Don’t throw away your smartphone: Use your old cell phone as a camera or remote control

Anyone who buys a new mobile phone should not leave the old smartphone unused. There are ideas.

Germany – Year after year, companies like Apple or Samsung present new smartphone models. As a study by the TU Berlin showed in 2019, 67 percent of people over the age of 18 buy a new mobile phone even though their old device still works perfectly. Behind this is the desire to always have the latest. But what do you do with the old devices?

Don’t throw away your cell phone: Five ideas for still using your old smartphone

Old smartphones should never be thrown away. Leaving your cell phones in a drawer is also not a good idea. If you don’t want to earn a few euros with your old device, you still have various options for using it sensibly.

One possibility could be, for example, to turn your smartphone into a remote control. The easiest way to do this is via apps. If you have a smartphone and a television of the same brand, such as Samsung, the whole thing works quickly and easily. In most cases, several devices such as TVs, soundbars and the like can be operated via a mobile phone.

Keep using your cell phone: use your smartphone in your home office

The old smartphone can also be used very well in the home office. There are two possibilities. If you don’t have a webcam, you can convert your cell phone to one. An app is also required for this. Among other things, ManyCam can be used here (more Service topics at RUHR24 read).

The tool must be installed on both the PC and the mobile phone. Another possible use of the smartphone in the home office is to make it your work phone. In this way you have your own number for the job and can separate your work and private life even better.

New purpose for the old cell phone: Smartphone is perfect for parents

If you are expecting children or even have a baby at home, you can also use the old smartphone for this. Instead of a baby monitor, the mobile phone can be used to keep an eye on your child. There are special apps for this, but you can also try a video call via Whatsapp or Microsoft Teams.

Another way to use the old cell phone with your kids is to make it their new one. Completely new devices are usually too expensive to give them into the hands of children. However, the smartphones that are already in use can easily break in an emergency. By the way: Children should only get their own mobile phone from the age of nine, we recommend the age of 12.

Dispose of cell phone: How to get rid of the old device properly

If you really can no longer use the old device, you must not simply dispose of it in the household waste. The phone contains materials that could be recycled. It also contains toxic ingredients. Therefore, the devices can either be handed in at a specialist dealer or disposed of at a recycling center.

Various environmental projects also accept old smartphones and dispose of them in an environmentally friendly manner. Some devices are even repaired there and then sold again. Either way, you’ve done something good for Mother Nature.

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