Samsung app helps people with Alzheimer’s remember their families

by Jon Fingas | @jonfingas from Engadget.com April 27th 2015 (some content is edited to better fit this site)

If you’ve seen Still Alice, you know how important a smartphone can be for someone with Alzheimer’s disease — it helps jog memories that might otherwise be lost. Samsung is clearly aware of this, as it just released a dedicated Backup Memory app to stimulate the memories of people with early-onset dementia. The Android tool uses Bluetooth to detect when friends and family running the app are nearby. If they are, it’ll both identify the person and show user-uploaded photos and videos that recall past events. The app is currently very simple (Samsung still wants to add GPS locations, for instance), but it’s reportedly promising enough in early tests that it’s slowing down the effects of Alzheimer’s and making life just a little bit easier.

You can download the Anderoid app for free from Google Play.