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Uses for an old Android device
- jqpabc123 4y agoThe real challenge is keeping the battery charged and operating.
- obert 4y agoagreed, though Qi wireless charging will increasingly make it easier
- Semaphor 4y agoYou can either change it (not always that hard even with minimal soldering skills, it’s actually harder to find a decent battery), or use it plugged in. My wife’s old Kindle Fire is my permanently plugged-in, wall-mounted kitchen recipe book.
- rendaw 4y agoSomeone in a different post mentioned the risk of fire/battery bulging if you leave your device plugged in like that. Is that a legitimate risk? I assumed that (while not great for battery life) there's some circuitry that's making sure it's not charging a whole lot.
- Semaphor 4y agoNever thought of that, I’d assume/hope it has protective circuits… It’s been on there for close to 2 years with no issues.
- zxter 4y agoYou can use a plug with timer or even a smart plug that device itself turns on and off when battery level reaches certain levels.
- Semaphor 4y agoNot sure how great constant charging and recharging would be either ;)
- Fnoord 4y agoChargie [1] allows this for USB-A. It could be controlled via an Android app. My problem with repurposing an old Android device is the security issues. Firmware doesn't get updated anymore. An alternative OS like LineageOS or PostmarketOS takes care of most of the software issues, but not the firmware itself. Another issue is that the battery is going to be years old, and on 'recent old' Android devices its much more difficult to remove the battery. [1] https://chargie.org https://chargie.org
- beagle3 4y agomodern devices often keep the battery at 80% level if charged for a long time, for this reason. (they say "to extend battery life" in notifications, and that might also be a side effect, but AFAIK the primary reason is to reduce the probability of bulging. But many/most of these older devices discuss, do not - and my personal anecdote is that of the tens of phones+laptops I have owned myself and managed for family through the years - there were 4 cases of bulging: 3 were constantly-charging devices (as in, 3-5 years with hardly any time not charging), and one that was dropped from height and bulged immediately.
- tjoff 4y agoNever heard or seen anything like that at all. The fact that you are not even given an option despite decades of "this really is one of the most important things to billions of devices" makes me a bit hesitant to believe it.
- mook 4y agoHmm, since this is Android, would a rooted phone running AccA† to limit maximum charge work? † https://github.com/MatteCarra/AccA/ https://github.com/MatteCarra/AccA/
- neurostimulant 4y agoMaybe use a dummy battery? I use one for my 4g wifi modem. The battery got swollen so I replaced it with a dummy that connect directly to a USB charger.
- sgt 4y agoToss it.
- classified 4y agoPolluter.
- jaimex2 4y agoThats what iPhones are for.
- Snuupy 4y agoPostmarketOS
- King-Aaron 4y agoI've repurposed an old HTC of mine as a datalogger and display for my cars aftermarket ECU. It works really nicely as a digital dashboard.
- canbus 4y agowhich ECU? I am about to do the same for my Speeduino
- King-Aaron 4y agoI run a Haltech, I can run the phone straight through it's USB output. I would assume you'd be able to do similar with a speeduino
- herewulf 4y agoIt seems like every Android device that I've had becomes ridiculously slow after a few years. Not even a factory reset helps. I'd be happy turning a few tablets into one of these ideas or even nothing more than glorified terminals if there were actually ROMs available for them. Lighter weight software that could give them new life like I've done for so many old PCs with a Linux distro.
- the_third_wave 4y agoI never had problems with devices becoming slow where a factory reset does not help, this sounds odd since a factory reset clears all configuration data. I tend to install some AOSP-derived distribution on devices which are supported (or which I port it to myself), for those for which I can not find a working distribution I pare down the factory distribution as much as I can by removing bloat and replacing obnoxious apps with functional ones from F-Droid. This makes it possible to use e.g. a Samsung Galaxy SIII from 2014 with Android 11 as a daily device for 'dangerous' work.
- fuzzy2 4y agoThe problem is not with the data but what's under it: a flash memory chip the manufacturer cheaped out on.
