The 2019 iPhones are now just days away. Those who will be upgrading to the new iPhones will face a crucial question – What to do with your old iPhone? If you are not planning to trade in or sell your old phone, then there are plenty of ways to reuse your old iPhone.
Ways to reuse your old iPhone
It is always a good idea to keep your old phone as a backup, in case the new one breaks down for any reason. You don’t have to keep the old handset stored in a drawer, rather there are several ways to reuse your old iPhone and also keep it as a backup.
Universal Remote – this is one of the best ways to reuse your old iPhone. Many cable companies have an app that allows you to control the set-top box using the phone. This means you can use it as a permanent remote to control the cable-box-controlled TV in your home.
Additionally, you can also use it to control the Xbox 360 or Xbox One. All you need is to download the Xbox Smart Glass on your old iPhone. You can also control other things with your old iPhone as well, such as smart lights, camera and more.
VR Headset – plenty of inexpensive, third party VR head mounts are available on Amazon, such as View-Master Virtual Reality, Google Cardboard and more. One can combine these with the old iPhone to create a budget VR helmet. Though it will be nothing like the advanced VR headsets, still it will be fun considering the number of VR apps on the App Store that you can use.
Security Camera – you can easily use your old iPhone as a mini surveillance system. You can place it in a room where you have kept your valuables, your cubicle at work, near to the exit of your home, and more. There are several apps on the App Store that will help you to convert your iPhone into a security camera. Many of these apps offer features such as motion-detection alerts, live video streaming and more.
The old iPhone can even serve as a nanny cam or a baby monitor. For this purpose also, there are specialized apps in the App Store that offer features, such as two-way communication, motion alerts, boosted audio and more. Similarly, you can use it to keep an eye on your pet while you are traveling.
Device for Car – though most cars now come with built-in navigation systems, there are still plenty of cars without it. If you own such a car, you can use your old phone as a dash-mounted GPS system. This is much safer as well than pulling out your smartphone from your pocket or purse to check the routes. There are plenty of options in the market that will help you to mount your phone onto the dash. Along with the GPS system, you can also use your old iPhone as a dashcam.
Dedicated Music Player – just connect your old iPhone over Wi-Fi, and use it as a music player for Apple Music, Spotify, Pandora or any other app. Since the phone will be plugged in at your home you won’t have to worry about poor battery life as well.
Handheld Game Console – with the rise in mobile gaming, there is always a need for a phone that you can use for gaming. Even your old iPhone will be capable of handling many games. Moreover, many accessories are in the market, such as Gamevice, Steelseries SmartGrip and more that help to convert your phone into a console. If you are worried about battery, you can buy a new one to support gaming. With the upcoming Apple Arcade gaming service, it will be a great idea to have an iPhone dedicated to gaming.
Advanced Flash Drive – If your PC or any other computing device is low on storage, then you can transfer the files to your old smartphone. There are apps that will assist you to transfer files over Wi-Fi. This is a very good idea if your old phone has a lot of storage. Since you would have already moved all the files to your new iPhone, you can delete everything on the old iPhone to create more storage space.
Bedside Alarm Clock – plenty of smart alarm clocks are already available on the market, but it would be nothing like your iPhone. You can easily turn the iPhone into an alarm clock by using the iPhone’s built-in alarm functions. If you need extra functions, you can use the cool alarm apps on the App Store. Moreover, you can also make use of Siri to help you with stuff like reading the news, weather information, listen to your favorite songs and more.
Kid’s Entertainment Device – you can download some kids-related stuff such as games, movies, shows and more on your old iPhone, and give it to your kids. To ensure that your kids don’t spend too much time on the iPhone, you can use Screen Time to set appropriate limits.
There are more ways to reuse your old iPhone, such as a Hiking GPS, Smart Home Controller, Dedicated Skype Station, Document Scanner, Dedicated Voice Recorder, Upgraded Digital Camera/Camcorder, Vehicle/Bike Tracker, Barometer/Weather Center, and Digital Picture Frame.
So, what might you do (or plan to do) with your old iPhone? Do let us know in the comments section below if you find other creative ways to reuse your old iPhone.
