The technology evolves rapidly and even if the manufacturers of technological devices release news slowly and without exaggerating too much, after a couple of years an electronic device of any type is almost already old. This is especially true for smartphones that come out so quickly that only the one released a year ago seems old, which can be a bit frustrating.
Personally I am not a new smartphone observer and, in fact, I also like to make the one bought two or three years ago last as long as possible.
So I wrote how to extend the life of the smartphone even if old trying to optimize it and use it to the maximum of its possibilities, without suffering from slowness and without depriving itself of functions.
However, if we bought a new phone better than the current one, before selling or putting the old smartphone in a drawer, we can think of how to use it in alternative ways other than that of the phone or messages.
An old Android smartphone, being however a miniature computer in all respects and being very customizable, can really work with different uses as we see below.
1) Turn your smartphone into a surveillance camera
If you want to keep a room monitored with a DIY system, you can connect your smartphone to the wifi network and use an app that turns it into a camera.
there are several apps to install, such as IP Webcam or tinyCam, for free, whose footage can be viewed live via the internet from another phone or computer.
2) Use the old smartphone as a digital photo frame
For this use, a tablet would be better, but even the smartphone can work well to let family or holiday photos scroll on the screen so that they can be viewed by interested guests.
The app to use is Digital Photo Frame, easy to configure and customize with graphic and sound effects.
3) Keep your old phone in your car as an offline GPS navigator
Why use your mobile phone as a navigator and drain its battery when you can keep your old phone in the car always connected to the car charger?
One of the apps that act as GPS navigator with offline maps for Android, such as Google Maps or Here Maps, can be installed on the mobile phone, download Italian or other country maps and then use them without the need to connect the mobile navigator on the internet.
4) Use the smartphone as a remote control
We have already seen in another article how it is possible to operate an Android smartphone as a TV remote control
In the article on tricks for Google Chromecast we also explained that with an app like Videostream it is possible to use the smartphone as a remote control of the Chromecast connected to the TV.
Instead of using the new cell phone, you can dedicate the old smartphone to these purposes, always keeping it close to the TV.
5) Remote control for the PC
Thanks to some applications, it is also possible to use Android apps to control the PC remotely, use the smartphone as a mouse and wifi keyboard for PC
6) Android eBook reader
If the old smartphone is one of the one with a 5-inch screen or more, this can really be used as a screen for reading books, convenient to keep in your pocket, small but large enough for good reading.
You can use the app already integrated in any mobile phone with Android system, Google Play Books or download the Amazon Kindle app.
As seen in another article, it is also possible to use the smartphone to listen to audio books.
7) Use your mobile phone as a router
This is the only case where a SIM card with internet subscription must be present in the old smartphone.
If we have it, this phone can become a portable router to connect to the internet from your PC or other devices, in Wifi.
In another article, the guide to use the Android smartphone as a wifi or bluetooth hotspot
8) Turn your old cellphone into stereo to listen to music
If we have a pair of speakers to connect to the smartphone, just load it with music tracks or connect it to the internet in wifi to hear music as you would with a modern stereo.
In another article, the best Android apps to listen to music and manage mp3.
In this regard it is worth remembering that there is a device called Chromecast Audio to listen to music from your smartphone even on old stereos.
9) Connect the smartphone to the TV
If you can use your old cell phone to listen to music, you can also choose to dedicate it to watching streaming movies as if it were a media center.
There are many apps that can be used for this purpose, you can go to Plex and BubbleUPnP that make the smartphone become a media server or use simple apps to watch videos and movies on the Android phone to be used by connecting the mobile phone to the TV.
10) As an additional charge for the new smartphone
If our old cell phone still has a good battery, it can be used to charge another phone.
To do this, just use a USB-OTG cable (already explained in the guide to use a USB stick as additional memory for the mobile phone) and automatically the phone configured as USB Host will recharge the other.
11) Mobile phone as an alarm clock
The alarm clock is certainly one of the most useful features of all smartphones so it can be convenient to keep the old smartphone fixed on the bedside table, connected to the electric cable all the time, showing a cute clock and functioning as an alarm clock capable of working even if the light goes off .
In another article we saw the best alarm clock apps for Android.
12) Controller for the DSLR camera
Anyone who has a digital SLR camera could use the old Android phone as a DSLR controller thanks to this extraordinary application.
13) Device for experiments
An Android smartphone is a highly customizable computer, on which you can also install several ROMs, i.e. modified versions of Android.
Those who want to learn how to tinker and don't want to risk breaking the main mobile phone, can take advantage of the old one to do system experiments by following the various unlocking and installation ROM guides on sites like XDA developers.
14) Telephone for children
Video games are always a great attraction for children and given the amount of games available on an Android smartphone it could be a good idea to let our children play with our old phone by letting them pass the desire to take the new one and risk breaking it.
In another article, we saw apps and games for kids to use Android smartphones and have fun safely.
15) As an emergency telephone
This is the most obvious use, to keep it in the drawer and use it again in case the new one should break or if it is lost.
READ ALSO: How to use a smartphone without SIM data and cellular signal
