Use your old device as… whatever you want!

So you happen to have an android device (phone, tablet or whatever) which you don’t use anymore, because maybe you bought a new one, but you still don’t want to get rid of it? The device seems to be pretty old, but you think you could still use it for something, you just can’t figure out what for? Well I made a little research about what could be the common uses of an old android device and came up with a few ideas.

• Alarm clock

Well, I know this isn’t really the best use, actually you can get a real alarm clock for cheap, but it’s still something. If the device you own is really old, can’t handle anything but some simple tasks then this would be a solution for you. Download an application to edit your alarm to your preferences, put it beside your bed and enjoy waking up the way you like.

• Music player

Using your old device as an mp3 player could also be a nice solution. We usually complain about space on our devices, so why not filling the old device with your favorite music (or music app) and solve the big problem? Other than music, the device could also be used to watch movies. So connect your headphones or your home stereo system and enjoy your listening/watching!

• Digital photo frame

Are you fed up of old photo albums with old printed photos? Are you tired of watching the same old pictures over and over again? Get yourself a nice stand for the device you want to become your digital photo frame, bring on an app for that and the work is done. Watch your device roll through your photos and even link it with your social networks accounts to get every day brand new and fresh pictures.

• Remote controller

Many existing apps let you use your phone as a remote controller, so you’ll just have to look up if there’s any compatible with your device. You’ll probably need your device to have an infrared blaster for that, even though many newer devices support Wi-Fi too. Check the app you’ve chosen, and use your android device to remotely control your TV, PC or any other home smart gadget.

• Navigation – GPS

Now that you’ve got an old spare android device, you can even leave it in your car and use it as a navigator. You will require to download offline maps with the routing capabilities to your device, install it to your car dash (or get a stand for it) and drive. You won’t need to spend more money to get a car navigation device, because you already own one now!

• Security Camera

So you can even use your old android device as a security camera. In this case your device should have a camera (which most devices do). You’ll need an app with a motion detector which you can then set up to contact you (by e-mail) whenever it senses an intruder.

• Game Console

You’re a video game passionate? Do you like to play your games on the go? You can now load up your old device with all the games you like and play whenever you want (battery permitting). You can even transform your device to a retro console, installing a proper application as an emulator on it and bring on old video game glories.

There are probably hundreds of other ideas on this topic. A smart device can indeed be used for so many purposes, but why then use it for only one of them? Optimize your resources and get out the most of each and every device you own.