Do you have a drawer or place in your house where you store your old appliances? Don’t throw them away right away; There are many older devices that owners can easily reuse without spending a dime. Best of all, it’s extremely eco-friendly, frees up space, and helps you improve your home in one fell swoop.
Start by emptying the drawer in which you hid the “out of service” mobile devices. There are countless ways to repurpose old Android phones, including turning them into smart security cameras or remote controls. The same goes for old laptops, old cameras, and outdated smart speakers that just need a little TLC to get a whole new life. Keep in mind that if none of these solutions work for you, recycling is always an option. Organizations like Greener Gadgets can help you find recycling points, while Human-IT can find a new home for devices you no longer need.
Give your old phone a new life
Phones are a powerhouse. By design, as long as they are functional, they can do almost anything. This is not an exaggeration. Case in point: You can turn old phones into a multi-camera security system with a simple app.
Something like the AlfredCamera Home Security app simply requires you to install it on your “camera” phones and your main phone, and sign in with the same Google account. From there, you need to grant the app the necessary permissions, and you can then access the stream on your main phone. Upgrading to the “Premium” version of the app unlocks many motion detection features (including AI), allowing you to create a robust security system with outdated devices.
Alternatively, you can turn the phone into a universal remote control. This is one of the simplest smart home hacks, since you can install compatible apps on the old phone to use with smart home devices. If that doesn’t pique your interest, relegating Android to controlling your smart TV, Roku, or anything else over Wi-Fi through the official apps is another solid option.
Turn a laptop into a security camera or smart home hub
While using them as a retro gaming console is one of the funniest and cleverest uses for old laptops, what if you want to make these machines a little more functional? In this case, you need something like Agent DVR. With this software, you can configure the laptop and its onboard camera for motion detection, set various rules, and choose where to store files. Best of all, this path is completely free and open source.
You can go further and make it a smart home hub. There is nothing stopping you from running Home Assistant on the laptop. Since the software already works well with a variety of smart gadgets and supports Wi-Fi, you can save a lot of money (your laptop only needs to connect to Wi-Fi for it to work) while still using many devices. Although there is a learning curve to managing a smart home server, it is a good way to start a smart home journey with zero upfront cost.
Reuse your obsolete security cameras
Let’s say you have a security camera that you no longer use. Instead of deleting it or leaving it lying around outside, its motion detection may still be sufficient for other things. For example, if you have young children or a pet, simply bring the camera inside to transform it into a cool nanny or pet camera. The advantage is that you can place it on a nearby shelf and your old camera will alert you if the baby wakes up or your dog starts using the chair as a chew toy again.
If you have a nice small property, the old security camera may be better suited to observing wildlife and birds. By investing in a clear bird feeder (there are stylish options on Amazon for under $20), you can easily transform the old camera into a smart bird feeder. Once you have everything set up, the camera’s motion sensor will record any visiting birds and you can observe them from the comfort of your home.
Turn an old smart home speaker into an intercom or PC speaker
Not really feeling those Echo or Google Home smart speakers anymore? Why not put them to good use as a home intercom, then? Amazon Echo has a Drop In feature that lets you connect to another Echo device in a separate room. For example, “Hey Alexa, come to the garage” and you get a DIY intercom. It also works great with Google Home devices. Just say “Hey Google, stream to the kitchen (or any other room)” and communicate without shouting throughout the house.
You can also turn the smart speaker into a not-so-smart speaker. This is very useful if your laptop’s speakers aren’t enough and you need an extra boost in the audio quality department. Pair the Amazon Echo or Google Home with the computer via Bluetooth, or if you have a 3.5mm cable, you can also connect old-fashioned smart speakers (although not all devices have a physical audio input).
As you can see, there’s no shortage of older items that smart home owners can reuse. It takes a bit of ingenuity, of course, but it sure beats them collecting dust in a box somewhere. Reusing is a good way to improve the quality of your life (or just the fun factor) with minimal (or no) money. It’s a win-win for you and for the forgotten device, which will finally have a new opportunity to shine.
