Turn a spare iPhone or iPad into a companion for someone living with Alzheimer’s, dementia or any disability that makes technology hard. A clear day clock, timed reminders — and when you video call, it answers by itself.
"The days blur together, and the questions repeat."
For someone living with dementia or memory loss, "what day is it?" can come a dozen times an hour — and each time can bring a flicker of fear. Clarity answers it before it's asked, in big, calm writing, so a glance is enough.
Call from your own phone. The companion plays a chime, shows "Anthony is calling", and connects after three seconds. Nothing for them to find, press or remember.
Record a few words on your phone — "Hope you're OK Dad, see you Sunday." The companion chimes and plays it. Or type it, and the companion reads it aloud. One tap plays it again.
The weekday, the part of day, the date and the time — big and unmistakable. The screen warms in the morning and gently dims at night, all on its own.
Leave a line only you can change — "Sarah is coming Thursday. You are safe, we love you." It stays on the screen all day, every day.
Tablets, meals, a visitor. When one is due it shows clearly and a gentle alarm rings a few times, then rests. They tap "I've done it", leaving a calm "done" that answers "have I already taken them?"
After dark the screen quiets to a soft, dim screen with a crescent moon — clear enough for a 3am glance, never bright enough to dazzle.
A ringing tablet can frighten someone with dementia, and the green button means nothing to them. So Clarity doesn't ask. Your face simply appears, after fair warning.
Only people you choose can call. Each family member is paired with a one-time code shown on the companion itself. Nobody can ever connect silently: the chime and the notice can't be switched off. Calls are never recorded.
You don't need to be good with technology. There are three short parts: the companion, switching on family calls, and each family member's phone.
This is all you need for the day clock and reminders. No account, no sign-in.
Get it free from the App Store and open it. Choose This will be the companion.
Tap Set up in the bottom corner. Type a reassuring line and the day's reminders, then Done.
By the bed or in the kitchen. Clarity keeps the screen on, so it is always there.
Do this while you're with them, so they can see what will happen and agree to it.
Tap Set up, then Set up family calls on this device.
Give it a name, tick to agree, and tap Turn on family calls. Allow the camera and microphone when asked.
A 6 digit code appears by itself. It works once, for ten minutes. You'll type it into a phone next.
Every son, daughter or grandchild who wants to call does this once, each with a fresh code from the companion.
The same free app. Open it and tap I'm family, then Sign in with Apple.
Your name is what their screen will show when you call. Enter the 6 digits and tap Connect to the companion.
There's now one big Call button, a box to type a message, and Record a voice message. That's everything.
So it can't be closed by accident. Clarity has a step-by-step guide built in: Set up, then Keep Clarity on screen. It uses the device's own Guided Access, which takes two minutes to switch on. This step is optional.
No, unless you want them to. By default the companion chimes, shows who is calling for three seconds, then connects by itself. If they can still decide for themselves, you can set it to ring and show one big Answer button instead. Either way there is one large "End call" button, and the call also ends when you hang up.
No. It was built for a grandparent with dementia, but it is for any elderly person, and anyone with a disability that makes a phone or tablet hard to use: Alzheimer’s, memory loss, poor eyesight, unsteady hands, a stroke, or simply never having got on with technology.
No. Only people who have typed in a code shown on the companion itself, while standing next to it. Our server refuses everybody else before the companion is ever told about the call. You can see the list of who can call on the companion, and remove anyone with one tap.
No. Every call starts with the chime and a full-screen notice of who is calling, and there is no setting anywhere that turns those off. Clarity is for family check-ins, with their agreement: you tick a box to confirm that when you switch calls on.
Calls are never recorded; the picture and sound go straight between the two devices' apps and are gone when you hang up. Messages are different, because they have to be: a typed message, voice note or photo is stored so the companion can show it and play it again, and is deleted automatically after 24 hours.
Yes. Calls and messages only arrive while Clarity is open on the companion with its screen on. That is a rule of the iPhone and iPad. Clarity keeps the screen awake, and locking the device to Clarity stops it being closed by accident, so in normal use there is nothing to do except leave it on charge.
The day clock and reminders keep working without Wi-Fi. When the Wi-Fi returns, Clarity reconnects for calls by itself. If the iPad restarts, someone needs to open Clarity again.
Yes. You can call from anywhere with a signal. The companion just needs to be on its home Wi-Fi.
On the companion: Set up, Family video calls, "Switch calls off for now". Nobody can call until you switch them back on.
Not yet. Clarity is for iPhone and iPad today. An Android version, able to call across to iPads and back, is planned.
Nothing. No ads and no subscription.
Morning is warm and bright. The evening softens. At night it settles to a quiet, dim screen — reassuring for a 3am moment of confusion, calm enough to sleep beside.
Clarity helps people living with early-to-moderate dementia, Alzheimer's or memory loss stay oriented and reassured through the day. It's a supportive day-orientation clock and gentle reminder — not a diagnosis, a treatment, or a substitute for a carer's help with medication. It works best while a person can still read and understand a clock.
Questions, feedback, or help setting Clarity up — email anthony@ajsoftwaredev.org and a real person will reply.
If you only use the day clock and reminders, Clarity collects nothing. The message and reminders you set are stored on the device and never sent to us or anyone else.
If you switch on family calls, a few things have to be kept on our server so the right people can reach the right companion:
Video and sound are carried by LiveKit and are not recorded. The rest is held by Supabase in the UK. There are no ads, no analytics and no tracking, and nothing is sold or shared. Family members can delete their account from inside the app at any time.