- the_third_wave 4y agoNever had problems with those either, who made those Android devices with such short-lived eMMC chips? I'm using a number of old Android devices from both well-known manufacturers like Motorola, Samsung and Sony as well as lesser-known ones like Ainol, none of these suffer from memory-induced slowdowns. In my experience it is the battery and the touch screen which are most likely to give out first. The battery can be replaced, sometimes the touch screen can as well but I tend to just use those devices for purposes where I don't need a screen (which I often actually just disconnect to save power) such as MPD-based media players, a trailer camera and IP cameras.
- 4y ago
- classified 4y agoI'm using mine as an alarm clock. Not network connected, so it can't spy on me.
- Double_a_92 4y agoSo you also don't use a smartphone in general? Because otherwise having an extra device just for the alarm clock functionality, doesn't really stop the general spying on you... unless you are particularly worried about keeping your waking up times private.
- rodric 4y agoThe enemy must never know when he sleeps!
- cookiengineer 4y ago> Not network connected, so it can't spy on me. In the age post-bluepwn and broadpwn, I'd assume otherwise. Especially considering that most OEM images come with admob, which even has ultrasonic RCEs that can be delivered by your TV's or radio's audio signal. Opsec kinda mandates to destroy all broadcom chips :D
- throwaway2056 4y agoIdeally https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27885176 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27885176 but when $$$ are involved nothing happens... (Thanks to all the product managers and the coding supporters in hn that cripple OS)
- rcarmo 4y agoI have an original HTC One that would be absolutely excellent as an universal remote (because it actually has an IR blaster), yet HTC almost went out of their way to kneecap that in the last firmware update it got years back and no third-party IR apps seem to work with it. I suspect it will end up as a 3D printer display, but the browser on it is hilariously slow by today’s standards, and pretty much every 3D printer front-end brings along enough JavaScript to choke it…
- t4h4 4y agoshout out /r/androidafterlife
- tintedfireglass 4y agoI personally run a tor node on an old android phone
- brokenmachine 4y agoHow?
- tintedfireglass 4y agoI use termux to run a tor node and i use a 5W charger and Type-C Ethernet cable to get constant internet and stable battery.
- DarthNebo 4y agoWant to use mine as a CCTV footage dump whenever online & offload to S3 otherwise
- pooper 4y agoOne problem is power draw. I figured out I can use an old phone with a removable battery without the battery but I still need a battery to power it up. However,if I do certain things that I presume need a burst of energy (wrong term?) that is enough to power cycle the phone. At least that's my guess because flash doesn't work. Also do not use an old phone with a battery with screen turned on, capturing photos on repeat. The battery WILL swell up. It may take a few months but it will happen. Don't risk it.
- jonatron 4y agoYou could connect power to the battery connector, like I did recently to a Nook: https://github.com/jonatron/trook/ https://github.com/jonatron/trook/
- pooper 4y agoI simply have a laptop (65W) USB C connected to the phone. I wasn't able to turn it on a month or so ago but tried it again after your reply and yes it still works. I use open camera to take a picture every so often (30s is one option). The phone is old and has a cracked display but the back is user removable so it is really nice. I attach the USB C cable, connect the (now very swollen) battery in, power on the phone, and remove the battery once the phone boots. As long as I don't do anything insane like try to use the flash, it works. I appreciate the laugh at > I tried acetone, because I had a bottle next to the alcohol, which went well. Haha can you please expand on this part though? > Unfortunately, the micro-USB connector charges the battery, it doesn't power the device. This can be fixed by connecting a random 5V power supply to the battery connector instead. Do I need a soldering iron for this? Thanks in advance. Edit: do you know how we could get open camera or any camera app on Android to take pictures with the screen turned off? It really doesn't need the screen on all the time.
