Adapted by:
Yúbal Fernández
WriterTech journalist with over eight years of experience. I specialize in mobile devices, PCs and consumer tech, as well as software and apps. Head of Xataka Basics, where everyone can find complex tech topics explained in an easy and accessible manner.
Karen Alfaro
WriterCommunications professional with a decade of experience as a copywriter, proofreader, and editor. As a travel and science journalist, I've collaborated with several print and digital outlets around the world. I'm passionate about culture, music, food, history, and innovative technologies.
This article explains how to use your old phone as a music player, allowing you to recycle it and give it a useful purpose. If you upgrade your smartphone but don't want to get rid of your old one, you'll know one of the many things you can do with it.
This guide summarizes the process step by step, highlighting the most important details and what to keep in mind. Although the process is simple, small details matter.
Use Your Old Phone as a Music Player
First, reset your phone to its factory settings to uninstall all your personal settings.
Once you reset the phone, uninstall any apps you don’t need. You’ll use this device only for listening to music, so any other apps will drain the battery. Avoid maps, GPS, WhatsApp, messaging apps, social media platforms, and email. These apps will severely limit the capacity of your new player.
Don’t put a SIM card in the phone. Leave calls to your main phone. The old phone should be “dumb,” used only for listening to music. If you need an internet connection to run a streaming app, share your primary phone’s connection with a hotspot.
Next, install a music app. You have two options: If you use a music streaming service, install it and download albums to the phone’s memory to listen offline and save data. Alternatively, insert a SIM card or share your main phone’s connection to access content over the internet. It’s best to use the phone offline.
Another option is to install a music player app if you have MP3 or WAV song files. Manually add the files to a folder on the phone and configure the player to use that folder. If your phone supports it, consider adding extra microSD memory.
If you want to listen to music in the highest quality possible, use wired headphones. If your phone has a port for them, great. If not, you’ll need a 3.5mm jack adapter for the micro-USB port. If quality isn’t a priority, you can use Bluetooth headphones.
To maximize battery life, make the phone as “dumb” as possible by uninstalling unnecessary apps and using it only for music. This will give your new player many hours of autonomy.
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