Don't Throw Away Your Old Phone: 7 Smart Ways to Reuse It

Every year the world produces over 50 million tonnes of electronic waste, and old smartphones are a big part of it. The greenest phone is the one you already own — so before you trade in or bin that old handset, here are seven genuinely useful ways to give it a second life.

1. A 24/7 security camera

This is our favourite, and the most valuable. With a free app, an old phone becomes a home security camera that records around the clock and streams to your current phone. No expensive CCTV kit and no installation.

2. A baby monitor

Place it in the nursery and watch your little one from another room, with audio and video. Our baby monitor guide walks through the whole setup.

3. A pet camera

Check in on your dog or cat while you are at work and rewind to see what they got up to. Here is how to use an old phone as a pet camera.

4. A dedicated music and podcast player

Wipe it, load your library or a streaming app, and keep it in the kitchen or gym so your main phone stays free and its battery lasts the day.

5. A kitchen recipe screen or e-reader

Mount it in the kitchen for recipes, or use it purely for reading so you are not distracted by notifications.

6. A car dash cam or sat-nav

An old phone running a dash-cam or navigation app is a cheap way to add those features to an older car.

7. An emergency backup phone

Keep it charged in a drawer or the car with a prepaid SIM, ready for the day your main phone dies or is lost.

Reuse beats recycle

Recycling is good, but reuse is better: it keeps a working device out of the waste stream for years longer and saves you buying new hardware. Turning an old phone into a security camera is one of the highest-value reuses there is — download iCameraPlus and try it in a few minutes.