- 4y ago
- dreen 4y agoI use em till they die. Also, the article doesn't mention Remote Mouse, which is the only non-game app I ever paid money for, because it is so good
- ksidudwbw 4y agoGSM module, GPS module, SOC, Operating system. I mean, these things are incredebly valuable. One thi g i can think of is drone brain
- Fnoord 4y ago"Incredibly" valuable. Not anymore, they're common goods now. I bought a USB GPS module on Aliexpress the other day for a couple of USD. GSM modules also exist for USB. Virtually all of them run proprietary firmware. An old SoC is not very valuable, if you consider say Raspberry Pico and what you can do with such. The best thing to do with an old smartphone is IMO to recycle (= mostly downcycle) it. It still contains some valuable metals like cobalt and gold.
- happycube 4y ago... and some can be totally reflashed with mainstream Linux: https://liliputing.com/this-dirt-cheap-4g-lte-modem-on-a-usb-stick-can-be-hacked-to-run-mainline-linux/ https://liliputing.com/this-dirt-cheap-4g-lte-modem-on-a-usb...
- the_third_wave 4y agoUse them: - for their original purpose with either an AOSP-derived distribution (LineageOS et al) or a debloated/pared-down factory distribution - as a portable media player - as a remote-controlled media player using MPD for Android - as a trailer camera with its own Wifi network, no cables needed between trailer and car, better camera than commercial trailer cameras - as IP camera - as a mobile sensor platform for whatever you may come up with - as a satellite navigator platform - as a GPS tracker . ... and much more
- rd07 4y agoI have searched for a way to use my Xiaomi Mi A1 phone. I want to use it as a personal cloud storage, but I haven't found out how to do it. Using it as a dedicated ebook reader maybe the best idea I can do with it.
- neurostimulant 4y agoTry installing termux, then install Apache and PHP inside termux, and finally run NextCloud server on it. https://www.reddit.com/r/termux/comments/mkzoyd/showcase_fully_functional_nextcloud_server_on/ https://www.reddit.com/r/termux/comments/mkzoyd/showcase_ful...
- slezyr 4y agoInstall Android 12 on it and give it to someone. It's a perfectly fine phone. https://wiki.lineageos.org/devices/tissot/ https://wiki.lineageos.org/devices/tissot/
- MayeulC 4y agohttps://wiki.postmarketos.org/wiki/Xiaomi_Mi_A1_(xiaomi-tissot) https://wiki.postmarketos.org/wiki/Xiaomi_Mi_A1_(xiaomi-tiss... It isn't that well supported in PostmarketOS (charging and OTG), but that sounds fairly fixable. Ideally you'd want both, then connect to a charger/ethernet combo. You might be able to use the downstream kernel for that, or Termux on Android.
- gardaani 4y agoIf the old Android device doesn't get security updates, then it isn't safe to keep it connected to the Internet. Someone can hack into it and turn on the mic and camera. Or use it for mining cryptocurrencies. LineageOS helps ( if the phone is supported by it: https://lineageos.org https://lineageos.org )
- zw7 4y agoThis is my concern. I use my old pixel (3a) as an always-on Syncthing node but worry about the security implications. But I haven't been able to find good info on what exactly the implications are. If I'm not worried about targeted attacks, does a device that is just a passive node pose a significant risk? In other words, how much do security updates address targeted attacks (not my threat model) vs widespread attacks of non-updated phones?
- spiffytech 4y agoThis varies case by case, and widespread attacks definitely happen. Perhaps the most famous one on Android was the Stagefright attack, which could take over your phone by sending you a malicious MMS (which you didn't even have to open), or by getting the system media player to play a malicious MP3/MP4. That was a while ago and I haven't kept current on similar attacks. Running an unpatched system is a gamble that nothing like that is still waiting to be discovered.
- flanbiscuit 4y ago> Perhaps the most famous one on Android was the Stagefright attack, which could take over your phone by sending you a malicious MMS (which you didn't even have to open), or my getting the system media player to play a malicious MP3/MP4. Which I would assume is not an issue if I'm using an old Android phone without a SIM card, so there's no way to receive any type of sms/mms message
- flanbiscuit 4y ago> This is my concern. I use my old pixel (3a) as an always-on Syncthing node but worry about the security implications. Interesting, I've never thought of using an Android phone as a Syncthing node. Is there a way for an Android phone to connect to Wifi, but not the internet? I use Syncthing with local discovery only, which only needs the devices to be on the same Wifi network. Not having internet access and also not having a SIM card to get calls/sms/mms message should greatly reduce the risk of attack to the point where I wouldn't feel worried about it.
