Is this what your junk drawer looks like?

Photo by Eirik Solheim on Unsplash Photo by Eirik Solheim on Unsplash

With a little creativity you can find value in your old devices and give them new life!

Use It As An Educational Tool

Remove all the apps on your old phone except the most educational ones:

Byte Author Uploaded Image One phone for daily life, and another for learning!

Turn It Into A Personal Arcade

Use attachments to turn your device into a dedicated game station:

Nostalgic? Turn it into a Gameboy!

Byte Author Uploaded Image

Like the latest tech? Use it for VR!

Byte Author Uploaded Image

Embed your device into a controller...

...or use one that you already have!

Use It As A Monitor

Use your old phone to keep an eye on things:

  • a nanny cam for your pet when you're not home

  • as a home security system

Byte Author Uploaded Image

Repurpose It For A Family Member

Flaticon Icon A grandparent can use your old phone to:

  • video call their grandchildren

  • refill their prescriptions

  • check their emails

Flaticon Icon A little brother or sister can use your old phone to:

  • play games

  • listen to music

  • take pictures and record videos

Use It For Backup Storage

Dump copies of photos or other files into your old phone, just in case. Photo by Plann on Unsplash

As a bonus, you might even avoid having to pay for extra cloud storage.

Recycle Your Device

Keep old electronics out of landfills by bringing them to a recycling kiosk or centre!

There are many options for recycling devices in the US, such as Earth911, Call2Recycle, and directly through manufacturers. The authors of this Byte work for a recycling service called ecoATM, with kiosks around the country that provide cashback on the spot for devices.

Look up a similar service local to you!

Quiz

Boris has a smartphone that is 3 years old. It still works, but is a bit slow when it comes to texting (which he does a lot). Once he gets a new phone what could he do with old one?

Take Action

Go through your old devices! Can you:

You Got This GIF by MOODMAN

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