What to do with an old Android phone: 10 ideas

Almost everyone has an old phone put away. Throwing it out is a waste and selling it brings little. The good news is that an Android that still turns on and joins Wi-Fi is useful for a lot of things. Here are 10 ideas, with what each one asks of you.

Before you start

Back up what matters and, if the device is going to someone else, reset it to factory settings. Keep the battery in good shape and, for uses that stay on all the time, leave it on the charger. Remember that results depend on the device and the maker.

1. Home file server

Turn the device into a place to keep and reach photos, videos and documents over Wi-Fi, with no cloud and no monthly fee. With DogNAS, you install the app, choose where to keep the files (internal storage, an SD card or a USB drive) and connect other phones with a QR Code and a PIN. It is the idea that stays useful every day, because it keeps what is yours. See the full walkthrough in how to turn an old Android into a file server.

2. Security camera or baby monitor

With an IP camera app, the phone becomes a camera you watch from another device. It works best with a good camera, strong Wi-Fi and a charger. Pair it with the file server to keep recordings at home, as long as the camera app can send them over a compatible protocol.

3. Webcam for your computer

Apps such as DroidCam and Iriun Webcam use the phone's camera as a webcam for meetings and streams, often with better quality than a laptop's.

4. Media hub with a speaker

Connect the device to a speaker over Bluetooth or a cable and use it as a music player, online radio or podcast player.

5. Smart home control

Mount it on a wall as a panel to control lights and devices from your automation app. It stays on, so it needs a charger.

6. Router, hotspot or repeater

Android can share its connection as a hotspot. It does not replace a good router, but it helps in a pinch.

7. Retro gaming

Emulators such as RetroArch can run classic games with a Bluetooth controller. Use only games you have the right to use.

8. Dedicated GPS in the car or on the bike

With downloaded maps and a mount, it navigates without draining your main phone's battery.

9. Alarm clock, desk clock or digital photo frame

Simple and handy: leave it on the nightstand or shelf, plugged in.

10. Document scanner

With a scanning app, the phone becomes a portable scanner for receipts, contracts and papers.

How to choose

Choose what stays useful without you having to watch it. A camera, a panel and a clock need power and take up space. A file server works quietly in a drawer or on a shelf and solves a real problem: where to keep the home's photos, videos and documents without paying a monthly fee. To see if it fits your home, also read a home NAS without buying a NAS.

If the device runs Android 7.0 or newer, install DogNAS and start free.