- bbarn 4y agoI have an original Samsung edge with a cracked screen. I keep it because it has an ANT+ radio on it that actually works, and still use it for updating and tuning my old Quarq power meter on my bicycle. It also works seamlessly with the ODB II Bluetooth scanner for working on my car. I migrated to apple and overall I'm much less annoyed than I was with android, but their support for non typical hardware devices still lacks. Somewhat intentionally, I might add. The iPhone should 100% be able to communicate for example with that bluetooth device but it refuses to pair with it because that protocol is locked down.
- ris58h 4y agoHave you tried DEX on it?
- victornomad 4y agoShameless plug here: I made an open source coding framework / prototyping tool that works very well we old Android devices. I've used it for a lot of things. Made robots, radios, home controllers, cameras, etc out of old androids :) Have a look if you want https://phonk.app https://phonk.app
- swah 4y agoThis is interesting - did you post on the frontpage as well? Also I wonder if something like https://bun.sh/ https://bun.sh/ could be used to get modern JS/TS support? (Also your Discord invite is expired)
- victornomad 4y ago1) I did post it sometime ago but did not get too much traction :) 2) I never heard of bun.sh, I'll have a look! 3) I did not notice about the Discord link. Probably it has been like that for ages :/ I will replace it in the site. Meanwhile here you have a new up-to-date one https://discord.gg/Rt2mkWp https://discord.gg/Rt2mkWp Thanks!
- rfrey 4y agoThis is awesome.
- victornomad 4y agothanks!
- interfaced 4y agoThis is great! Would love to join the discord. A couple things that I'm curious about: can you make a script/app start by default, can you use a node library (murmur specifically), can you interface with peripherals (led and knobs). I'd like to turn my old androids into screen-less walkie talkies, and phonk feels like I might be able to avoid android studio, which would be a relief.
- 4y ago
- solnyshok 4y agoold, scratched phone "requiring repair" is something you can inconspicuously keep on your table, with recording app, if you want to learn what people discuss in your absence.
- Theodores 4y agoDepends on how old, but for frontend development you can hook the device to Chrome Dev Tools and debug on a real device, not emulated. There is value in testing with the old device as you still want your website to work regardless of what device someone has, within reason.
- 2Gkashmiri 4y agoI have a bunch of android 4 and 4.4 devices that work nicely but you can't install a working browser on it. I want to start using them as an always on display for kitchen/home assistant but I would need a browser for example, kiosk mode preferably.
- Jaruzel 4y agoWhat's stopping you from installing a browser app from APKPure, or one of the other repos? Alternatively you could roll-your-own basic full screen browser via Android Studio and about 20 lines of Java.
- probably_wrong 4y agoCan I quickly derail the conversation to talk about APKPure? I use their app instead of the Play Store and I have no complaints. Once in a blue moon it's missing an app, but never one I couldn't live without. Having said that, why is APKPure? Who is funding them? Are they to be trusted? Have they stolen my passwords? Does anyone know?
- NickRandom 4y agoThat's an interesting question so I did a quick Duck and turned up a few things. [1] Is APKPure safe to use? https://nordvpn.com/blog/is-apkpure-safe/ https://nordvpn.com/blog/is-apkpure-safe/ [2] "APKPure is not safe, distributes Trojans" (2021) https://www.kaspersky.com/blog/infected-apkpure/39273/ https://www.kaspersky.com/blog/infected-apkpure/39273/ [3] Claims that APKPure is now owned by Blizzard Entertainment https://chimgadar.blogspot.com/ https://chimgadar.blogspot.com/ [4] Shows their 2014 seed round https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/glance-app/company_financials https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/glance-app/company_f... [5] https://www.avg.com/en/signal/is-apkpure-safe https://www.avg.com/en/signal/is-apkpure-safe Short answer? I am not sure but then I use F-Droid which has the same pros and cons as APKPure so [shrug]
- 2Gkashmiri 4y agoi have "tried" many but most dont work..... i have tried to find old versions of apps but they almost always require andrdoid 5+ at least. no, i have not rolled out own browser because i don't know how... maybe there is a need to build or maintain apps for old devices using old sdks and tools?
