It does not need to be new, and you do not need to install an app or buy anything.

If you are setting this up for someone else, you can do the whole thing on your own phone first and then send them the link.

Sign in at https://www.carehomeguide.uk/memory and create a profile. Add photos, the names of family members and how they are related, and anything else you want on the page.

Only you need an account. The person using it never signs in.

On your dashboard, each profile shows a link like this:

https://www.carehomeguide.uk/memory/margaret-xuhg38

Use Share to send it by WhatsApp or text, or Copy link and paste it into an email. If the tablet is in front of you, just open the link on it directly.

The Share button only appears on phones and tablets. On a computer, use Copy link.

This is the step that makes it open with one tap, like an app.

On an iPad or iPhone

Open the link in Safari. Tap the share button at the bottom of the screen, the square with an arrow coming out of it. Scroll down and tap Add to Home Screen, then tap Add.

On an Android tablet or phone

Open the link in Chrome. You may see a banner offering to install it, in which case tap that. If not, tap the three dots in the top right and choose Add to Home Screen or Install app.

On an Amazon Fire tablet

Fire tablets vary more than other devices, so what you see depends on how old yours is. Open the link in Silk, the browser that comes with the tablet. Tap the menu, either three lines or three dots, which sits at the bottom of the screen on newer models and the top right on older ones. Look for Add to Home Screen, sometimes called Add Shortcut.

If there is no such option, add the page as a bookmark instead. Silk opens on the bookmarks page, so it is one extra tap rather than a problem.

Keeping it open

Some people find it easier if the page stays open and cannot be closed by accident.

On an iPad, go to Settings, then Accessibility, then Guided Access, and switch it on. Open the Memory Companion, then triple-click the side or home button to lock the tablet to that page. Triple-click again and enter your passcode to unlock it.

On an Android tablet, look for Screen Pinning in Settings under Security. It does the same thing.

It is also worth setting the screen to stay on for longer, or to never sleep if the tablet is plugged in. That is usually under Display in Settings.

If you need to buy a tablet

You do not need anything expensive. An Amazon Fire tablet costs around £60 to £100 and does everything needed here. A second-hand iPad works just as well.

Look for a screen of 10 inches or more, since larger text is easier to read.

Updating the page

Sign in at https://www.carehomeguide.uk/memory from your own phone or computer whenever you like. Add a photo, note who is visiting, or write in the diary. Their page updates straight away with nothing for them to do.