I buy a new Phone every 6 months and once it gets old I normally gift it to my family members. There must be some gadget-savvy people out there who must be purchasing new Phones every now and then and would be thinking about what to do with a new Phone. I am here with some ideas about how you can use your old Android Phone.
Convert your Android Phone + HeadPhone to a Wireless Headset for PC:
Well, this is easy with an Android device and Windows PC. You just need to download and configure the SoundWire server on PC and SoundWire app on Android. It was useful for me when I have a wireless keyboard and Mouse but do not own a good Wireless headset. I connected my PC to my 32 inches LED screen and I needed to play games from a distance. This Wireless Headset setup helped me a lot to enjoy gaming on the big screen.
Make your Android Phone at Wireless [WI-Fi] storage Drive:
Android is awesome when comes to usability, there are lots of apps on Google Play Store. Droid NAS for Android is a simple app that can convert your Phone Memory to WI-Fi Storage so that you can share folders and file over Wireless. If you enable your old Android Phone with 32GB or 64GB Storage then it’s a great way to share your files.
Portable WI-FI Hotspot:
This is an inbuilt and most widely used functionality of Android Phones. You can use your old phone to be used as a wireless Hotspot to share your 3G or 4G high-speed data connections. Most of the phones allow up to 8 users to connect to hotspot simultaneously, few can allow more.
Make your old Tablet a Car Infotainment accessory:
My friend had a 10-inch WI-Fi Tablet but he recently purchased an iPad Mini and lost interest in a big tablet [Battery was dead too]. I suggested that mounting that tablet to the car will be great as you can browse and play your fav music or get navigation on a big screen. And then he started loving the Tablet again. While driving he connects a 3G Dongle and uses it as GPS Maps. His Kids watch videos on it or listen to music. The Tablet was made reusable again, you just need a car mount, DC adapter charger, and a wire plug in the tablet of your car music system using Audio Jack. This is a full-fledged Car entertainment system.
Remote control for your PC or Laptop:
There are lots of apps and tutorials available on the internet that will tell you how to convert your Android Phone into a Windows or Mac remote control. You can control Torrent Clients, Media players, etc. Using Your Phone.
Web developers can use their phone as a portable web server:
You are a web developer, cool. Just turn your old Android Phone into a web server using the below tutorials created by the most reliable Android developer forum XDA. You can show your development to anyone who can connect to your phone using WI-FI and open the localhost website. You can also connect a Bluetooth keyboard to your Phone and Tablet and start programming anywhere.
Convert your old Tablet into a Wireless Keyboard for your PC or SmartTV:
When I connected my PC to a big screen TV I created a portable headset out of my Android phone. But if you have a big screen Tablet or Phone, you can make it a Bluetooth or WI-Fi Keyboard as well. AndroMouse for Android is a cool app that can convert your Device to a portable Wireless keyboard or mouse anytime.
Connect Your Phone as a Wired or Wireless webcam to your PC:
You talk a lot on Skype or Google Plus. Need a webcam for Hangout, Droidcam for Android can convert your Phone or Tablet into a webcam. Well, this may sound silly at first as Skype or Google plus hangout can be used on Android Phones as well, but it drains a lot of battery and data. You can have a Video chat on your PC using your phone as a webcam.
You can also try removing the non-useful app and optimize your Android device for better performance.
I have tried to list almost all the ways you can use your old Android Phone. If you still do not find your favorite way then the best thing I can suggest is to gift your old device to any needy family member or friend. We would love it if you have any suggestions or tips to share.
I have converted several old bookshelf stereos into modern streaming music players with Aux input on the stereo. Stream the music via WiFi. An inexpensive Bluetooth receiver connected to the Aux makes the phone a wireless remote!
I have converted several old bookshelf stereos into modern streaming music players with Aux input on the stereo. Stream the music via WiFi. An inexpensive Bluetooth receiver connected to the Aux makes the phone a wireless remote!
Use any gallery app that has a slideshow option and you can use it as a digital photo frame 🙂 Recommend turning off notifications… Stick it in airplane mode is best.