By 
As we’re heading into spring, it’s about that time where we think about what we can clean up and get rid of. Which often means taking a gander into the ever-dreaded junk drawer where (if you are anything like me) all of your old handsets reside. Instead of sending them to the recycle center to be repurposed into something new, here are some alternative ideas of what you can do with these handsets.
Security Phones
Did you know that in order to contact emergency services you don’t need an active sim in your phone? This makes having a charged phone in strategic places could be lifesaving for you. Having a spare handset in your car, that should you become stranded or endangered could be the difference between life and death. Similarly, keeping a handset spare in your house somewhere safe, like in the bathroom, could be an ideal place to hide and keep yourself safe should you become endangered in your own home.
Harddrive
Much like how old iPods were used as potable hard drives back in the day, similarly the same can be said for your old phones. If there are anything that you would like a hard backup of, that is of a reasonable size, using an old handset as a portable hard drive could be an ideal solution.
Emulator
For the gamers amongst us, old handsets can be readily repurposed through the use of emulators and of devices like the HyperKin Smartboy which gives you all of the feel of a traditional GameBoy with your cartridges installed. Pure nostalgia in HD.
Webcams
Speaking of Gamers, for those who stream on Twitch or use a lot of video calls using an old handset instead of your iPad or Laptops camera could be a great bump up in quality which could be just the boost you’d need without the expense! There are a myriad of apps available on the App Store to turn your smartphone into a webcam. So be sure to check around to see which works best for you.
Security
On the other side of the webcam side, we also have the ability to turn your smartphone into a security camera. Be sure to check with your services to see how and if additional cameras are compatible with your connected devices.
Music Player
For those who like to listen to music offline, turning your old Android handset into a dedicated music player to tune out the world could be the solution to your needs. Downloading your playlists from your favorite musical services like Spotify or Tidal could be exactly what you need to chill out without the notifications.
Universal Remote
If you’re anything like me, you lose your remote for the TV more often than you can count. Adding a universal remote to your spare phone could be one of those essential things you wonder how you ever did without it.
What other things would you use your handsets for? Let me know in the comments below!
Comments