Another 6 handy things your old smartphone or tablet can do

You do not have to take old telephones or tablets to the environmental square immediately. There are plenty of handy tricks and tasks that give an old device a new lease of life. We’ll go over six more things your old Android devices can do.

1. Remote control for your PC

You can use an old phone or tablet as a remote control on your PC. Just adjust the volume or go to the next music track: it’s easy thanks to the handy control buttons in the Unified Remote app. You can also use the app as a touchpad for your mouse pointer, as a virtual keyboard or for voice commands. In this article we explain how it works. Be sure to also look at the option to control your Android TV with your old phone.

2. Digital Photo Frame

Many older people still abhor the concept of digital photography. “At least you used to see photos”, you hear. That problem is very easy to solve when you use an old phone or tablet permanently as a picture frame. Open a photo from an album or your entire Google Photos library. Then press the menu of the three dots on the right and choose ‘Slideshow’.

3. Additional monitor

The government recommends working from home for every workplace where it is possible. Increase your productivity while working at home by turning your tablet on as a second monitor on your PC. Take a look at what the Duet Display app can do in this article. The greatest asset of this app is that you can use the touchscreen of your tablet when operating Windows or macOS.

4. Make your kids happy

Just because a phone or tablet is old in your eyes, that doesn’t mean your kids can’t have fun with it anymore. An old device may not be able to play Fortnite at 60 fps, but for simple games it still works fine. Reset it to factory settings for a fresh start.

Unfortunately, Google’s special Kids Space interface has not yet been widely rolled out on tablets, but you can use Google Family Link to tailor your device for children. In Family Link you can set limits on the use of the phone or tablet. For example, after an hour of playing games or watching videos with YouTube Kids, your children will see that it is time to go to bed. Family Link got three new features this year. In this article we will discuss how the app works.

5. Fixed place for video meetings

Video calling and conferencing is now extremely popular. You can easily make a permanent place in the house for video meetings with the help of an old telephone. First, make sure your preferred meeting app, such as Google Meet or Microsoft Teams, is installed. Both are also free for consumers. For the sound, you can switch on the speaker of your device or a separate headset.

Then you can place a tripod where your old phone or tablet gets a permanent place. There are handy universal holders for tablets and telephones that you can place with screw thread on a table or camera tripod. Just make sure that the holder is suitable for the size of your device. And don’t worry, because the tripod itself doesn’t have to be expensive either. Choose a simple one, because it is not necessarily necessary that it is something like a feather-light with built-in spirit level. There are also other solutions that you can clamp to a desk.

6. Donate it to the elderly

It is important to stay in touch with everyone during the corona time, also from a distance. The organization Helpdigitaal knows this better than anyone, because it collects tablets and telephones for people who currently do not have access to video calling. The main target group is people in care and nursing homes. Anyone can give their old phone or tablet a new lease of life in the hands of someone who can keep in touch with friends and family.

Even more tips

It’s not the first time we’ve been looking for a new job for your old phone or tablet. In this article, you’ll discover eight more things your old device can do. Maybe you have more great tips in mind? Share them in the comments at the bottom of this article.

Theme week Telephones and sustainability

This week Androidworld is all about the theme week Phones and Sustainability. Do you have a question about the topic we discuss during this theme week or do you have ideas or tips? Let us know in the comments below this article (also check our Android app). You can also email us at this email address or leave a message on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. You can also ask us questions via this Telegram group. Would you rather send one of the editors a tip? Then you can too!

Would you like to stay informed about our theme weeks? Then download our Android app and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Telegram and Twitter.