Well, that really depends on your phone’s make and model and how broken we’re talking.

Let’s say you trip and drop your smartphone down a flight of stairs or accidentally fling it into a toilet and find that some critical function has been lost. It will no longer text, tweet or has stopped playing YouTube and Candy Crush.

What do you do? Maybe you exchange it for a refurbished phone, sell it for its parts or simply drop it off at a recycling center. Maybe you do absolutely nothing. 

But you are not the average consumer! No, you are the savvy, DIY type always down to save a buck. So, what are some things you can do with a broken phone that still maintains some measure of functionality?

Busted smartphones can be a goldmine for new parents

You could spend up to £250 on a brand new baby monitor system and mess up your finances monumentally, or you could just rig up your own with an otherwise unusable iPhone. (This method, however, does require the use of one functional iPhone.) Assuming your broken phone still has some audio/camera capabilities, you can stream both from the broken phone to the usable one. Do yourself a favor though and leave the busted one with the baby! (I’m not a professional in the childcare field and would strongly recommend consulting one before using this method.)

Who doesn’t have a little trouble sleeping now and then?

A broken smartphone can make for a superb white noise machine, especially if you have a white noise app prior to breaking your phone or your phone has its own built in. Get creative with your phone’s other sounds too. A cell phone can make for a great alarm clock (and already does for most people). For parents, a certain jingle may be just the distraction their infant needs, and they can change it up as often as they like.

Consider your phone’s other basic uses

Flashlight, calculator, note-keeper, contact/book, calendar, compass, games, voice recorder and more! An old phone could be the perfect accompaniment for a short trip and you don’t have to worry about losing it (less baggage!).

Does your phone still vibrate?

Use it as a massaging device!

Other idea’s

• If you store old media on your phone, or can still transfer music, you could easily rig up a home theatre sound system.
• Take it apart and teach yourself a thing or two about electronics.
• If all else fails, you could always consider household decor.

Before you toss your broken phone, consider what functionality it might still have around the house. While the image of hoarding a mountain of old, broken electronic devices in a closet somewhere is one most people don’t want to conjure, smartphones are small enough to squeeze just about anywhere without junking up a place. With your old phone and a little creativity, who knows what you might dream up?

Can you think of other creative uses for a broken smartphone? Have you tried any?
Related:
Track Your Expenses With A Smartphone Budget App
Make Your Android Phone More Smart-Must Have Apps

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