Engadget Guide Outlines Ways to Reuse Old Android Phones

One suggested use is a kitchen display. The guide says a phone with a decent screen can be mounted on a stand or wall for recipes, cooking videos, grocery lists, unit conversions and timers, keeping the user's everyday phone away from flour, splashes and greasy fingers. It names Paprika, Google Keep and Google Home as apps to put front and center, and notes that Paprika Recipe Manager can store recipes, create grocery lists, plan meals, scale ingredients and convert measurements. Paprika also includes timers and an option to keep the screen on while viewing, according to the article. The phone can also play music, podcasts or video during cooking, and while internet access is not required for everyday use, occasional connections are still useful for app and content updates.

Another use is a smart-home control panel. Engadget says an old Android can become a permanent control panel for compatible lights, thermostats, cameras, plugs, TVs and other smart devices. The approach works particularly well with a platform like Home Assistant, which can turn an Android phone into a dashboard for devices throughout the home. A wall-mounted phone running an app like Fully Kiosk Browser can show temperature, lights, cameras and other controls at a glance, while Google's redesigned smart home controls offer another way to organize frequently used devices. The guide adds that using a separate phone for this purpose can keep some smart-home apps off the primary phone, reducing the number of apps competing for space and attention.

An old Android phone can also serve as an offline GPS for hiking, camping, hunting or off-roading. The article advises downloading maps before traveling somewhere without cell service, then using the phone's GPS receiver to track location without a data connection. AllTrails and Gaia GPS support offline maps, though both require a paid plan for offline map downloads, according to the guide. It says AllTrails states that downloaded maps can use the phone's built-in GPS even without a data signal. Google Maps also supports offline maps for national parks, which the article says can be useful in areas without reliable internet access. Users should download the maps for the entire area they need while connected to Wi-Fi and test them before heading somewhere remote. Using an old phone also lets users keep their primary device tucked away and conserve its battery, and the guide suggests bringing a power bank for longer outings.

The phone's camera can be repurposed as a webcam, security camera or baby monitor. Engadget cites AlfredCamera, which pairs an old phone with another device so users can remotely view its camera feed and listen to what is happening around it. The app works across Android and iOS, letting an old Android act as the camera while the feed is viewed from a current phone, tablet or computer. The guide suggests positioning it near a crib, pointing it toward an entryway or garage, or using it to check on pets while away. The phone can be left plugged in as a dedicated monitor, and AlfredCamera features include video quality, night vision, audio and multi-camera support, according to the article. Because the phone can see and hear inside the home, the guide recommends a strong, unique password and enabling App Lock even with Alfred's 256-bit AES encryption.

For retro gaming, Engadget says a phone with a decent screen already provides most of what is needed for a portable gaming system. Pairing it with a Bluetooth controller creates a dedicated gaming device that does not compete with an everyday phone for battery life or storage.