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7 Ways to Breathe New Life Into Your Old Smartphone or Tablet

Published Jun 29th, 2015 2:55PM EDT

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The easiest thing you can do with your old smartphones and tablets once you get newer models is to either sell them or give them away to family members or friends. But there are also ways to breathe new life into old smart devices around the home, in case you don’t want to get rid of them.

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PCWorld has put together a list of things you can do with your old smartphone and tablet, offering instructions and tips on how to get the most out of your old gadgets.

Old smartphones and tablets can be turned into a second monitor for laptops and desktops. All you need is an iPhone or Android app on the mobile device, and a PC app to pair with.

Furthermore, pairing a larger smartphone or a tablet with a Bluetooth keyboard can transform the device into a dedicated workstation for writing or sketching. Again, a simple iOS or Android app does the trick, and there are plenty of productivity apps worth checking out.

PCWorld also recommends using an older device for calls and video chats at home, creating a desktop calculator and document scanner, and using the phone or tablet as a touch mouse for your computer or as a dictation tool.

Other interesting tips include turning the tablet in a “full-blown command center” that would be able to launch apps and execute commands on a computer. Beyond that, older Android devices can also be used as small file servers connected to home computers. Such a setup would let you easily create your own personal cloud, though storage capacity might be an issue.

Each of these tips for breathing new life into your old iOS and Android devices is further detailed in PCWorld’s full article, which is available at the source link below.

Chris Smith Senior Writer

Chris Smith has been covering consumer electronics ever since the iPhone revolutionized the industry in 2008. When he’s not writing about the most recent tech news for BGR, he brings his entertainment expertise to Marvel’s Cinematic Universe and other blockbuster franchises.

Outside of work, you’ll catch him streaming almost every new movie and TV show release as soon as it's available.