The right way to repurpose your previous Android telephone

So, after a longtime along with your trusty Android telephone, you’ve got lastly pulled the set off and acquired your self a brand new system. The best smartphones of 2024 have a lot to supply, from glorious digital camera methods to refined software features.

That mentioned, though your new telephone is quicker and has some cool options the old one lacks, the previous did not lose all its use to you. So, though it is tempting to chuck the previous one right into a drawer someplace, there are a lot better alternate options for an previous system.

Associated

9 ways to repurpose your old iPhone

Your previous iPhone does not simply should develop into a very costly paperweight.

Due to a few apps, you may give your telephone a brand new lease on life. However listed here are one of the best methods to repurpose your Android system.

1 New infotainment system

Give your automobile a glow-up

The beauty of vehicles is that, so long as they drive, you do not actually need that rather more from them. In fact, some creature comforts are good, however is it actually price shopping for a dearer mannequin simply because your present experience does not embody a touchscreen display with Android Auto?

Happily, you may give nearly any automobile all of the options of a contemporary infotainment system along with your previous telephone. Simply discover a first rate automobile mount on your telephone, and you’ll proceed utilizing your previous system as a devoted Android Auto hub. Join it to your audio system, arrange Google Maps, and it does principally all the things a brand new stereo does, however with out the expensive funding.

Associated

This dongle gave my car wireless Android Auto and I can’t go back

The AA Wi-fi Dongle for Android Auto takes the effort out of getting one of the best out of your related automobile apps.

2 Do-it-yourself dashcam

At all times be prepared for motion

Dashcams seem to be a little bit of an extravagant piece of drugs for a automobile — till one thing occurs, after which you do not wish to be caught with out one. Happily, if in case you have an older telephone, you need not spend something to equip your automobile with this excellent emergency feature.

As soon as once more, all you want hardware-wise is an affordable telephone mount and your smartphone. Nonetheless, this time you may additionally have to get a specialised app. Happily, the one we would suggest, Droid Dashcam, is totally free as an ad-supported model. Now, simply mount your telephone, guarantee that your digital camera has a transparent view of the street, and drive to your coronary heart’s content material.

Associated

The Rove R3 is my go-to for a safe and secure dashcam

The Rove R3 is definitely among the best dashcams you should buy.

3 Retro console show

Lastly, play via all of the classics

Regardless that your outgoing smartphone is perhaps a bit lengthy within the tooth, it nonetheless has greater than sufficient energy to emulate older video games. The issue with taking part in on the go along with your principal telephone is battery life. If you happen to get a bit too invested, a sport can shortly drain your battery and depart you with nothing for the remainder of the day. That is why retaining a dedicated emulation machine is a superb use for an older telephone.

Whether or not you wish to play when commuting to work, flying on a aircraft, or when enjoyable on the sofa, your previous system can allow you to play via your favourite retro titles. There are numerous emulators on the Google Play Retailer, and (after all, offered you carry your individual ROMs) you possibly can even play video games from the PS2 technology. Listed here are a few of our favourite emulators organized by console:

Associated

8 Delta emulator games to play on your iPhone

You possibly can relive all of your childhood favorites with Delta, however begin with these classics.

4 Devoted music participant

Stage up your music listening

These days, retaining observe of all of your music-playing gadgets is perhaps a bit complicated. You’ve got your private home stereo, your Sonos devices, your Bluetooth audio system and your headphones, and all the things is preventing for a connection along with your telephone. That is why turning your previous smartphone right into a devoted music streaming middle is a superb thought.

You should use your previous telephone as a music supply for all of your audio system. Join it by way of Bluetooth or headphone jack to your go-to speaker, and obtain all of the music streaming companies you need. You then have a devoted place to play all of your music with handy controls and quick access to all of the libraries.

Associated

From iPod to streaming era: What we’ve gained — and lost

What began as iPod’s dream for “1000 songs in your pocket” has develop into 100 million at our fingertips.

5 Common good residence distant

A hub for all of your good residence wants

Equipping your private home with good tech is thrilling and undoubtedly handy, but it surely additionally could be a bit complicated once you take note of all of the smart home apps that you have to juggle. You do not normally get all of your good home equipment from the identical producer, so you possibly can find yourself with dozens of various apps simply to function your good residence.

That is why utilizing your older telephone as a distant for all these apps is a superb thought. You possibly can lastly eliminate the junk apps out of your principal telephone and hold all of the good residence widgets lively on the previous one. That manner, you possibly can at all times simply and shortly change your good residence settings with a devoted distant, and liberate some house from the storage and the house display of your principal telephone.

