Your old tablet still has a lifespan – here are 6 ways to keep it useful

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Key findings

  • Turn your old tablet into a helpful recipe book with easy step-by-step instructions in the kitchen.
  • Use your tablet with learning apps to make it a useful learning device for children.
  • Use your old tablet as a digital photo frame to showcase beautiful memories without spending extra money.



E-waste is becoming a bigger problem as more and more devices flood our lives and we move from one to the next. An old device can be difficult to recycle, or you may not be ready to give it away but don't know what to do with it anymore. If you've bought a new tablet and have an old one lying around and you want it to still serve a purpose, luckily there are plenty of ways to do that.

We've put together just a few things you can do with an old tablet you're no longer actively using, and hopefully you'll find one that suits your specific needs.


6 Get help in the kitchen

Turn your tablet into a cookbook

A tablet with a recipe next to other kitchen utensils


If you love cooking and trying new recipes, using your old tablet as a cookbook is a fantastic idea. There's nothing fancy about this option – all you need to do is set up your tablet with your favorite cooking app (or apps) and place it on a stand so it's always there to guide you with step-by-step instructions.

Recipe guides are one of the things I've used on a Google Nest Hub in the past, but why spend money on one when you have an old tablet? These apps are much more comprehensive anyway and you can find a ton of recipes in different apps. If your tablet is running a bit slow, you might try resetting it to remove all other apps and then setting up just the apps you need for cooking.

5 Give it to your child

Tablets can be a great learning tool

Google Kids Space


If you have kids of your own, you can always use your tablet as a learning device for your kids. There are tons of educational apps available on both the Google Play Store and Apple App Store, including Khan Academy Kids, Duolingo for language learning (or Duolingo ABC for teaching younger children to read), SplashLearn, and more. You can even use YouTube Kids for educational and entertaining videos.

On Android, you can use the Google Kids Space app to create a personalized home screen for your child so they don't open apps that aren't appropriate for them. Another option is to enable app pinning in your phone's security settings and then pin the app they want to use to the screen. This way, your child can't just leave an app and won't be distracted. If you give your child your tablet, you should also get a good case for it in case it inevitably falls on the floor.


4 Use it as a digital photo frame

View your best memories whenever you want

The Pixel tablet as a digital picture frame

The Pixel Tablet as a digital picture frame

Digital photo frames are quite a popular product category, but who says you have to spend money on them? Your old tablet can easily serve as a photo frame and it's a great way to extend its life when you no longer need it. Simply put your pictures in a folder, which can be on the tablet itself or in the cloud, and use an app like Fotoo for Android to create a slideshow based on those pictures.


Fotoo can run indefinitely as long as your device is connected, so you'll have a great photo frame available at all times. If you use a cloud service for your pictures, you can even add them to the slideshow without ever touching the tablet again, since you can upload them from any device. If your old tablet is an iPad, there's an app called Digital Photo Frame Slideshow that does something similar. Either way, your old device doesn't have to go to waste.

3 Turn it into a baby monitor or surveillance camera

Ensure the safety of your home or your newborn

A tablet serving as a security computer next to a phone displaying the camera feed

Another great way to repurpose your old tablet (or even a smartphone) is to turn it into a baby monitor or, more generally, a security camera for your home. Both use cases work pretty much the same, i.e. they turn your device into a camera that you can access remotely. One of the most popular solutions for this kind of thing is AlfredCamera, an app available for both Android tablets and iPads (and even Windows PCs if that's what you want).


AlfredCamera lets you turn your old tablet into a security camera and then use another device to check on your home or baby. The app also allows two-way communication, so you can turn on your own camera and microphone to talk to someone at home, or try to soothe your baby if they start crying. You can even set up multiple cameras if you have multiple devices lying around. The free version of the app is already pretty powerful, but you can pay for the premium version to unlock higher video quality and recording support.

AlfredCamera

2 Control your smart home

Turn on lights, adjust thermostats and more

A tablet with Home Assistant open


If you have a lot of smart devices in your home, you probably already have apps to help you manage them, but having to reach for your phone in an emergency may not always be the most convenient way to get things done. If you have an old tablet, you can take advantage of the big screen to control all of your smart home devices from one place. Depending on what you have, you can do this with a variety of apps. On the iPad, the built-in Home app can handle HomeKit-compatible devices, while Android has the Google Home app for devices that work with that ecosystem. There's also an Amazon Alexa app for several smart home platforms that rely on it.

Additionally, if you have an old PC or something like a Raspberry Pi lying around (or are comfortable with solutions like Docker), you can also use Home Assistant to control your smart home devices. It works with all kinds of products, regardless of the ecosystem they're designed for. While you'll need to use a computer to run the Home Assistant server, it's the best way to create a platform-agnostic smart home hub that doesn't send all your information to the cloud.


1 Use it as a second screen

Expand your laptop or desktop

Another possible great use for an old tablet is to use it as a second screen for your laptop or desktop. Some tablets actually have this feature built in, notably some Samsung tablets and iPads. The problem is that Samsung's SAecond Screen app only works with Windows, while Apple's Sidecar feature only lets you use your iPad with a Mac. If you want a more compatible solution, you can try Duet Display, which works with all major platforms, but this is a paid app.


If you want a free tool, SpaceDesk is a good option, though it does require a bit of setup. AirDroid Cast also lets you mirror your computer's screen to an Android or iOS device, but it won't let you use your tablet as an extension of your screen; it can only mirror what you see. Essentially, all of these tools require you to install an app on both the tablet and your host PC, and those apps can then communicate with each other to extend your screen.

There is still life in your tablet

Aside from all of that, you can of course find other ways to make the tablet useful, such as selling it or giving it away. However, these options give you some interesting ways to keep it useful without having to throw it away completely. You can always use it as a backup in case your main device starts giving you problems, and it serves a purpose in the meantime. Regardless, there are many ways to avoid creating e-waste, so don't be too quick to throw anything away.

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