Help
Setting Carol up, changing what she says, and getting in touch.
What Carol is
Carol is an iPhone app for an older parent. At times the family chooses, a woman's voice asks
something like "Have you had your morning tablets?". Your parent presses one large green button,
and the family can see they answered. Carol only ever says what the family has typed.
Carol isn't a real person. Her face is a painting and her voice is your iPhone's own. It's
worth telling your parent that when you set her up.
Setting up (about 15 minutes, on a visit)
- Install Carol on your parent's iPhone and open her. Setup walks you through each step.
- Who is Carol for? Choose Mum, Dad or someone else, and type the name Carol should use.
Ask them what they'd like to be called.
- What should Carol say, and when? Ask them which times suit. Write it the way you'd say
it: "your morning tablets", never a medicine name. Nothing can be set between 10pm and 6am.
- Can she be heard? Turn the volume up while you're on this screen; Carol's voice uses
the volume buttons, which is separate from the ringer. Fix anything it lists, especially
Settings > Notifications > Carol > Banner Style > Persistent.
- Photos. Pick some together from their phone. They appear after they answer, and never
leave the phone.
- The live test. Carol introduces herself. Press the green button yourself first, then
hand the phone over. Don't leave until it has worked for them.
- Put Carol in the Dock or the first spot on the home screen, so she's always in the
same place.
Optional: for a warmer voice, download the premium Matilda voice in
Settings > Accessibility > Spoken Content > Voices > English > Matilda.
Changing a reminder later
On your parent's phone, open Carol, tap This week, then Family setup. Reminders are
changed on the phone itself. The family console shows what's set, but can't change it.
If Carol can't be heard
- The volume may be down. Press the volume-up button while Carol is on screen.
- Notifications may be off: Settings > Notifications > Carol.
- Carol shows a short note on her screen when she can tell something is in the way.
Deleting the family account
On your parent's phone: This week > Family setup > Delete the family account. It
removes everything we hold about the household, permanently. Carol's reminders on the phone keep
working; nothing there switches off. Or email us and we'll do it.
Contact
hello@carolsays.com.au. A person reads every email.