{"id":17372,"date":"2017-05-19T17:07:23","date_gmt":"2017-05-19T11:37:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wikitechy.com\/technology\/?p=17372"},"modified":"2017-05-19T17:07:23","modified_gmt":"2017-05-19T11:37:23","slug":"10-best-uses-of-old-android-smartphones","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wikitechy.com\/technology\/10-best-uses-of-old-android-smartphones\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Best Uses of Old Android Smartphones"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Advanced innovation most likely advances dangerously fast. New gadgets, services and so forth continue pouring in all the time, just to be rendered outdated by something quicker and better, in a matter of weeks (or even days). What&#8217;s more, this couldn&#8217;t be all the more valid for cell phones.<\/p>\n<p>For instance, consider Android telephones. Every year, all gadget makers (both of all shapes and sizes) discharge their Android leaders, packed with the most recent in hardware and software tech. Also, countless cheerfully go overboard a boatload of money, just so they can get the following enormous thing. Be that as it may, simultaneously, the greater part of them additionally dispose of their old Android cell phones aside, as they are no longer valuable. Genuine question is, is there truly no utilization for an Android telephone, since it no longer has the speediest processor and the most recent Android version?<\/p>\n<p>Not by far, individuals. Really, there are an entire cluster of ways you can re-reason your old Android gadgets. Can hardly wait to discover more? We should hop ideal in.<\/p>\n<h4 id=\"best-uses-for-old-android-smartphones\"><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\"><strong>Best uses for old Android smartphones<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n<h4 id=\"1-turn-it-into-a-ip-surveillance-camera\"><span style=\"color: #993300;\"><strong>1. Turn it into a IP surveillance camera<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>If you want to keep an eye on your home, office etc. in your absence, your old Android smartphone\u00a0help, as long as it has a decent camera (something all phones have these days). There are many apps available for the same, such as the awesome<a href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/apps\/details?id=com.pas.webcam&amp;hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">IP<span style=\"color: #3366ff;\"><strong> Webcam<\/strong><\/span><\/a>\u00a0and<span style=\"color: #3366ff;\">\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/apps\/details?id=com.alexvas.dvr\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong><span style=\"color: #3366ff;\">tinyCam <\/span><\/strong>Monitor<\/a>. With a bit of\u00a0setting up, you can\u00a0<strong>track\u00a0the live streaming video feed remotely, via any browser<\/strong>.\u00a0It\u2019s even possible to automatically record videos, and upload them to\u00a0cloud storage services\u00a0for later viewing.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n[ad type=&#8221;banner&#8221;]\n<h4 id=\"2-as-a-digital-photo-frame\"><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\"><strong>2. As a digital photo frame<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Have a plethora\u00a0of family photos that you\u2019d love to be\u00a0displayed by your bedside, or maybe your office desk at all times? With that old Android phone (or better yet, tablet) of yours, it\u2019s easier to do. Just get an app like<a href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/apps\/details?id=com.easydevtools.dockstation.photoramka&amp;hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Digital Photo Frame<\/a>, configure it, and you\u2019re good to go. These apps generally have lots of customization options, such as\u00a0<strong>randomized photo slideshows<\/strong>,\u00a0<strong>sound effects<\/strong>, and can\u00a0<strong>even show battery status and time<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4 id=\"3-offline-gps-for-your-car\"><span style=\"color: #99cc00;\"><strong>3. Offline GPS for your car<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Whether you\u2019re headed to a new city\/state, or stuck in\u00a0congested traffic, having a GPS is a necessity these days. And an\u00a0Android device can be of use as an offline GPS just fine. All you need is something like\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/search?q=google%20maps&amp;c=apps&amp;hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Google Maps<\/a>and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/apps\/details?id=com.here.app.maps&amp;hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">HERE Maps<\/a>. Apart\u00a0from\u00a0the\u00a0<strong>ability to download maps offline<\/strong>, you get a host of other features, such as\u00a0<strong>turn-by-turn voice assistance<\/strong>, automatic rerouting, and then some more.