Have an Old Phone? Here Are Some Smart Ways to Make Use of It

We go through phones roughly every year or two due to our carrier plans. Upgrading a phone usually doesn’t cost much interest and the latest features are usually tempting enough to splash out for. However, as we go through phones on a regular basis, we usually stockpile a bunch of old devices that we don’t have a use for. Perhaps your carrier has a trade-in incentive or perhaps you sell the phone on eBay. While those are valid choices, there are some other unique ways to reuse a phone especially if it’s too old or outdated to sell or trade-in.

Hand it down to siblings, relatives or friends

If you’re feeling generous, then you can always hand your phone down to someone else that could make use of it. For instance, if your siblings or children are young and you want to give them a good starter phone, then a well-used mobile phone could be what they need. If you equip it with some extra accessories, replace the dying battery and restore it to its factory settings, then it’ll work as good as new. While it might not have the power or features that today’s phones have, your old phone will still be good for internet browsing, some light gaming, music listening and, of course, sending and receiving calls and messages.

Keep it as a backup phone

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with keeping your old phone as a backup. Again, it might not have all the features of your newer phone, but at least it can still be used in the event of an emergency. Just keep it switched off, charge it till the battery is full then keep it safe in a cupboard, drawer or even your car. Just make sure you take it to a cell phone repair service before you stash it away as an emergency or backup phone. Now you’ll always have an extra device to use in the event that yours is stolen, breaks or develops a fault.

Use it as an alarm

Your old phone or tablet has all the features (and more!) of an expensive nightstand alarm. It has a light function, it has thousands of different alarm styles and apps and you can even add your own music to wake up to. Depending on the model of phone, you might even be able to use voice commands to enable or disable the alarm, and you can also have it display the latest news, weather and other things. It doesn’t require a SIM card inside to use these features—all you need is an active wireless internet connection. Since your phone alarm won’t be in use all of the time, it won’t consume much power and you will seldom need to charge it.

Replacing your phone doesn’t mean you need to get rid of it! There are plenty of unique and fun ways to use an old phone, and we’ve only scratched the surface of practical uses. Whatever you do, don’t throw them in the trash!