Is your old Mac collecting dust in a corner? Or maybe you've just upgraded to a newer model and don't know what to do with the old one. Luckily, there are a ton of ways you can repurpose your old Mac.

Whether you want to use an old Mac as a media center, turn it into network-attached storage, or use it for work, we have you covered. Here are some of the best ways to reuse an old Mac.

1. Use It as a Secondary Monitor for Your Primary Computer

iMac being used as a secondary display

Macs have great displays, and a good way to reuse an old Mac is to use it as a secondary monitor for your primary computer. It will increase your screen real estate and make working on projects easier and more efficient.

To use your old Mac as a second display for your new Mac, you'll need a cable that supports DisplayPort. Once you have the right cable, connect it from your old Mac to your new Mac. Then, on your new Mac, navigate to System Preferences > Displays. Under the Arrangement tab, you'll see your old Mac listed as a possible display.

Additionally, if you want to connect your Mac to a Windows PC, you will need to use third-party software like Deskreen.

There are endless possibilities for how you can use an extra monitor. For example, you could keep your live stream feed on one screen while you stream your screen on the other. Or, you could use one screen for browsing the web while you work on a document on the other.

2. Set Up Your Mac as a Temporary Wi-Fi Hotspot

Internet sharing settings on macOS

If you have a Wi-Fi dead zone in your home or office, you might have to set up a Wi-Fi range extender. However, an easy workaround can be to use your old Mac as a Wi-Fi Hotspot instead.

This will enable you to connect your other devices to the internet using your Mac's Wi-Fi connection. All you need to do is connect your old Mac to your router with an Ethernet cable, place it near the Wi-Fi dead zone and configure your Mac's Wi-Fi hotspot by navigating to System Preferences > Sharing > Internet Sharing.

This is a great way to get around Wi-Fi dead zones without spending any money on expensive range extenders.

3. Use It as a Web Server

If you're a developer, designer, or web administrator and also have an old Mac lying around you can repurpose it to host a website, create a local development environment, or even run a simple blog.

In fact, an old Mac is arguably much better than a dedicated small server in some aspects. It's very power-efficient and if it's a MacBook it also has a built-in display, trackpad, and keyboard that makes it easier to configure it. It occupies much less space compared to a small server and even has its own built-in battery backup in case of power failure!

The best part is that it's extremely affordable, as you don't need to invest in any new hardware or software.

To turn your old Mac into a web server, you'll have to install web server software such as Apache, NGINX, or Microsoft IIS. Then you need to configure it to serve the content you would like to share on the web, point your domain name's DNS to the IP address of your old Mac, and your web server is ready.

4. Install Linux on It

movkup-of-a-macbook-running-linux

Installing Linux on an old Mac can breathe new life into it while giving you a lightweight yet powerful operating system to work with. The best part is that since Linux is much more lightweight than macOS, it runs better on older hardware, boots faster, and even helps eliminate the annoying spinning wheel of death.

And that's just scratching the surface, as there's so much more you can do with Linux. For starters, Linux has a reputation for being one of the most secure operating systems—even more so than macOS. This is because there are fewer vulnerabilities that can be exploited by malware and hackers.

Another advantage of using Linux is that it offers alternatives to office suites, photo editors, mail clients, and a host of other software that is not available on macOS, especially on older macOS versions. Check out our complete guide on how to install Linux on any computer.

5. Make a Network-Attached Storage Out of Your Old Mac

If your old Mac has decent storage capacity, then you can repurpose it as a Network-Attached Storage (NAS) device. This will turn your old Mac into personal cloud storage, which you or the people you share it with can access from anywhere in the world.

However, macOS does not offer any inbuilt utility to turn your Mac into a NAS device, so you'll have to use third-party software such as FreeNAS or openmediavault. You'll also have to make sure that your Mac is always connected to your router, preferably through an Ethernet cable.

6. Use It for Home Automation

With a bit of effort, you can turn your old Mac into a powerful home automation tool that you can use to control almost any device that connects to your network. This could include your lights, thermostat, security system, air conditioners, and even your coffee maker!

One of the best things about using your old Mac for home automation is you don't need to buy any new hardware to get started. All you need is software like Homebridge or HOOBS 4 that allows you to control devices that don't natively work with Apple's HomeKit home automation system, and you're ready to set up your smart home.

However, this software is not supported on all macOS versions, resulting in some features might not working properly on Macs running operating systems older than macOS High Sierra.

7. Turn Your Mac Into a Chromebook

movkup-of-a-macbook-running-chrome-os

By turning your old Mac into a Chromebook, you can combine the lightweight ChromeOS with the powerful hardware of a Mac. All you need to do is install Chrome OS on your old Mac.

This will give you a lightweight yet powerful operating system that is perfect for everyday tasks such as browsing the web, checking email, and working on documents which otherwise can be hard enough for an old Mac running macOS.

Plus, since Chrome OS is based on Linux, you'll be able to install a wide variety of Android as well as Linux apps on the same machine. You can add more customizations to your Mac and even access the built-in shell to run commands.

8. Use Your Old Mac as a Media Viewer

Since Macs have excellent displays, a smart way to repurpose one is to use it as a media viewer. It's a great way to save space on your primary machine, as you can store your movies or TV shows on your old Mac and watch them whenever you want.

The only setback can be with online streaming, as some popular web browsers are no longer compatible with older versions of macOS. You need at least macOS 10.12 Sierra for the latest versions of Edge and Firefox, while Chrome requires macOS 10.13 High Sierra. However, you can always work around that problem by installing a lightweight browser for old machines, like Vivaldi or Opera, that still supports the old macOS versions.

9. Trade in an Old Mac

Apple trade in program homepage

If you don't want to keep your old Mac, you can trade it in for a discount on a new one. The Apple Trade In program offers credit towards a new device when you trade in your old MacBook or iMac. However, the amount of credit you'll receive depends on the condition of your old Mac.

There are also many other third-party resellers, like Decluttr, Swappa, and Best Buy, where you can sell your old Mac for a reasonable price without having to go through the hassle of finding a buyer directly. The only drawback of going with resellers is that you won't get as much money as you would if you sold it directly to a buyer on eBay or Craigslist.

Is Your Old Mac Really Too Old?

If your old Mac is still functional, you might want to hold on to it a little longer and reuse it as a secondary monitor or turn it into your personal cloud storage. However, if you don't want to put in the effort to configure it into any of these things, you might still want to keep it as a backup machine in case your primary computer fails.

Or, you can always pass it down to a child to help them learn how to use it. But if you really don't want to do anything with it, selling it might just be the best option for you.