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4 id=\"4-make-it-a-media-server\"><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\"><strong>4. Make it a media server<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Most of us like to carry a whole bunch of songs, movies, and videos on our smartphones. How about using an\u00a0Android phone to stream media to other devices? Simply\u00a0transfer your media to your\u00a0Android phone\u00a0(even better if it has expandable storage), grab\u00a0an app like<a href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/apps\/details?id=com.plexapp.android\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Plex<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/apps\/details?id=com.bubblesoft.android.bubbleupnp&amp;hl=en_GB\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">BubbleUPnP<\/a>, and\u00a0get it running. The streaming\u00a0<strong>works for DLNA compatible devices<\/strong>, and even with\u00a0<strong>digital players like Chromecast,<\/strong><strong>\u00a0<\/strong>and<strong>\u00a0<\/strong><strong>Amazon Fire TV<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n[ad type=&#8221;banner&#8221;]\n<h4 id=\"5-turn-it-into-a-retro-gaming-emulator\"><span style=\"color: #993300;\"><strong>5. Turn it into a retro gaming emulator<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Xbox and PlayStation titles might have turned old school games a relic of the past, but there\u2019s something about retro gaming that makes it amazing, to this day. If you\u2019ve been yearning to play some old Game Boy Advance or Nintendo classics, an old Android phone and an emulator app (e.g.<a href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/apps\/details?id=com.johnemulators.johnnes\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">John NES<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/apps\/details?id=com.fastemulator.gbcfree\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">My OldBoy!<\/a>) are sufficient to get started. You even get features like\u00a0<strong>Bluetooth\/MOGA controller support<\/strong>, and\u00a0<strong>cheat code functionality<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4 id=\"6-as-a-universal-remote-controller\"><span style=\"color: #99cc00;\"><strong>6. As a universal remote controller<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>The numerous digital gadgets that we use (e.g. TV,\u00a0digital media players) daily, all come with their own remote controllers. Naturally, fumbling with all of them is too much of a hassle. But it doesn\u2019t have to, as your Android phone can act as a universal remote controller for (almost) all of your smart gadgets. All you have to do is install an app like<a href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/apps\/details?id=com.easy.tv.remote&amp;hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Easy Universal TV Remote<\/a>, or\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/apps\/details?id=tv.peel.app&amp;hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Peel Universal Remote<\/a>. And though\u00a0most of these apps\u00a0<strong>require your Android phone to have an IR blaster<\/strong>, some can even\u00a0<strong>work over Wi-Fi<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4 id=\"7-dedicated-ebook-reader\"><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\"><strong>7. Dedicated eBook reader<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Don\u2019t know about you all, but I simply love eBook readers (having previously owned a Nook Simple Touch, and rocking a Kindle now). They are light, have a glare-free display, and let you carry thousands of books. But even if you don\u2019t like (or don\u2019t want to invest in) an eBook reader, you can make an old Android phone a dedicated eBook reader. Just install an app like<a href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/apps\/details?id=com.amazon.kindle&amp;hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Kindle<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/apps\/details?id=bn.ereader&amp;hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Nook<\/a>,\u00a0download some free eBooks, and you\u2019re ready to roll. The many advantages include\u00a0<strong>support for numerous eBook formats<\/strong>,\u00a0cloud synchronization, and night reading modes. This is also one of the\u00a0<strong>best ways to get your kids in the habit of reading<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4 id=\"8-make-it-a-wireless-hotspot\"><span style=\"color: #993300;\"><strong>8. Make it a wireless hotspot<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Wireless connectivity is all good, but you can\u2019t really have it anywhere (e.g. in a car), at least not easily. In such cases, you can get a cellular connection for the sole purpose of accessing mobile data through it, and use it with a spare Android phone. After that, it\u2019s all a matter of enabling Internet sharing in your Android phone\u2019s settings, and you\u2019ve got Wi-Fi everywhere. This can be also<strong>handy if you want a secondary Wi-Fi connection at your home<\/strong>, just\u00a0<strong>for light usage<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4 id=\"9-turn-it-into-a-dedicated-media-player\"><span style=\"color: #99cc00;\"><strong>9. Turn it into a dedicated media player<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>We all use our smartphones to listen to songs and watch movies all the time. So why not dedicate that old Android phone to\u00a0enjoying media only? It\u2019s easy to do. Justremove all the unnecessary\/bloatware apps\u00a0from the phone, load up your media (e.g. photos, music, videos) on it (use a memory card, if supported by the device), and\u00a0<strong>pair it up with some great earphones or speaker<\/strong>. And of course, you\u2019ll be needing\u00a0one or more of these\u00a0great\u00a0music player apps\u00a0and\u00a0video player apps\u00a0as well.