The BIG Apps Suite is designed to provide a simplified experience for seniors, but due to Google Play Store permission policies, it is composed of three separate applications:
- BIG Launcher: The home screen application with large buttons.
- BIG Phone: Used for making and receiving calls.
- BIG SMS: Used for sending and receiving messages.
By default, you can manage many settings for all three apps from a single menu within BIG Launcher.
How Settings Inheritance Works by Default
To access the main preferences menu:
- From the BIG Launcher home screen, tap the three dots next to the clock.
- Choose "Preferences" from the menu.
Any changes made here are automatically inherited by BIG Phone and BIG SMS. For example, if you change the default audio device for calls (an option affecting BIG Phone) to "Bluetooth" within BIG Launcher's Preferences, then when you launch BIG Phone, this setting will be applied automatically. If you then check BIG Phone's own preferences, you will find "Bluetooth" selected there as well.
The Inheritance Overwrite Issue
However, if you change a setting directly within BIG Phone's Preferences (e.g., changing the default audio device from "Bluetooth" to "Speaker"), this change will be temporary. Upon returning to BIG Launcher's Preferences, the setting for BIG Phone will revert to what is set in BIG Launcher's preferences (e.g., back to "Bluetooth"), overwriting your specific change made in BIG Phone.
Disabling Settings Inheritance for BIG Phone/SMS
To prevent BIG Phone (or BIG SMS) from having its settings overwritten by BIG Launcher's preferences, you need to disable the inheritance option within the specific app:
- Launch the BIG Phone app by tapping the phone icon on the BIG Launcher home screen.
- Go to BIG Phone's Preferences.
- Choose "BIG Apps Suite" from the menu.
- Uncheck the option "Inherit the settings".
Once unchecked, BIG Phone will remember its own saved settings, even if different settings are chosen within BIG Launcher's Preferences menu.
Please note: The appearance of the Android screens shown in the video may reflect an older version of Android or the BIG Launcher app. UI elements might look slightly different in current versions.