Don’t Toss Out Your Old Samsung Phone! Turn It Into A Smart Home Accessory Instead – BGR

You know that Galaxy S8 or S9 that’s been sitting in your junk drawer for the past two years? The one you keep forgetting to trade in for credit toward shiny new toys like the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7? Well, that phone might be more useful than you think. A lot of those older Samsung products — like your Galaxy S8s, S9s, Note 8s, and even some A-series models — still hold up surprisingly well. The cameras still shoot great photos, the mics are clear, and all those sensors that felt so high-tech back in 2017 continue to work just fine.

Samsung’s caught on to this, too. That’s why it rolled out something called Galaxy Upcycling at Home. Instead of letting old phones sit around as pricey paperweights, the program lets you turn them into smart home sensors. There’s minimal effort and no tinkering or coding involved — just grab the update through SmartThings, and your phone can act as a motion detector or sound monitor. It’s a smart move, though it only works with S, Note, and Z series models released from 2018 or later (basically, at least an S9 or Note9).

The microphones and light sensors in these devices are often better than the bargain smart sensors you’d find on Amazon. And if you’re already using SmartThings (or planning to), this project is an easy way to expand your setup without spending more. Samsung frames it as part of a sustainability push, but really, it’s just practical.

The set up should be simple, as long as you’ve got the right phone. Before starting this process, ensure it’s an internet-enabled Galaxy model running Android 9 or later. Once you’ve done that, follow these steps to turn your old Samsung phone into a smart home sensor:

1. Update both your devices 

• First, make sure your current phone and that old Galaxy are running the latest software. To do that, start by opening each device’s Settings menu.
• Scroll down to Software Update.
• Tap Download and Install.
• If nothing shows up, you’re already good to go.

2. Prepare your current (main) phone

• Download or update the SmartThings app via the Google Play Store or Samsung Store.
• Open the app and tap the Menu (☰) icon.
• Select SmartApps, then hit the “+” in the top-right corner.
• Choose SmartThings Lab.
• Select Galaxy Upcycle.
• Tap next, and the app will generate a QR code that will tell your old device how to connect to the Galaxy Upcycle system.

3. Set up your legacy phone

• Grab your old Samsung and use it to scan the QR code you generated. This should open the Galaxy Store and prompt you to install the Galaxy Upcycle app.
• Hit Install. Once it’s downloaded, hit Launch.
• On the home screen, tap Start to begin setup.
• Choose whether you want this phone to work as a light sensor or a sound sensor (you can only pick one per device).
• Tap Continue to move forward.
• Use the dropdown menus to specify which room and location this sensor will monitor.
• Tap Next, and your old phone is now officially a smart sensor.

Once you’re done setting up your old Samsung phone, the sensor will be compatible with pretty much any SmartThings automation you can think of. The sound detection comes in handy for picking up crying, barking, knocking, or general noise levels, while the light detection can track when your rooms get bright or dim. It’s quite simple but covers a lot of ground for daily use, and the automations are where this smart home device proves extra useful. You can automate when your lights come on, set up alerts for unusual noise spikes, or even calibrate your fans and air purifiers to kick on based on sound.

Since the sensor runs through SmartThings, it connects to whatever other devices you already have. That could be smart bulbs, plugs, speakers, or security systems. The phone becomes another trigger in your automation chain, no different from a motion sensor or door contact. Privacy-wise, everything is processed locally on the phone. There is no video recording, no cloud upload, and no audio streaming to Samsung’s servers. The camera stays off, and your phone only uses the microphone and light sensors for basic detection thresholds.

Upcycling at Home is basically a free smart home expansion and one of the best ways to repurpose your old Android phone. While not groundbreaking, it’s a delightfully practical option if you’re already in the SmartThings ecosystem or thinking about getting started. Inspired to upcycle even more dusty electronics in your house? Check out these five ways to repurpose old PC towers.