Best options in 2023 for donating iPhone 6S?

August 13, 2023 11:04 AM

My spouse and I finally updated our cell phones this year, and now we have two iPhone 6S's that we'd like to donate to a good cause. Searching around, it looks like most options actually just recycle the electronics. That seems sad – the phones still work and are in good condition. Is that really the only option these days?

I know the 6S is an old device, and likely to be obsoleted by Apple soon, especially considering that the regular model 6 already is listed as obsolete.

We thought about using them around the house, but can't come up with a worthwhile use. At first I thought about putting one in each of our cars as emergency phones for when we leave the house and forget to bring ours, but since the 6S's are not active on our (Verizon) cellular plan anymore, it seems like this would have limited utility, plus the idea of leaving them in the cars 24/7 when it's 100+ degrees outside worries me a bit. We don't need to the phones them as webcams or security cams, and our music collection is too big for the 64 GB capacity of the phones, so using them as iPods won't work either.

So donation seems like the best bet. The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence has a donation program, and that's my default if no other option presents itself, but because they send the electronics to a 3rd-party recycler, it seems likely that the phones would simply be destroyed and recycled. I was hoping we could find someone would could actually use them, since they're still in working condition.

Is it a hopeless quest, and should we just send them to NCADV?

posted by StrawberryPie to Grab Bag (14 answers total)

Do you know of any kids (in your family or a friend’s) who need a basic communications device - phone, texting, GPS?

I wouldn’t do much more than that on a device that doesn’t get security updates any more.
posted by sesquipedalia at 11:12 AM on August 13, 2023 [2 favorites]

Getting usable devices checked out to give to needy people is a large task. Give them to a family violence shelter, or offer on Buy Nothing.
posted by theora55 at 11:13 AM on August 13, 2023 [1 favorite]

I buy all my phones secondhand via Swappa. You could sell it for a small amount on there and someone can make use of it.

https://swappa.com/buy/apple-iphone-6s
posted by unid41 at 11:16 AM on August 13, 2023 [6 favorites]

To be blunt, the reasons you don’t want the phones anymore are the same reasons others don’t want them either.

(Of course this is the symptom of a larger problem in society around planned obsolescence of electronics, but it is what it is.)

I think your best bet is either giving them to someone in your extended friend network (maybe for someone’s kid), or trying to sell them online for a small amount of money — someone may want them for a temporary measure, or to use for a project.
posted by mekily at 11:21 AM on August 13, 2023 [5 favorites]

I would happily take them off your hands for a good cause.
posted by flink at 11:50 AM on August 13, 2023 [1 favorite]

I disagree with mekily. I prefer to buy older phones, and I know a lot of people would love to get them.


You can also check with job-training programs, social workers, prison/rehabilitation programs, etc.
posted by amtho at 12:50 PM on August 13, 2023 [1 favorite]

Come September, an iPhone 6s will not support the newest iOS (17).
posted by alygator at 1:32 PM on August 13, 2023

I've given away outdated-but-still-working-fine phones and laptops in local Facebook groups (neighborhood Buy Nothing group and regional trans and queer giveaway group). There's often somebody who recently broke or lost their device and needs a temporary functional device to tide them over until they can save up to buy something they prefer.
posted by dreamyshade at 2:02 PM on August 13, 2023 [2 favorites]

Put it up for free on craigslist and Facebook marketplace.
posted by crazy with stars at 3:37 PM on August 13, 2023

I am a middle school technology teacher and I use old phones as small tablets in my classroom. There may be a use at a local school.
posted by dstopps at 4:48 PM on August 13, 2023 [3 favorites]

If you sell them on swappa, then you can turn around and give that money to a good cause.
posted by soelo at 6:16 PM on August 13, 2023

Come September, an iPhone 6s will not support the newest iOS (17).

It doesn't support the current iOS 16 either.

But is still getting security updates (as of a few weeks ago).
posted by fabius at 5:16 AM on August 14, 2023

Come September, an iPhone 6s will not support the newest iOS (17).

That’s kind of a moot point. The 6s only supports iOS 15. It didn’t make the cut for iOS 16. The 6s has still been getting security updates, though. It’s a good, solid phone in a form factor many people are still looking for, to use as just phones and texting.
posted by Thorzdad at 5:17 AM on August 14, 2023

Call your local DV advocacy center. They may be able to use them. If you don’t know who that is, they should be listed on the NCADV site.
posted by mygothlaundry at 1:02 PM on August 14, 2023