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External memory aids (EMA), such as electronic diaries, may be useful technologies to address the cognitive and organizational challenges related to the aging process. Many EMAs are also developed to meet emotional or social needs. Can EMAs really offer more than just cognitive assistance? To answer this question, two complementary studies were conducted: a theoretical study based on a literature review and an empirical study of the uses of EMAs by elderly people in France and Canada. The results show nine categories of useful EMA functions at an individual and collective level. This has implications for the developers of memory aid technologies, who may consider the needs, biopsychosocial functioning, creativity in use, and the material and social environment of the elderly people who may use these aids.