Cool Things You Can Do with Your Old Smartphone

Buying a new smartphone has become as much of a routine as it is a necessity. With new technology coming out at breakneck speed, smartphone users find themselves having to buy a new phone more and more often. And while it’s fun to have a new phone, you’ll end up with an old phone lying around. Selling your old phone is an option, but expensive phones lose their value so quickly which makes selling them not worth it. There is a ton of cool things to do with your old smartphone, and we have some suggestions for you. Read on!

Digital Camera

Of the many great features smartphones have, cameras are front and center. Using your phone as a camera is one of the many cool things you can do with your old smartphone. Smartphone manufacturers have done a great job with developing cameras. iPhones have a great memory capacity and Galaxy phones support memory cards. In fact, you can customize your old phone to produce professional-grade photos. There is a ton of photography apps you can download to enhance photo quality and even lightly photoshop pictures. iPhones are especially great for editing videos. To get the most out of your phone’s video-editing capacity, make sure you download iMovie. You can rearrange the order of videos, add subtitles, and edit soundtracks. 

Home Security System

While not ADT-quality, you can use your old smartphone for a DIY home security system. To do this, you’ll need your phone’s camera, home Wi-Fi, and Skype. Place your phone in the area you want to monitor. Then set up your Skype to automatically accept calls. Then just call whenever you want to check in at home. You can set up your phone to be a nanny cam or monitor your front porch. Check out these other cool tips on using your phone as a home security system on USA Today.

Children’s Learning Tool

Kids these days cannot get enough of smartphones. So instead of hiding your phone from your kids, transform your old phone into a fun learning tool they can use. First, start off by setting up some parental controls on your phone. Then, add kid-friendly educational apps. But make sure the apps you download are secure. 

Media Player

One of the best things you can do with an old smartphone is to use it as a media player. You can hook up your phone to a Bluetooth speaker and blast music throughout the house. This way, you can entertain guests without temporarily losing access to your phone. Another use would be as a mini-tablet if you don’t already have one. Just download all of your favorite streaming apps and watch away. You get to watch your favorite TV shows and save your current phone’s battery life. 

TV Remote

The only thing more annoying than losing the TV remote is having to get up and physically turn off the TV while sleepy. That’s when having a TV remote right on your phone comes in handy. Peel TV Remote is one very convenient such app which you can download on the App Store or the Google Play Store. Some Android phones even come with it already installed as a widget. If you have an Android, first check your phone before downloading the Peel app. 

E-Reader

This is especially convenient for iPhone users. iBooks, which comes pre-installed on iOS devices has a ton of books, many of them free. To save battery life on your current device, read books on your old phone instead. Fun fact, the iBooks app can be used to store all sorts of files. Received a PDF that you want to keep? Just download it to your phone and save it on iBooks. Don’t really feel like reading? Download an audiobook and listen away. 

Recycle or Sell Your Phone

Perhaps the most environmentally conscious thing you could do with your old smartphone is to recycle it. That’s because smartphone production contributes to e-waste, so if you have no use for an old phone, better recycle it than throw it away. Your other option is to sell it for some cash because, hey, who doesn’t like the money? Just click here for the best price for your old smartphone.