We all have old phones lying around somewhere, gathering dust as we speak. That’s a given considering how fast hardware upgrades come, nowadays.
If you have one or two old phones that aren’t good enough to sell or give away as a gift, do you dispose of them immediately? Not so fast. As it turns out, you can make brilliant use of old phones. Here are 10 things you can do with them that you probably never thought of:
Turn it into an MP3 player
You don’t need a powerful processor or an excellent camera to listen to music. Fill up your old phone with all your favorite hits and get yourself a waterproof armband pouch. Now, you can take your old phone with you during your morning jogs.
Use it as an alarm clock
All you need is a simple mobile phone stand or a speaker dock to turn your old smartphone into a bedside clock. Don’t forget to download a nice clock app, too. You can also transform it into a digital picture frame or newscaster by enabling Daydream mode in the display settings.
Transform old phones into makeshift surveillance cameras
Security cameras are notorious for having such a bad video quality. In that case, why not use your spare smartphone’s decent camera for home surveillance? Keep an eye over your home using SalientEye (Android) or Presence (iOS), powerful apps that turn your device into a motion detector camera. The best part? These apps will alert you via SMS or email whenever they sense an intruder (or your pet wreaking havoc).
Make your old phone a universal remote
Roku, smart lights, Apple TV, stereo sound system, Xbox One, Sonos Play:5 speaker, etc.—there isn’t a shortage of devices that come with connected apps. Instead of stuffing those apps in your current mobile phone, why not put them in your old smartphone? Simply get rid of all its old apps and turn it into a dedicated smart home hub!
Mount it on your car/bike
In need of a GPS in your car or for your bike rides? Well, you don’t need to spend a hefty sum! Load up your old phone with a navigation app that has offline routing capabilities and mount it on the dashboard or your bike’s handlebars. Who knew GPS could be this affordable and accessible?
Use it to run car diagnostics
Good garage apps you can readily download are aplenty. Some worthwhile ones like OBD Auto Doctor (Android and iOS) and Car Diagnostics Pro (Android) help you run diagnostics on your car. They require you to connect a wireless OBD adapter or OBD Wi-Fi cable to connect to your car’s computer. Still, making old phones your new garage buddy is better than getting grease on your main handset.
Dedicate old phones to science
We don’t want to risk sounding cliche, but you can dedicate old smartphones to the pursuit of scientific breakthroughs. Just download apps like Folding@home, Power to Give, and BOINC to donate your device’s unused computer power to scientific research and calculations. All you have to do is let those apps run in the background and your old phone can help find the answers to some of life’s biggest mysteries.
Turn it into a portable console
When your old device has enough RAM to handle occasional gaming, you could very well make it an entertainment hub! Expand its memory with a fresh microSD card and fill it with all your favorite mobile games. You can even save a few full-length movies you can watch during long commutes.
Donate it to charity
Find your old phone a new home by donating it to charity. Cellphones for Soldiers and National Coalition Against Domestic Violence are just two charitable organizations that can make use of your old phones. You can also look up local shelters to see if anyone is interested in giving your phone a new lease on life. It’s certainly a noble way for your old pal to go.
Recycle your old phones
If you just dropped your phone in water, you can still resuscitate it. You’ll have to dispose of it, though, when the handset is completely obsolete or beyond repair. But don’t just hand them over to any less reputable recyclers or throw them in the trash bin. Read up EPA’s electronics donation and recycling page to know what proper recycling options are available to you.
Your old phones could be doing so much more than just collecting dust in a corner. In most cases, all you need is a little creativity to give your old buddy a new sense of purpose.
