You may have an old smartphone kept in the drawer from your desk, but with these tips you can get more out of it. Technological advances mean that interesting innovations for mobile phones will appear in a short time, and perhaps you already have a new phone with the latest functions. But that doesn't mean that your old Smartphone is useless.
Currently there are numerous alternative uses that you can take advantage of with your Smartphone. In this list of tips you will see how to convert an old Smartphone into a device for multimedia playback or directly into a communication system, social networks or even your game center. Depending on the uses you are interested in giving it, a Smartphone even a few years old is still great.
Tips to use an old Smartphone and give it a new life
When thinking about uses and Tips to take advantage of an old Smartphone You have to understand the main new features of a more recent Smartphone. In recent years there have been strong improvements in issues such as cameras, connectivity and additional applications. But advances do not mean that a device that is 3 or 4 years old cannot be used. In this article we explore the best uses that can be given to a Smartphone that is a few years old, to continue being as useful as before.
Security cameras and baby monitoring
Thanks to the photo and video cameras, and Internet connectivity, you can easily turn your Smartphone into a security system for your home or for the little ones. Apps for Android like Dormi, Baby Monitor or TappyTapps let you configure the sending of images in real time as well as other functions. You can set up noise or crying detection to instantly know if something is interrupting your baby's sleep. The apps allow you to synchronize data in real time, but they also add other tools.
For example, you can record messages with your voice to calm the little one when they wake up, or schedule automatic captures the moment they wake up. Settings include noise and event logging, sending a message via email or notification.

surveillance center
A more complete version with special security uses. You can take an old smartphone and turn it into a complete security system. Use apps that send audiovisual information in real time, that record and transmit online what happens in a space in the house and much more. Apps like Video surveillance: spy camera or Alfred WiFi security camera are your best allies. They include support for motion detection, night mode, photo taking and real-time warnings.
Accurate and fast geographic location
This feature can also relate, to some extent, to security. The geographic location for your car, in case of a theft, you can constantly trace it using an old Smartphone. To have a constant connection you need to have a second SIM card, since it will be the one that transmits the location signal permanently. You will need to have the maps and routes downloaded manually, to be able to have them even without the Internet. From the settings of the Google Maps app you can mark “offline areas” and thus read the maps manually.
Other apps to turn your old cell phone into a GPS They are Maps.me: offline maps and GPS, MapFactor: GPS Navigation and Sygic Maps. These are pioneering applications that fully explore the potential of GPS and location functions even without the need for data connectivity.
Tips to turn your old Smartphone into an ebook
If you like reading books and comics, you can turn an old Smartphone into a complete content reader. From books in epub format to PDF and much more. If you like comics and oriental comics or manga, just load a reader with support for various formats and start following your favorite stories without problems.
La reading in digital format can be present on your mobile with numerous alternatives in app format: from Ebook reader even Aldio Book Reader or WhattPad. There you will not only find the reading system, tens of thousands of books and reading proposals are also added. If you like comics you can download the files locally and then read them from the interface, or check out the online apps that have all the content loaded directly.
Explore ROOT possibilities
Android mobile phones have a lot of potential limited by the operating system itself. However, at access via ROOT permissions Numerous features and power can be added to the phone. If you have an older device, you can start experimenting with less risk since you are not exposing your main phone. While accessing ROOT permissions can be dangerous by blocking certain functions or parts of the device, it has become increasingly easier over time. Still, if you want to try the functions with less risk, start practicing from your secondary phone.
Use the phone as a remote control
A last very popular function for old cell phones is remote control. There are a significant number of apps that work by converting the mobile phone into a signal emitter that a television, an air conditioner or other appliances can read. In this case, you would use the phone directly to give commands to the device in question. Turn on or change channels with your television, activate the DVD player or configure your air conditioning.
Conclusions
At the end of the day, imagination is a fundamental part of Tips to give life to an old Smartphone. Depending on the model, you will be looking at devices that are really equivalent to old computers. This means that there is a lot of potential, both for controlling appliances and for watching movies, reading digital books or playing with emulators. Your Android mobile can have a second life with a little imagination. Start trying the different alternatives to give it a use that works for you and that you can configure and activate without many complications and quickly.