Have you noticed lately that your ageing Android tablet can't
keep up with your daily pace anymore? If it is but somehow it's not valuable
enough to trade it or sell it on eBay doesn't mean you have to throw it in the
trash or leave it eating dust on your drawer.
From turning it into a security camera to converting it into a
smart remote or even handing it down to your kids, below are some great uses
you can turn your old Android tablet into.
If you
want to keep an eye on your home, you can use your old Android tablet as a
connected security monitor. You can use either its front or rear cameras to
keep an eye on your home or office. There are several apps that make it easy to
convert your old Android device or devices for home security like the At Home Video Streamer. Just make sure that it is setup with a stand or mount and keep
the device plugged in.
Another useful thing that
you can do with your old Android tablet is to use it as a universal remote that
can change the TV channel, turn on your lights, or turn down the thermostat of
your home airconditioning. Most smart-home apps operate over Wi-Fi or Bluetooth,
and you can control many smart TVs over Wi-Fi.
However, if you're using
a more traditional TV, you'll need your tablet to have an infrared port, also
known as an IR blaster. This feature can be found on about 20 tablets only,
mostly from Samsung and LG, but you can check if your tablet does by reading
your instruction manual or looking for a small covered hole on the side of your
device.
If your
tablet doesn't come with a remote control app preloaded, Peel Smart Remote is a
great choice, as are AnyMote Smart Remote or Irdroid. If your smart-home devices or hub don't already have an app,
you could use iRule or
OnHome.
You can
save about $50 to $100 for digital photo frames by using your old Android
tablet instead. Turn your tablet into a photo frame with the help of apps from
Play Store, such as Photo Slides. You'll need to load all the photos you want onto the old
tablet and then place the device somewhere near an outlet so it can remain
plugged in at all times. If you have extra bucks, you can purchase an
inexpensive stand like theAmazonBasics Adjustable
Tablet Stand to keep your tablet propped up and easy to view.
Your computer's storage
drive contains tons of important data, from your family photos to your work
files. But no matter how secure your laptop or computer is, a single hardware
or software failure can easily wipe out all your years of memories and hard
work.
You can
install an app like the Wi-Fi File Server Free, which will allow you to turn your old tablet into a wireless
backup server. This will help you keep a copy of your file available at all
times on your local network or even on the Internet. This is particularly
helpful if you have a tablet with a microSD card slot and a high-capacity card
inside.
Does
your profession require you to keep a lot of books for your reference? Well,
good news because you can take your old Android tablet and use all of its
available storage as a reference library for your books. In fact, many Androids
tablets feature a microSD card that can expand your storage, helping you add
many more books to your collection.
If you
want to have a large storehouse of information available that doesn't require
any Internet connection, you can download the Kwix app.
This app lets you download offline Wikipedia, WikiLeaks, and other free
reference materials. A good source from which to purchase reference materials
would be either Amazon's Kindle Store (download the Kindle app
first) or Google Play Books. There are lots of free titles that are free of
charge, and you can search as many books as your tablet storage will allow.
