SALTZMAN: Smart uses for your old tech

Before you ditch or donate that unwanted tech, know that many of old devices could find a second life in your home

Published Aug 01, 2026  •  Last updated 21 minutes ago  •  5 minute read

Old smartphones, tablets and iPads can be used as a free Wi-Fi-enabled security camera, to monitor your children or pets, by installing an app such as AlfredCamera. Photo by Supplied

When it comes to old tech you have lying around your home, you likely know about the three R’s: Resell, Recycle, or perhaps, Regift.

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But there’s one more: Repurpose.

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Before you ditch or donate that unwanted tech this summer, know that many of these old devices could find a second life in your home.

For example, turn that old iPhone or Android phone into a free security camera to keep an eye on the kids, aging parents living on their own (with consent, of course) or mischievous pets while you’re at the office. A dusty tablet or iPad sitting in a drawer could be wiped clean (physically and digitally) and be used as an effective digital photo frame to relive memories. Even an ancient iPod touch buried in a toy chest could be used as a bedside alarm clock for a spare room.

And it can all be done for free.

If you haven’t thought of these ancillary uses for your aging smartphone or tablet/iPad, the following are a few suggestions:

Surveillance camera

Use your old phone or tablet as a free Wi-Fi-enabled security camera – even if the screen is cracked.

Just install one of the free apps that use your device’s camera – my favourite is called AlfredCamera – and leave it plugged in, turned on and pointed towards something you want to keep an eye on, such as over a baby’s crib or where the dog likes to hang out during the day (so you can view while at work).

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Old smartphones, tablets and iPads can be used as a free Wi-Fi-enabled security camera, to monitor your children or pets, by installing an app such as AlfredCamera. Photo by Supplied

Now, from your newer phone or tablet, you can see what your older device sees or set up motion alerts, so you’ll be notified if any movement is detected.

Setup for apps like Alfred are easy since you simply download the same app to both your existing phone and your older device, sign in with your free account details, and then assign your older phone or tablet as the “camera,” and you’ll be able to view the footage on your existing phone at any time. You can also see the video on a computer, as well.

Some of these apps will record footage for you and allow you to share it, plus several of them offer a zoom feature, night vision support (but with mixed success), and two-way voice communication.

Old smartphones, tablets and iPads can be used as a free Wi-Fi-enabled security camera, to monitor your children or pets, by installing an app such as AlfredCamera. Photo by Supplied

Universal remote

Want an extra remote for your TV that won’t cost you anything? Consider your old phone or tablet.

Plus, a large tablet that serves as a television remote may be more conducive for those with dexterity or vision challenges. And many of these TV remote apps support voice control, too.

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Most modern smart TVs connect to your old portable devices over your home Wi-Fi network, while older TVs can be controlled if your tablet has a built-in infrared (IR) blaster, as many Samsung models have.

There are two kinds of apps that can turn your old phone or tablet into a remote: universal apps that work with most smart TVs or dedicated apps from the same manufacturer as your TV. With the former, popular free “universal” apps for iPhone include Universal Remote TV Control (Begamob Global Ltd) and TV Remote – Universal (Zap Software Studio BV). For Android, there’s Universal TV Remote for All TV (BoostVision) and Universal TV Remote Control (Mind Cube Apps).

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For free TV remote apps tied to your television brand:

Samsung – Download the SmartThings app

LG – Download the LG ThinQ app

Sony – Download the Google TV app

TCL – Download the TCL TV Remote (Android) or TCL Remote Control for TV (iPhone/iPad)

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Roku TV – Download the Roku app

Fire TV – Download the Amazon Fire TV app

You can also use your old tablet or smartphone to control other devices in your home, such as your smart thermostat, lights, multi-room sound system, and more.

Old smartphones, tablets and iPads can be used as high-tech alarm clocks with apps such as Nightsand.

Alarm clock

Smartphones and tablets are also great as high-tech alarm clocks.

Simply download one of the many alarm clock apps, prop up your device on your bedside night-table and leave it there as your main alarm clock.

Not only can you set the alarm and adjust the font size, colour and style, but you can also have custom information shown on the screen, such as local weather. Along with various alarm sounds to wake you up, these apps are also ideal for playing streaming music, including thousands of radio stations from around the world. Or why not wake up to your favourite song?

Many apps can also play smoothing “white noise” and nature sounds to lull you to sleep, as well as podcasts, audiobooks, and radio plays.

Alarmy, Nightstand, Sleep Cycle, and I Can’t Wake Up! (Android only) each provide distinct methods to help you get out of bed.

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Old smartphones, tablets and iPads can be used as digital photo frames with apps such as LiveFrame Digital Photo Frame. Photo by Supplied

Other use-cases for old phones, tablets

There are even more solutions for your tech from yesteryear:

Back-up drive – Simply wipe its memory clean, connect it to your PC or Mac via its USB cable and drag and drop files onto it, then keep it in a safe place (such as a safety deposit box). Essentially, it’s a free way to create a backup of all the important files you have stored on your computer, in the event something happens. Or if you need a convenient and no-cost way to transfer files between devices and no rely on a cloud account. Know that on both iPad and Android, you will likely need to tap to allow access from your computer (on the device itself) once you connect it via USB.

Digital photo frame – Popularized in the early 2000s, digital photo frames can cycle through your memories every few seconds. It’s a great way to appreciate the thousands of photos (and video clips) you’ve captured over the years. There are many free “photo frame” apps for both iPad and Android tablets. Once you load it up with images (or link it to your cloud drive that has all your photos), prop up the screen on a desk at work, a kitchen counter, or even mounted to a wall in a hallway (though you’ll need to find an efficient way to hide the cables to the AC outlet). Check out LiveFrame Digital Photo Frame.

– Marc Saltzman is the host of the Tech It Out podcast and is the author of the book, Apple Watch For Dummies (Wiley)

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