Associated

I use my iPhone as a remote for my Roku TV — here’s how

Whether or not you misplaced your distant or desire a extra streamlined navigation expertise, utilizing your telephone to manage your Roku TV is simple.

6 DIY residence safety digital camera

Enhance your private home safety

If you wish to degree up your private home safety, getting a security camera is a superb begin. Nonetheless, one of the best internet-connected cameras will be dear, and if in case you have a telephone mendacity round, you may make your individual for utterly free. It will work nice each as a everlasting answer, in addition to an occasional factor to arrange if you wish to watch your canine when you’re at work.

As soon as once more, the setup for this use-case is extremely straightforward. You will have to obtain a free app. We might suggest IP Webcam, as it really works nice, and you’ll unlock all the extra options for only a flat price of $5 in the event you just like the software program. It helps you to preview your system’s digital camera from anyplace utilizing an online browser, and even helps movement detection and, after all, video recording as effectively.

Associated

How to use your Pixel phone as a webcam on your PC or Mac

Your Pixel telephone is a superb various to a devoted webcam and it is simpler than ever to get it related and able to go on your subsequent name.

7 Good alarm clock

Make your mornings simpler

One of many methods to begin your day effectively is getting your self a pleasant, purposeful alarm clock. There are numerous good variations in the marketplace, however you possibly can overlook about all of them if in case you have an previous telephone round. It will do a wonderful job at waking you up within the morning.

All you have to flip your smartphone right into a smart alarm clock is a telephone stand, and even an affordable one will do exactly effective. Then, arrange your clock app as a screensaver within the settings, and also you’re all set.

That mentioned, if you wish to make the expertise a bit extra superior, you may as well add a clock widget, a climate widget, and perhaps a calendar widget to the house display. Then, flip off the display timeout and use that as your alarm clock to have all of the helpful data at all times in your sight.

Associated

How I turned my Sonos speaker into an alarm clock

Sonos’ in-app alarm characteristic turned my Sonos Roam right into a easy, but satisfying alarm clock that will have simply develop into my nightstand staple.

8 Video calling system

Save your principal telephone’s battery

Video calling is an unimaginable device to communicate along with your family and friends, and particularly after the COVID-19 pandemic, it has been an extremely common useful resource for companies as effectively. Sadly, if you wish to video call someone in your telephone, you may shortly notice that it is a positive method to kill your battery.

That is why retaining a devoted telephone, ideally with a pleasant stand, to do all of your video calling on is a superb thought. You do not have to fret about sporting out the juice in your principal system, and the spare telephone is at all times prepared for the subsequent dialog along with your grandma.

Associated

Have an old iPhone or Android phone? Set it up as a security camera

When you’ve got an previous telephone amassing mud in a drawer, you possibly can shortly and simply flip it right into a safety digital camera on your residence.

9 Assist scientific analysis tasks

Citizen scientist processing energy put to work

Getting your previous telephone working as one other form of system in your house isn’t the one manner of creating probably the most out of that system. If you happen to do not actually have the necessity for any of the above instances, you need to use the processing energy of your previous telephone to assist researchers and scientists.

There are a number of apps and web sites that let you lend the computational energy of your system to teachers. This technique of crowdsourcing processing energy permits them to finish visualizations or calculations a lot sooner and inside strict educational budgets.

So, if you wish to be a small a part of a undertaking involved with the exploration of house or tough mathematical equations, that is a simple manner to assist out. If you happen to’re , Zooniverse might be probably the most well-known app that permits you to assist out in a wide range of fields.

Associated

How to factory reset your Android phone and erase all your data

Trying to promote your telephone or simply clear it to hurry it up? Resetting it is perhaps the reply.

10 Promote or donate it

You won’t want it anymore, however another person might

Lastly, in the event you actually do not know what to do along with your previous telephone, letting it sit inside a drawer someplace nonetheless is not one of the best plan of action. If you cannot discover any various use for the previous telephone, you possibly can nonetheless promote it to get a few of your a refund. Even gadgets which can be a few years previous will be price a bit of cash, so getting them prepared for a sale and itemizing at an public sale is only a little bit of a problem that may enable you to pay for part of the subsequent new telephone.

Alternatively, in the event you do not wish to take care of the patrons, delivery, and all the opposite potential issues of promoting a telephone on-line, you possibly can simply donate it as effectively. It is a a lot better alternative than letting it sit idly in a drawer, as one thing that is not that helpful for you is perhaps a game-changer for somebody much less lucky, so giving your telephone a second life that manner is a superb manner of repurposing your previous system.

Associated

How to get your Android phone ready to sell