What to Do With an Old Android Phone: Five Ideas

When selling makes sense

People who change phones regularly tend to hold devices that are still in demand, so selling through classified or auction sites works out well. A phone held for a long time may be hard to sell. The writer’s example was a spouse’s old Acer Liquid E, which was low quality and not a good showcase of Android.

Five uses for an old phone

A kid’s device

Set up a fresh Gmail account and do not attach a credit card. Plenty of free games are available. The writer noted that some people frown on children using digital devices, but saw it as a way to teach respect for the phone.

A remote control

The Google TV remote app was not available in Canada at the time. Remote apps for other media players, such as Boxee, XBMC, Samsung TV or Sony, were other options.

A music player

This works if there is enough storage. Many older phones have little, so an extra SD card may be needed. Offline music also needs space, because an old phone usually has no data plan.

A ROM and rooting project

It is a safe place to learn how rooting and flashing work, since some of the knowledge carries over to other models. Rooting carries risks and can leave a phone unusable, so use a spare device only.

Donate or recycle

Some groups accept phones for testing or charity, and buyback services exist that will pay for a device or estimate its value.

The writer’s pick

The writer leaned toward the ROM project, since the available options for that phone were limited. A Google TV remote seemed an expensive use for a once useful device.