What To Do With Your Old iPhone

By Tracey Dowdy

If you’re like me, your iPhone functions less as a phone and more as your brain’s literal external hard drive. Cell phone providers continue to improve their plans and offer incentives to get you to upgrade your phone. If you take advantage of the offer, what do you do with your old phone? Sometimes turning it in means a discount off the new phone, but that’s not your only option.

  • The obvious first choice is to keep it as a back-up. As long as it works, this is a great option. Your social media, calendars, iMessages, etc. are already synced and logged in, so it’s a simple matter of swapping out the SIM card and you’re ready to go until the new phone is repaired or replaced.
  • Use it as a Roku Remote. Recent updates to the Roku app means the screen looks like the actual remote. They’ve added a “What’s On” tab to make finding what you want to watch easier, and a Channels screen for quick, one-tap access to all your favorite shows.
  • Pair your old phone with any of the video doorbells that are on the market for an additional security camera. The Canary Flex, August Doorbell Cam, DoorBird Video Door Station, Ring Video Doorbell and SkyBell Video Doorbell have all been reviewed on CNET.
  • Make the most of Siri. Simply by connecting the phone to a Bluetooth speaker. If you use Apple Music, Siri will open your playlists or podcasts if you have the Apple Podcasts app. Siri can’t make other streaming music services like Tidal or Spotify play, but is compatible with Pandora.
  • DIY a VR headset. So far, Google is the star of the Virtual Reality show but pairing your old phone with iPhone-compatible VR goggles – you can get them on Amazon – and pair them with any of the VR apps and games available in iTunes.
  • Do some good. Verizon’s Hope Line wipes, refurbs, and provides free phones to women in shelters escaping from domestic violence. Cell Phones for Soldiers accepts used phones and provides both devices and minutes for men and women serving in the military. Phones donated to Hope Phones enable rural health clinics to better manage patient records, diagnose in the field, and facilitate communication.

There are loads of other options – a spare alarm clock, white noise machine, even a dedicated e-reader. The possibilities are endless!

Tracey Dowdy is a freelance writer based just outside Washington DC. After years working for non-profits and charities, she now freelances, edits and researches on subjects ranging from family and education to history and trends in technology. Follow Tracey on Twitter.

Comments:

  1. Hello there! I know this is kinda off topic but I was wondering which blog
    platform are you using for this website? I’m getting tired of WordPress because I’ve had issues with hackers
    and I’m looking at options for another platform. I would
    be fantastic if you could point me in the direction of a good platform.

    Here is my web blog – slot pg soft mahjong

  8. Undeniably believe that which you said. Your favorite justification appeared to be on the
    net the easiest thing to be aware of. I say to you, I certainly get irked while people
    think about worries that they just do not know about.

    You managed to hit the nail upon the top as well as defined out the whole thing without having side effect , people can take a signal.
    Will likely be back to get more. Thanks

    My web page :: http://www.kuliner-indo.com

  9. Hello! Do you know if they make any plugins to help with Search Engine Optimization? I’m trying
    to get my blog to rank for some targeted keywords but I’m not seeing very
    good gains. If you know of any please share.
    Kudos!

    my web page :: s128 login

  45. Wow, amazing weblog structure! How lengthy have you been blogging for?
    you make running a blog look easy. The total glance of your web site
    is wonderful, as well as the content material!

  46. My spouse and I absolutely love your blog and find
    the majority of your post’s to be just what I’m looking for.
    Do you offer guest writers to write content available for
    you? I wouldn’t mind composing a post or elaborating on some of the subjects you write related to here.

    Again, awesome weblog!

  47. Hi! I know this is kinda off topic but I was wondering if you knew where I could get a
    captcha plugin for my comment form? I’m using the same blog platform as yours and
    I’m having problems finding one? Thanks a lot!

  48. I do agree with all the ideas you have offered for your post.
    They are very convincing and can certainly work.
    Nonetheless, the posts are very quick for newbies.
    May just you please lengthen them a bit from next time?
    Thank you for the post.

  49. It is in reality a nice and useful piece of info.
    I am satisfied that you just shared this helpful info with
    us. Please stay us up to date like this. Thank you for sharing.

  50. Thank you for another excellent article. Where else may anybody get
    that type of info in such a perfect means of writing?
    I have a presentation next week, and I am on the look for such information.

  51. That is a really good tip especially to those fresh to the blogosphere.
    Brief but very precise info… Thanks for sharing this one.
    A must read post!

  55. Hi there I am so grateful I found your website, I really found you by accident,
    while I was looking on Google for something else, Regardless I am here
    now and would just like to say kudos for a
    fantastic post and a all round exciting blog (I also love the theme/design), I
    don’t have time to look over it all at the moment but I have
    bookmarked it and also added your RSS feeds, so when I
    have time I will be back to read a lot more, Please do keep up the superb b.

  58. What i don’t understood is actually how you’re now not really much more smartly-appreciated than you
    may be now. You’re so intelligent. You already know therefore considerably in relation to this subject, produced me in my view imagine it
    from so many varied angles. Its like men and women don’t seem to be involved except it is
    one thing to do with Girl gaga! Your personal stuffs excellent.

    Always handle it up!

  59. Howdy would you mind letting me know which web
    host you’re using? I’ve loaded your blog in 3 completely different
    internet browsers and I must say this blog loads a lot quicker then most.
    Can you recommend a good web hosting provider at
    a reasonable price? Many thanks, I appreciate it!

  64. Howdy this is kind of of off topic but I was wanting to know if blogs use
    WYSIWYG editors or if you have to manually code with HTML.

    I’m starting a blog soon but have no coding experience so I wanted to get advice from
    someone with experience. Any help would be enormously appreciated!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recommended Articles

How To Recycle Old Electronics

Spring Cleaning Your Digital World

Supporting Victims of Domestic Violence

Toddlers, Tablets and the Right Amount of Screen Time

Communication Apps for Individuals with Disabilities