3 Energy Conscious Tech Tips

From repurposing old devices to charging less often, here are a few easy ways to make a difference.

Energy conscious is easier with the Galaxy S21.

Tackling climate change is going to take big, bold action. But the little choices you make every day can also help. By taking steps to reduce your energy consumption to help lower your carbon footprint—the measure of how much carbon dioxide and greenhouse gas you generate—you’re making a small, consistent impact, and shifting your technology habits is a great place to start. Here’s how.

Galaxy Upcycling at Home

Turn old Galaxy devices² into smart home sensors.

Learn more

See what Samsung are doing in other parts of the world.

Find a new use for old devices

In the United States, United Kingdom and Korea, Samsung has launched a new beta service 'Galaxy Upcycling at Home'.¹ Rather than letting old phones gather dust in a draw, consumers can give old devices a new life by turning old Galaxy devices into smart home devices with a simple software update.² This can help setting up an energy-conscious home, without starting from scratch.

A baby in a white crib in a room with plant wallpaper and a circular mirror.

Reuse your device as a sound sensor

A simple software update enables your old device³ to monitor your home for sounds—say, a baby crying, a dog barking, a knock at the door—then send an alert to your current phone so you can take care of it.

A woman reads in a chair next to a lamp in a dark room.

Repurpose a device as a light sensor

Your old device will be able to automatically turn lights off or on based on how bright it is outside. You can also connect it to SmartThings to automate a lighting schedule, so you never use more power than you need.

Reuse your device as a sound sensor

A simple software update enables your old device³ to monitor your home for sounds—say, a baby crying, a dog barking, a knock at the door—then send an alert to your current phone so you can take care of it.
Repurpose a device as a light sensor

Your old device will be able to automatically turn lights off or on based on how bright it is outside. You can also connect it to SmartThings to automate a lighting schedule, so you never use more power than you need.

Automate your home to save energy

Half the challenge of reducing energy consumption is just remembering to do it, whether it’s turning off the lights in empty rooms or lowering the air-conditioning when it’s not needed. Luckily, home automation makes it so you don’t have to remember. By connecting your Galaxy S21 to SmartThings devices, you can create a simple Bixby Routine that automatically turns smart lights4 on or off to help reduce unnecessary power usage. Good for the planet. Good for your energy bill.

Make your charges last longer

The less often you charge, the more energy you save—and there are plenty of features designed to help your battery go further. On the Galaxy S21, you can turn on settings like Battery Optimisation or Dark Mode, and turn off features that use a lot of power and don’t need to be on 24/7 (Always On Display and Location, for example). The phone can even adapt its power usage to your personal habits with Adaptive Power Saving mode.

¹ Not available in Australia, Galaxy Upcycling at Home beta service is available in the US, UK and Korea only.
² Galaxy Upcycling at Home feature is available on all S, Note, and Z series released from 2018 (S9, Note9 or later) running Android 9 and above in eligible markets. More devices will be supported in the future.
3 Software update can be done in SmartThings Labs, a feature within the SmartThings app.
4 Samsung Account login and data network connection (Wi-Fi or data network) required. To control other devices with Bixby, all devices need to be registered with SmartThings. Please visit https://www.samsung.com/smartthings for more information.

Shrink your footprint. Grow your impact.

Galaxy S21 can be the foundation for your energy conscious tech habits.

Galaxy S22 Ultra

Learn more

Galaxy S22 | S22+

Learn more

Explore