6 ways to repurpose an old iPhone
If you have an older iPhone lying around your house collecting dust, you may be sitting on a (digital) gold mine. Even if you’ve opted for the latest iPhone model, a spare phone can come in handy in unexpected ways. Any old and working device can be used in different ways. Before you abandon your spare iPhone, here are some ways to reuse it without involving passing it on to someone else.
Turn it into a security camera
A great way to repurpose an older iPhone that you have no use for is to turn it into a security camera. Using home security camera apps like AlfredCamera, you can set up any spare phones (as well as tablets and webcams) to become wireless cameras.
AlfredCamera is quite simple to use: all you have to do is download the app from the App Store on your main device and your spare device, add the latter as a camera, then pair the two devices before testing the live stream. You can then mount your old iPhone facing the house and monitor the live feed from your main device. You can also use AlfredCamera on Android devices if you want to set up multiple angles.
Make it a dedicated camera
Compartmentalization can be key to productivity, so why not extend it to your old iPhone? If it’s in good enough condition, you can reuse your iPhone as a dedicated camera for work or study calls and meetings, especially if you use the iPhone’s continuity camera with your Mac. Turning the old iPhone into a webcam for meetings also means you can set it up at a more convenient angle than your laptop.
When I was studying during the pandemic, I used an iPhone 6 stripped of everything except my essential study apps and resources to do things like join group video calls and record voice notes during virtual classes. This helped me study without distraction from apps and notifications on my main iPhone, so I could focus on my work.
Shoot time-lapse videos
A great way to reuse an iPhone you no longer use, especially one with a good camera, is to use it for any AV projects you’re working on. Your spare iPhone can be used to shoot longer time-lapse videos that you don’t want to use your main device for. This is a trick I tried a few years ago with my old iPod Touch and iPhone 7 for a study project involving a sunset time-lapse. This is especially useful if you want to go about your business while using your main phone without interruption.
Another use case for an old iPhone for photographers is to use it for videos or multi-angle photo shoots that you may be experimenting with yourself. This can be a little difficult to achieve if your backup iPhone is significantly older than your primary device, but setting up multi-angle shots can also be done with other Apple devices, like an iPad.
Use it as a music player
A few years ago, I temporarily reserved my iPhone 6 as a music remote (with speaker) for a few months when I couldn’t access my Alexa because I was trying to take a break from scrolling on my main iPhone. Besides being a productivity hack, I realized how much I was using an aftermarket device that I had deemed non-functional. You can use a spare device to dedicate to media while keeping only essential apps and files, which is also a way to reduce excessive screen time on your main phone. With good audio output, you can turn any iPhone into a music player on its own. And if your device is compatible, you can even take advantage of sleep mode to have a neat display of the music player (or turn it into a dedicated digital clock!)
Make it your car-only device
The best use I got out of an older iPhone that my family gave up was turning it into our dedicated car device for long car trips. This phone is reserved for things like long car playlists, navigation apps, and downloaded podcasts, depending on our travel mood.
We also cleared everything except the apps and media needed for a long car trip, so there’s enough storage to download media like music when we’re driving in low-connectivity areas, too. Along those same lines, I also used an iPhone to record video at a concert when I ran out of storage space on my main iPhone, which was the best use I’ve gotten out of the old device since I stopped using it.
Reusing an iPhone for the sole purpose of using it in your car also means you can save your primary iPhone or other device for emergencies or calls without interrupting music or voice navigation. But if you forget your backup car device, don’t hesitate to use your iPhone hands-free, especially if you’re driving alone.
Use it as a gaming device
One of the best uses you can get out of an older iPhone is to use it for your gaming needs. This can be as simple as downloading only your favorite games so you can reserve the old device for some downtime, but if you want to take it to the next level, you can see how to turn your iPhone into a gaming console. It can also be a productive way to avoid overloading your main device with games and reduce your screen time on games by keeping the old device out of sight for work or studies.
Alternatively, you can reserve an older iPhone to support gaming (and even offline media) for the youngest members of your household, with the added security coverage of Apple’s Family Sharing if you want to control their screen time and purchases.
Repurposing an older device, whether it’s an iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch, is not only a great alternative for minimizing your digital waste, but can also lead to interesting uses. If all else fails, you can always resell, donate, or recycle your old iPhone.