- pqvst 4y agoGlad to see Unified Remote mentioned! I created it 12 years ago, back in 2010 when Android and smartphones were basically brand new. I still maintain it, although less frequent feature updates these days.
- throwaway147395 4y agoLove these suggestions! I'm using an old Motorola X Pure as one of my CCTV cameras via the excellent free IP Webcam app for a couple years now, but with a twist: I've done this before with an old LG phone, and it seems that leaving the battery in the phone for camera purposes is a bad idea. It turns in to a spicy pillow within a year. I believe it's the heat - from getting cooked in the sun through the window, from the CPU working hard to encode MJPEG stream, and from the wireless radio constantly transmitting that stream, all while being held near maximum SOC.. So what I did this time around was remove the battery completely! I found an old 5V USB phone charger, say 1000mA output, and used a diode to drop the voltage to ~4.2V or so. Nothing out of the usual for a phone to see soldered on it's battery terminals. Now this worked, but I found that certain high-load situations would cause the phone to power off. Solution was to add say 5000uF of electrolytic capacitors to the output of my new power supply. With that added, setting Android to sync automatically via my NTP server with a command through the ADB shell, setting it to always connect to my IoT VLAN WiFi, and setting IP Webcam to start after boot, this solution has been working perfectly for quite some time! It was a fun project too, and I got to reuse an old phone, and old charger I never would have used again, and some random capacitors that have been rolling around in a parts box for years. :) Bonus: I control the camera's "night vision" mode via Home Assistant automations (turn on/off around sunset/rise) through the JSON API the app provides. This also provides some sensors like temperature, etc. The video stream is fed to ZoneMinder, which HA streams from. Motion detection in ZM triggers object detection via HA, and I get reliable notifications while I'm away!
- aceazzameen 4y agoThis is great. I've always wanted to do something similar for my phones' battery compartments, but don't have the tools or knowledge. I'm curious, is it possible to create fake 'batteries' for devices that pass the current directly from the charger into the device? I'm imagining something that looks like a battery, but doesn't hold any charge so people can use their old phones exactly as you do and never have to worry about it pillowing. I can see a market for something like that, albeit a very small one since it would be device specific. I'd buy one if it existed.
- 4y ago
- swozey 4y agoIf you go camping/offroading/overlanding one popular use case is getting an old Android w/GPS to use with Gaia GPS. You can use the Android Auto app but it's much less feature filled and you'll be using your phone to do a lot of things. Also AA on old/slower devices can be.. rough in my experience. This is probably really niche for hn. Personally I use an ipad mini w/a Garmin GLONASS GPS receiver.
- nolan879 4y agoI discovered the other day that you can use your old android phone as a server for OctoPrint, a 3D printer controller that runs off a web interface. I am going to give this a try using my old OnePlus 3T. https://github.com/feelfreelinux/octo4a https://github.com/feelfreelinux/octo4a
- millzlane 4y agoI keep one one with team viewer running so I can connect to the bluetooth devices at the house.
- stavros 4y agoUse it as an HD webcam! Or, at least, before Zoom turns your stream into a 360p mess: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.dev47apps.droidcam&gl=US https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.dev47apps.... I use this and it's fantastic.
- flobosg 4y agoI do the same with an old Pixel and recommend it as well.
- michelpp 4y agoOld android phones make great dashcams. Most of them have automatic gps address lookup, g-sensor shock detection, far better cameras and more storage than most dedicated devices. There's several dashcam apps on the play store.
- flobosg 4y agoFrom a few months ago: “Repurposing an old Android phone as a web server” – https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31841051 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31841051
- tomkaos 4y agoI use a old cellphone for music player when running. Smaller than new phone and without notification of hundred of apps on my main cell.