Common Tech Words Explained: A Glossary for Seniors
Technology comes with its own language, and nobody hands you a dictionary. A grandchild rattles off “just open the app and log into your account over Wi-Fi”, and you’re left nodding along, none the wiser. It’s a bit like being dropped into a country where everyone speaks in code.
So here is the dictionary, in plain English. These are the words that come up most often, grouped by what they’re about. You don’t need to memorise them. Keep this page handy and look up a word when you meet it. Bit by bit, the code stops being code. If you are helping an older parent get online, see our wider guide to helping a parent go online.
Quick answer
Most tech words describe one of four things: how you get online, the device in your hand, the programs and accounts you use, or how you stay safe. Once you know the handful of words in each group, almost any sentence a relative throws at you starts to make sense. Below is each one explained the way you’d explain it to a friend.
Getting online
The internet. The giant network that connects computers all over the world. It’s what lets you send an email to anyone, anywhere, or look up almost anything.
Broadband. Your home’s internet connection, the one that comes through a cable or the air to your house. Our guide to broadband goes into it gently.
Wi-Fi. The wireless internet inside your home. A small box called a router beams it around the house so your phone, tablet and TV can get online without wires.
Mobile data. Internet that comes through the phone network when you’re out and about, away from your home Wi-Fi. It’s part of your phone plan, and heavy use can cost more, so most people stick to Wi-Fi at home.
Browser. The app you use to look at websites, such as Safari, Chrome or Edge. We explain the difference in browsers explained.
Bluetooth. A short-range wireless link between two gadgets, used to connect things like headphones or hearing aids to your phone. There’s a fuller guide to Bluetooth too.
Your device
Device. A catch-all word for any gadget: your phone, tablet, laptop or computer. When someone says “your device”, they just mean whichever one you’re using.
App. Short for application, which is just a program on your phone or tablet. Each little picture on the screen is an app: one for the weather, one for your bank, one for photos.
Icon. One of those small pictures you tap to open an app. The icon is the button, the app is what opens.
Download. To bring something onto your device from the internet, such as adding a new app or saving a photo someone sent.
Update. A free improvement the maker sends out for your phone or an app, often to fix problems or close security gaps. It’s worth saying yes to these.
Storage. The space inside your device where photos, apps and files are kept, a bit like the shelves in a cupboard. When it fills up, you’re asked to clear some out or buy more room.
Apps and accounts
Account. Your personal membership with a service, opened with an email address and a password. You have one with your bank, your email, perhaps Netflix.
Log in, or sign in. To prove an account is yours by entering your email and password, like using a key to open your own front door.
The cloud. Storing your photos and files on company-run computers you reach over the internet, so they’re safe even if your device is lost. There’s a full plain-English explanation of it.
iCloud and Google Account. The cloud accounts behind your devices. iCloud is Apple’s, used on iPhones and iPads. A Google Account runs Android phones and Gmail.
Stream. To watch or listen to something over the internet as it plays, rather than saving it first. Watching ABC iview or listening to the radio online is streaming.
Staying safe
Password. The secret word or phrase that unlocks an account. A good one is long and not used anywhere else. A password manager can remember them all for you.
Two-factor, or two-step verification. An extra layer of safety where, after your password, a short code is sent to your phone to prove it’s really you. A small nuisance that stops a lot of trouble.
Scam. A trick designed to fool you into handing over money or details, often by pretending to be your bank, a courier or a family member. Our scam safety guides cover the common ones.
Phishing. A scam message, by text or email, that tries to lure you into clicking a bad link or typing in your password. The word sounds like “fishing”, which is exactly what it is.
Link. A piece of text or a button you tap to jump to a web page. Most are fine, but a link in an unexpected message is the main thing to be careful with.
Before you finish
Download the free Family Tech Safety Checklist to help check phone safety, passwords, scam messages, emergency contacts and medical alarm details.
FAQ: Tech words
What’s the difference between Wi-Fi and the internet?
The internet is the worldwide network. Wi-Fi is just the wireless way your home connects to it. Wi-Fi gets you onto the internet, but they aren’t the same thing.
Is an app the same as a program?
Yes. “App” is short for application, which means a program. The word app is mostly used for phones and tablets, while “program” is more common on computers.
Why do people keep saying “the cloud”?
It’s the name for storing your files on company computers over the internet, so a copy is safe off your device. It feels vague but the idea is simple once explained.
Do I need to remember all these words?
Not at all. Keep this page bookmarked and look one up when you meet it. The meanings settle in naturally the more you use your device.
What does it mean to “log in”?
It means proving an account is yours by typing your email and password. It’s the digital version of unlocking your own front door with a key.
