Use Your Old iPad in Cool New Ways

Although your iPad might be getting old, Apple never seems to stop running out of new ideas. Take, for example, Live Listen – it’s offered this feature for a few years now. It was originally a way for users with hearing issues to turn their iPad, iPhone or iPod touch into a microphone that can connect into a hearing aid. 

But with the release of iOS12, Apple has added the Live Listen feature to AirPods, their wireless earbuds. If you have an old, broken iPad and are thinking about throwing it away, consider getting your iPad repair and holding on to it, because you can use your AirPods, Live Listen and your iPad in a cool new way. 

If you have a new puppy that is being housebroken, or a baby sleeping in another room, you can place your iPad near the puppy’s crate or your baby’s crib and wear one of the AirPods which will let you listen in from the next room. 

The cool part is that Live Listen will work even if you are playing audio on your iPhone, so you could listen to music, and still, keep tabs on what’s going on in the other room. 

If you’d like to set up Live Listen, it’s easy enough to do by following these steps on your iPad running iOS 12: 

1. Tap the Settings app on your iPad 
2. Launch Control Center 
3. Choose Customize Controls
4. Tap the green + button beside hearing. 

Now, put your AirPods in and connect them to your iPad as usual. 

1. Tap Control Center
2. Choose the Hearing Icon 
3. Choose Live Listen 
4. Place your iPad close to the person (or animal) you’d like to hear, preferably in front of them. 
5. Use the volume buttons on your iPad to adjust the volume level. 

If you see a message that says “Unavailable for Current Route” when you are attempting to turn on Live Listen, restart your iPad, forget, then reconnect your AirPods in the Bluetooth menu. 

If you have noticed that Live Listen might be a good way to snoop on a conversation, and have concerns, don’t worry too much. 

Although this feature will still work, even if the device’s screen goes dark, AirPods only have a range of around 30 feet, so the person listening in would have to be pretty close. 

Essentially, for a stranger to be able to snoop on you successfully, they’d have to place their expensive Apple device right in front of you and leave the room. 

This is a pretty obvious gambit, as Live Listen is a well-known feature. And unfortunately for snoops, the more hidden their device is, the more muffled their microphone will be. 

Another cool new way to use your old iPad is to turn it into a digital picture frame. Your iPad can be used to revolve through hundreds, even thousands of pictures in a slideshow that never ends. You can do this by setting up an iCloud photo album dedicated to this purpose, then tweak your iPad settings to display a continuous slideshow. 

If you’re looking to boost your productivity, a dual-monitor setup is a way to go. But for people who work on the go, lugging around an extra LCD gets pretty inconvenient. However, your second iPad can be used as an extra, mini-monitor. 

Install an app like Air Display and use your tablet as a second screen. You can check your email, a stock ticker, or anything else you’d like to keep an eye on throughout your workday.

Yet another way to use your iPad is as a high-tech remote control of your Apple TV. You can use it with apps that work with your TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV and other types of technology. The large iPad screen makes getting through menus and program guides quickly possible, and virtual remote control buttons that would feel cramped on an iPhone are easy to access on the larger iPad.

If you’re a fan of cooking, your old iPad can also come in handy. You can use your iPad to search for and use recipes and watch demonstration videos. If this appeals to you, you can easily install a tablet mount under the cabinet for around $25 and keep your iPad where you can see it while it remains protected from splatter.

While you’re at it, make sure you download all of the iPad cooking apps like Epicurious and How to Cook Everything.

You can also use your iPad as a dedicated eReader. The iPad gives you access to iBooks, the Kindle, the Nook, and more, and it has plenty of space to pack full of books. Just keep it on your night table for a never-ending supply of morning and nighttime reading. 

You can also use your iPad for digital magazines, like print subscriptions with digital editions, Apple News Plus (which offers unlimited magazine reading) and magazines you can check out from the library for free.

Finally, maybe the best way to use your iPad is as a jukebox. You can stock it full of your own music, and use Pandora, TuneIn, Apple Music, Spotify, and countless other music apps. 

All you have to do is pair your iPad with a wireless speaker, tap on it, and kick out the jams. You can also leave it in a stand and enjoy cover art while you enjoy your music, 

Did you find a cool new way to use your old iPad? Or do you think selling it is a better idea? Let us know in the comments below