With most people upgrading their phones every two years, in fact, more and more people are buying refurbished ones as well (our guide), finding a use for a deactivated phone is a common issue. We all have that drawer in our house that might as well be an electronics graveyard. But, if you are looking for a way to use your old phone, there are some options out there, however, you’ll mainly be using Wi-Fi for your internet access.
You can use your deactivated phone so long as you have access to a WiFi network. You should be able to do most things like use apps, access the internet, and even text and call (if you have an iPhone). This will depend on the manufacturer, though.
There is no denying that the internet is a crucial part of most of our lives. Staying connected with friends, catching up on the daily news, or just browsing funny pictures has become the new norm. So if you’ve got an old phone, you may be curious about how you can still get some use out of it. If you want to know more about using Wi-Fi with a deactivated phone, we’ve got the answers you’re looking for.
How to Use Wi-Fi on Your Deactivated Phone
To answer this question, let’s explore what Wi-Fi is in relation to a cellular data connection. While they both offer similar access, they are almost entirely different. Wi-Fi is an access point to a network, while with cellular, your phone acts as the access point. Since they work differently, you don’t need one to power the other. This means that using Wi-Fi only isn’t some monumental task. Let’s explore how to gain this function on your deactivated phone:
- Charge your device
- Make sure everything is turned on
- Next, switch to airplane mode. This will make sure your phone isn’t trying to search for a cellular network.
- Now, make sure you have Wi-Fi enabled. You can do this in your phone’s settings.
- Search for a network and find one you can connect to.
- Depending on the network you choose, you may need to enter a password.
- That’s it! Now you should be able to use Wi-Fi on your phone without the need for a SIM card or cellular network.
What You Can and Can’t Do with a Wi-Fi Only Phone
You can do a lot with a deactivated phone, and there are plenty of things that are off-limits. Let’s explore some of these things to give you a better sense of your phone’s capabilities. Wi-Fi-only phones can do a number of things, including making calls, text, use applications, access the web, play music, and play videos. However, you can only do this in a place with great and reliable Wi-Fi. Its limitations become immediately obvious the moment you go somewhere else without solid Wi-Fi.
You won’t be able to access the internet from everywhere. You can’t use your old number to make calls and texts. Some apps won’t work properly, and GPS functions will probably be limited as well. As you can see, there is a lot of function still left in your old phone. I’m sure there a thousand applications for a deactivated phone that can add convenience to your life. Let’s learn more about some of these uses.
Great Uses for Your Wi-Fi Only Phone
When it comes to finding a purpose for your new Wi-Fi-only phone, get creative. Take an assessment of all the things you use your phone for. Chances are that you already have a few ways to add some convenience to your life. Here are just a couple of examples you could play with:
- Media player—Your phone can still play music and videos using onboard storage. Take advantage of this and use your phone for road trips or as a dedicated workout phone.
- Smart home access—Since your phone can stay connected to your home’s Wi-Fi, you can use it to control your smart home system. This can even mean using it to access your security cameras or products like the Ring Video Doorbell (on Amazon).
- Dedicated devices—You may consider attaching your Wi-Fi-only phone to another device in your home. Say you have a smart TV that uses your phone as the controller, well now you can use your Wi-Fi-only phone as a dedicated controller.
Can You Use GPS on a Deactivated Phone?
There are some extra considerations if you are thinking of using your Wi-Fi-only phone as a dedicated GPS system. First, it is worth noting that you can use GPS as long as you also have Wi-Fi access, however, this is also where the problems come in. You see, in most cases, you won’t have wireless access if using a GPS because you’ll likely be in an area where there is no Wi-Fi. For example, you can use certain apps to map out directions at home when connected to Wi-Fi.
But, as soon as you leave the network, your device will no longer be able to give you directions. With this in mind, you may consider purchasing a GPS outright. Since these have been around for quite some time, prices are reasonable. You can get a device like the Garmin Drive 51 (also on Amazon) – with the rise of smartphones, GPS-only systems have become a lot less desired by the average consumer unless your needs are more sophisticated.
Other Uses for Your Deactivated Phone
If these other cases for a Wi-Fi-only phone aren’t appealing to you, there are a few other options. Some of these involve getting rid of the phone, so that’s another issue if you want to keep it. For the most part, the possibilities are limited by technology expertise. Some of the most creative ways of using a deactivated phone include using your phone’s touch screen as a trackpad for a computer or laptop; as a universal remote, a digital photo frame, and you can also allow researchers to use your phone’s computing power (you’ll need Wi-Fi for this though).
There are plenty of creative options that just require a little bit of technical understanding and knowledge. But if you aren’t interested in these options, there are two others to look into. The first that comes to mind is trading your phone in. Plenty of wireless providers allow for phones to be traded for credit toward a newer model. This will depend on the age and condition of your old phone, though. Another option is to sell your phone for parts.
Selling your phone’s parts including the precious metals inside of it isn’t as difficult or cumbersome as it used to be; there are services available that will help you. Keep in mind that, for the most part, you won’t get a lot for your old phone. Since there is still a lot of processing (which means more man-hours) involved in getting the precious metals out of the device, expect 50%-80% less than your phone’s value – in some cases even less.
How Does a Phone Get Deactivated?
There is a bit of confusion when it comes to the term deactivated. For most of us, our phones are deactivated in the technical sense of the word. To help gain some clarity on this topic, let’s explore what deactivation means. When your phone gets deactivated, it means it no longer has access to a cellular network. You essentially cancel the number attached to the sim card on the phone. It usually means you are giving up ownership of that particular number.
When this happens, two actions take place: one is that your old phone number is returned to the overall number pool to be re-used by someone else, and two, you can no longer port the number out or use it in any other way. There are plenty of situations where your phone may become deactivated. Some of these include if you’ve lost or someone has stolen the phone, although, you may consider suspending the number first. Another situation is that your current number is getting too many robocalls and telemarketers.
And finally, if it’s a work phone, and you no longer work for that company anymore. Basically, in any situation where you won’t need that number anymore, you should deactivate. It is worth noting that this has more to do with the SIM card in the phone than the phone itself. When you deactivate or suspend your number the phone still works. But, without the SIM card granting connection to a cellular network, you are stuck using only Wi-Fi.
Why You Might Want to Use Wi-Fi on a Deactivated Phone
There are plenty of great reasons you might want to use a deactivated phone with Wi-Fi. Think about all the things you need internet access for. Now consider what a phone is at its core—a computer. It can access the web and use apps just like your laptop. But, computers don’t usually have cellular data access. Think of your phone in this way — a small computer with internet access. It’s also worth considering how often we use Wi-Fi, to begin with.
Whether you are browsing the web in a coffee shop or just answering some emails, it usually happens on Wi-Fi. Consequently, all these functions are still available to a deactivated phone, so long as it connects. There are also plenty of communication apps that are only Wi-Fi-based. Some of the most popular messenger applications include Whatsapp (which Facebook recently bought by the way), Facebook Messenger, as well as Skype.
With these apps, even things like sending a text or making a call are possible with just Wi-Fi alone. So with some clever workaround, you can essentially gain back all the phone functions even without an activated SIM. Now that you’ve finished the article, you know how to use your Wi-Fi-only phone as a Smart Device, as a tool for accessing the internet in your home only, or even as a control for your Smart Home. You could even use it just for online dating if you really chose to.