SerpApi.Org
The Raspberry Pi has long been my default choice whenever I need a small computer that can remain online without consuming much power. I have used it to run automations, host lightweight services, move files between devices, and handle other background jobs that do not justify leaving my laptop switched on. However, Pi doesn't have the most powerful hardware out there, which means the services that you can run on it are limited.
I replaced it with my Android phone, which was almost half a decade old, and it still has a more powerful ARM processor, built-in storage, Wi-Fi, and a battery that could act as a UPS in case of a power cut. I tried moving my basic services that I was running on my Raspberry Pi to my phone, and it handled it way better than I expected. In fact, better than the Pi itself.
I moved my entire Raspberry Pi setup to the phone
Termux made the migration easier than I expected
I initially expected moving everything from the Raspberry Pi to require rooting the phone, unlocking its bootloader, or installing a custom operating system. None of that was necessary. I installed Termux, updated its package repository, and used PRoot to create a Debian environment on top of Android. This gave me access to the same package manager and most of the command-line tools I was already using on the Raspberry Pi.
From there, I set up OpenSSH so I could control the phone from my laptop instead of typing commands on its touchscreen. Once SSH was working, the phone practically disappeared into the background. I could leave it connected to my network and manage everything remotely, exactly as I had done with the Pi.
I then started transferring my existing configuration files, scripts, and service data to the phone. Some directory paths needed to be changed because Termux stores its files differently from a conventional Linux installation, but most of the actual software and configuration carried over without requiring much work. I also used Termux:Boot to launch my services automatically whenever the phone restarted, removing the need to open Termux and start everything manually.
Even before I moved the actual workloads, the phone already felt faster. It took less time to install packages, and navigating directories also became more responsive. I also didn’t notice the sluggishness I had grown used to with the Raspberry Pi’s microSD card when copying files. The phone’s built-in UFS storage made an immediate difference, while its additional processing power gave me considerably more room to work with.
I kept adding services and waiting for the phone to slow down
It handled everything at the same time
I started with Syncthing because file syncing was one of the simpler jobs my Raspberry Pi handled. The phone monitored the same folders and automatically moved files between my devices whenever they appeared. It completed transfers faster than the Pi, and the service continued running in the background without requiring any attention from me.
I also installed Nginx and used it to host a few lightweight dashboards and local pages that I access from other devices on my network. The pages loaded immediately, even when Syncthing was transferring files in the background. I even moved my automation scripts to the phone and scheduled them to run at different times during the day. These included basic file management tasks, network checks, and scripts that pulled information from APIs and sent notifications when something needed my attention.
Jellyfin was the service I expected to put the phone under some actual pressure. I pointed it towards my media library and let it scan the files while everything else continued running. The phone indexed the library without slowing down the web server or interrupting any of my automations. I could stream a video to my TV while Syncthing transferred files, and Nginx continued serving pages in the background. I could also connect through SSH during the stream and use Termux without noticing any major delay.
The Raspberry Pi never stood a chance on hardware
The phone had a faster processor, better storage, and a built-in UPS
My phone is nearly five years old, but it still has a more capable ARM processor than the Raspberry Pi, along with more memory and much faster internal storage. The age of the phone doesn’t matter because mobile processors already became powerful enough to handle these workloads years ago. The Raspberry Pi can run the same services, but it has far less performance available when several of them need resources at the same time.
The microSD card holds the Pi back even more than its processor. My services regularly needed to read databases, update logs, scan folders, and move files, which exposed the difference between a microSD card and the phone’s UFS storage. The phone took less time to install packages and copy files, while services such as Jellyfin and Syncthing could scan their libraries without slowing down everything else. The Raspberry Pi struggled as soon as several storage-heavy processes ran together.
The Raspberry Pi is also not as cheap as it looks when you take the things needed to run it into account. The board needs a microSD card, a power adapter, a case, and a separate UPS if you want it to survive a power cut.
The board needed a microSD card, a suitable power adapter, a case, and a separate UPS if I wanted it to survive a power cut. The phone already had storage, Wi-Fi, a screen, a battery, and its own charging hardware inside one device. It also cost me nothing because I had already stopped using it.
Make the most out of your old phones
Your old phone has hardware that can be repurposed in many ways. If you don't want to turn it into a Raspberry Pi replacement, you can still put it to good use by turning it into a streaming server or even a car media server that lets passengers watch movies and shows. There are plenty of other ways to repurpose an old phone as well. It could become a Tailscale node or even a portable hotspot for yourself.
