I kept my old phone (an AT&T-locked Samsung Galaxy S7) going for 10 years, replacing the battery midway through and using it well into unsupported territory. I like to keep things working as long as I can within reason, and I also know that this phone is destined to become e-waste as soon as I get rid of it.

But with more apps losing support, and electronics prices on the rise, it felt like now was finally the time to upgrade (to a refurbished Pixel 8 Pro). So I got a new phone…

Still, I don’t want my old locked Galaxy S7 phone to go to waste just yet while it’s still roughly working!

So does anyone have any idea of things that I can do to reuse or repurpose my old phone?

I have some ideas in mind myself, but I’m curious what you all think and if anyone has experience with repurposing old phones in interesting or useful ways.

  • Quazatron@lemmy.world
    2·
    5 hours ago

    Put some useful data in a web page (weather, traffic, stocks, whatever), keep it open in the phone web browser. Glue some magnets on the back of the phone and stick it to the fridge.

    • Tippon@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
      1·
      3 hours ago

      I do this by running a MagicMirror server on my media server, and Fully Kiosk browser on the phone / tablet. It’s pretty handy in the kitchen, as we’re all in there in the morning :)