Here's Why You Shouldn't Throw Away Your Old i Phone

Overview

Here's why you shouldn't throw away your old i Phone

Even if it no longer receives updates, there's plenty it can still do

Details

Who doesn't have an old i Phone lying in a drawer somewhere? I have old ones dating all the way back to the i Phone 4S. There will come a time when the device's battery dies completely and it will no longer power on. If the phone still works, however, but software and security support has lapsed, there's still a lot you can do with the device. Consider that i OS 27 can run on i Phones as old as the i Phone 11!

Whether you hand the old i Phone down to someone else, use it for a specific function with or without a Wi-Fi connection or send it in for safe recycling once it is no longer operational, the last thing you should ever do with an old i Phone is throw it away. More importantly, there's so much you can still do with it while it's still working — if you get creative.

Then, use it to play tunes at a backyard barbecue, on the beach or while camping, connected to a portable Bluetooth speaker. Bring it with you for commutes or travel for personal listening while using your primary phone for core purposes. The benefit is that you're not draining your primary phone's battery. Aside from music, an old i Phone could also be a portable gaming device using services like Apple Arcade or basic game apps.

Another idea could be to set it up on your nightstand with a charging dock or kickstand, permanently plugged in. Any i Phone with i OS 17 or higher works with the Stand By mode when positioned horizontally, which turns the screen into a bedside clock and wake-up alarm. If connected to Wi-Fi, you could play music once you wake up or even have Siri advise you of the current weather, traffic and your calendar and to-do items for the day.

On the go, set it up with a navigation app, hotspot it to your phone, then mount it on bicycle or motorcycle handlebars to use as a dedicated navigation device. While it doesn't have an e Ink screen, you could also use an old i Phone as a dedicated e Reader, downloading your favorite titles from an e Reading app to read at home and on the go.

Are you a content creator? Consider an older i Phone to shoot things like time-lapse videos so you don't have to tie up your primary device doing so. I once shot a time-lapse video of my son building a Lego set that took hours. I used a dedicated camera, but if your phone is your primary content capture device, a secondary i Phone would work well.

If you record things like interviews, use your primary phone for the footage and the second i Phone to capture audio you can later sync when editing. Or use it for multi-cam footage to get shots at different angles while recording a video for social media or even a podcast. Final Cut Pro has a Live Multicam feature that allows you to connect up to four i Phones (or i Pads) from an i Pad, so that extra phone will come in handy to enhance your videos.

If you have various smart home gadgets, use an old i Phone as a dedicated control hub. Position it in a central location like the kitchen or living room with the smart home control app loaded. From there, family members can use it to control everything from the TV to the music and lights. Activate scenes like "Gaming Night" or "Good Morning" that perform several actions at once with a single button push or Siri voice command. It can also work as a secondary Apple TV remote, or a primary one if you have lost the tiny remote that comes with the streaming box. You could also download digital remotes for Roku and Fire TV devices.

View live camera footage from a compatible video doorbell or even use the i Phone itself as a security camera. While you won't want to leave an i Phone outdoors, you could mount it in a baby's nursery or on a shelf in the living room to keep an eye on your pets while you're at work through a remote monitoring app like Alfred Camera.

Families with tweens and teens are always struggling to know when it's the right time to get a child their first smartphone. You can test the waters with an old i Phone. It might not support all the latest features, but you can use it to monitor your child's behavior, screen time and responsibility. Have them use it only at home or when on a Wi-Fi network (or connected to your personal hotspot). Or sign them up for an entry-level carrier plan. Once they have built trust and you're confident they're ready, you can upgrade them to a new device.

An old i Phone is also great for a grandparent who needs something simple and familiar but doesn't require all the latest features, fast processing speeds or Apple Intelligence. If you have a toddler who uses your phone to watch videos (say, so you can have an actual conversation for 15 minutes while at brunch with a friend), you can use an old i Phone with a rugged case as a makeshift video player. Download content like their favorite cartoons from streaming services, then confidently hand it over without worry that they'll toss and break your phone.

If there's no one in your family who wants it, you can also sell an old i Phone and support the circular economy. Use sites like Facebook Marketplace or e Bay, or even utilize dedicated used phone buy/sell websites like Gazelle and Swappa to see if there's someone who is willing to pay for it. If there's a local organization that accepts phone donations for those in need, you can support the cause. Organizations like the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Cell Phones for Soldiers are worth looking into.

Depending on how old the model is, Apple may also offer nominal trade-in value that you can put toward a new phone. Failing that, take the phone to a local depot for recycling. Many retailers like Best Buy and Staples have recycling kiosks where you can drop off old phones for safe recycling. Just make sure to sufficiently wipe and reset the device before you sell, donate, trade in or even recycle an old phone.

Bottom line: even if an i Phone doesn't work anymore, you should never throw it away. Not only is that bad for the environment, but if the phone still powers on and works, there's lots you, or someone else, can still do with it.

Key Takeaways

• Here's why you shouldn't throw away your old i Phone

• Even if it no longer receives updates, there's plenty it can still do

• Who doesn't have an old i Phone lying in a drawer somewhere

• Whether you hand the old i Phone down to someone else, use it for a specific function with or without a Wi-Fi connection or send it in for safe recycling once it is no longer operational, the last thing you should ever do with an old i Phone is throw it away

• Then, use it to play tunes at a backyard barbecue, on the beach or while camping, connected to a portable Bluetooth speaker