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n[ad type=&#8221;banner&#8221;]\n<h4 id=\"10-as-a-power-bank\"><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\"><strong>10. As a power bank<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Given the battery extracting beasts that most smartphones are, power banks are one of the essential accessories for them. But if you have an old Android with a fully functional battery, you can use it as a power bank as well. Wait what? Don\u2019t be so shocked. Out of the manyunique uses of\u00a0USB OTG, one is to charge your Android smartphone with another smartphone. Just\u00a0<strong>make sure the old Android phone is acting as the USB host<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4 id=\"give-your-old-android-smartphone-a-new-purpose\"><span style=\"color: #993300;\"><strong>Give your old Android smartphone a new purpose<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Android smartphones keep on evolving at such a rapid speed, the next big thing is in market before you\u2019ve had a chance to explore the phone you have in your hand. But as seen above, an old Android phone doesn\u2019t equate to a useless device.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>10 Best Uses of Old Android Smartphones &#8211; Android &#8211; Every year, all gadget makers (both of all shapes and sizes) discharge their Android leaders,<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":22516,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1791,46018],"tags":[53267,53294,53299,53296,53304,53295,8257,53308,53283,53282,53306,53286,53287,53292,53269,53284,53301,53281,53277,36736,53307,53278,53288,53303,53279,53291,53268,53276,53309,53290,53305,53293,53272,53265,53273,53300,53280,53270,53275,53298,53289,53266,53285,53297,48374,53302,46851,53271,53263,53264,53274],"class_list":["post-17372","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-android","category-mobile","tag-android-app-for-ip-camera","tag-android-cctv-camera-app","tag-android-ip-camera-viewer","tag-android-new-phone","tag-android-phone-camera","tag-android-security-camera-app","tag-android-transfer","tag-android-webcam-server","tag-best-android-cctv-app","tag-best-ip-camera-app-for-android","tag-best-place-to-sell-phone","tag-best-security-camera-app-for-android","tag-buy-my-old-phone","tag-camera-for-android-mobile","tag-cctv-camera-mobile-apps","tag-cctv-camera-viewer","tag-how-to-send-contacts-from-android-to-android","tag-how-to-transfer-apps-from-android-to-iphone","tag-how-to-transfer-contact-from-android-to-android","tag-how-to-transfer-contacts-from-android-to-android","tag-how-to-transfer-data-from-android-to-iphone","tag-how-to-transfer-messages-from-android-to-android","tag-how-to-transfer-phone-to-phone","tag-ip-cam-app","tag-ip-cam-viewer","tag-ip-cam-viewer-pro","tag-ip-camera-mobile","tag-ip-camera-software-for-android","tag-ip-camera-viewer","tag-ip-webcam-for-pc","tag-ip-webcam-pc","tag-mobile-security-camera","tag-old-camera-phone","tag-old-phone-security-camera","tag-phone-camera","tag-remote-camera-app-android","tag-security-camera-app-android","tag-security-camera-mobile-app","tag-security-camera-phone","tag-sell-your-phone-online","tag-sell-your-used-phone","tag-smartphone-security-camera-app","tag-surveillance-app-android","tag-the-mobile-phone-network-camera","tag-transfer-android-apps-to-new-phone","tag-transfer-data-to-new-android-phone","tag-turn-old-android-phone-into-security-camera","tag-turn-your-old-phone-into-a-security-camera","tag-use-mobile-as-cctv-camera","tag-use-mobile-phone-as-cctv-camera","tag-what-to-do-with-old-phones"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wikitechy.com\/technology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17372","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wikitechy.com\/technology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wikitechy.com\/technology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wikitechy.com\/technology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wikitechy.com\/technology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17372"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.wikitechy.com\/technology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17372\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wikitechy.com\/technology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/22516"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wikitechy.com\/technology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17372"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wikitechy.com\/technology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17372"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wikitechy.com\/technology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17372"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}