Turn a retired phone into a home camera
A phone you're not using still has a camera, Wi-Fi, and a charger port. Set it up as a simple home monitoring camera for the front door, the nursery, or the garage.
That drawer of old gadgets is a toolbox.
Before you recycle or donate that retired phone, tablet, router, or PC, check what it can still do. These short, plain-language guides walk you through giving old tech a second job — camera, kitchen display, Wi-Fi extender, or media server — and how to wipe and recycle devices properly when reuse isn't an option.
Guides
Turn a retired tablet into a kitchen display
Recipes, timers, a shopping list, and music — mount or stand an old tablet in the kitchen and give it a permanent, useful job.
Give an old router a second job extending Wi-Fi
That router you replaced may still have life in it. Reconfigure it as a wired access point or extender to reach dead spots in the house.
Turn an old computer into a home media server
An old desktop or laptop can host your movies, music, and photos on your home network — streaming to your TV and phones without new hardware.
When reuse isn't an option: donate and recycle responsibly
Wipe your data properly first, then donate working devices where they're wanted — and recycle the rest through real e-waste channels, not the trash.