Yes. Betsy calls any phone that rings: a landline, a flip phone or a cell phone. Mom needs no smartphone and nothing new in the house. She lifts the receiver the way she has her whole life, and Betsy is on the line, every day, at the hour she picks.
If it rings, it works.
Is a landline harder for Betsy?
Easier. Cell carriers don’t show a caller’s name, so a cell phone shows ten digits until the number is saved. A landline with a caller-ID box reads BETSY, and nobody has to save anything. If there is no box, the phone just rings, as it always has.
| Her phone | What she does first | What she sees when Betsy calls |
|---|---|---|
| Landline | Nothing | BETSY, if she has a caller-ID box |
| Flip phone | Saves the number as Betsy | Betsy, once it is saved; ten digits until then |
| Smartphone | Saves the number as Betsy | Betsy, once it is saved; the saved contact also gets past an iPhone set to silence unknown callers |
How do I tell her without a text?
Say it out loud, because a landline can’t take your text. Call her, or tell her at the kitchen table:
Mom, I signed you up for something called Betsy. She’ll call you every day if you want her to. Call her when you’re ready. She knows you’re coming.
Then read her the number and have her write it by the phone. She can dial Betsy from that same landline any time, and Betsy knows who it is. Tell Mom has the rest of the words, including what to say if she asks what Betsy is.
Does anything else have to change in the house?
Nothing. No device, nothing to plug in, nothing to wear or charge. She answers the phone, which she has done her whole life. The Sunday text goes to the family’s phones, not hers. For the rest of the picture, see Betsy for a mother who only has a landline, what time Betsy calls and what Betsy is.
Questions people ask
Which number should I give Betsy, her landline or her mobile?
Whichever one she actually answers. Betsy works the same on both, and the price is the same: $2 a day, billed $60 a month.
Does she need a smartphone?
No. Betsy is a phone call. Any phone that rings works, and there is no app for her and nothing to install.
Does it work on a flip phone?
Yes. It rings, she answers, Betsy talks. Save the number as Betsy so her screen shows the name and not ten digits.
Betsy forBetsy for a mother who only has a landline
QuestionsCan Mom call Betsy herself?
QuestionsWhat time does Betsy call?
QuestionsWhat does Betsy cost?
Betsy forBetsy for a parent who won't use a smartphone