All laptops will end up showing their age at some point, even the best MacBooks. Since most modern MacBooks are difficult or impossible to upgrade, it's often easier to just buy a new one when your old one starts to slow down. Additionally, when Apple stops supporting your MacBook model in macOS release, software compatibility can become an issue. Whether your MacBook is a few years old or two decades old, there are things it can still do that are much better options than keeping it in a junk drawer. We've rounded up a list of eight creative ways you can keep your old MacBook up and running in various capacities. Some of them might just be cool enough to make you want to pull out that old MacBook you have lying around somewhere and put it to good use.

8 Playing CDs and DVDs

If your Mac has a built-in SuperDrive, it's a great CD and DVD player

The streaming industry is getting rough, with price hikes and the variety of services available creating an experience similar to the very cable industry it was trying to replace. If you're tired of not owning anything, going back to physical media might be the way to go, and an old MacBook might be the best way to do it. The last MacBook Pro to feature a built-in CD drive was released in 2012, which is something to keep in mind. However, if you do happen to have a MacBook or MacBook Pro with a SuperDrive, you can use it to watch movies and listen to CDs. In fact, on Mac OS X Tiger through Snow Leopard, there was a custom Front Row application made just for watching movies.

If you don't have a MacBook with a disc drive, you can still use it as a media player. Those that are really interested in playing DVDs and CDs can actually buy a USB SuperDrive directly from Apple to gain that functionality, too.

7 Use it as a mesh Wi-Fi extender

A weird, but totally useful, purpose for an aging MacBook

A cool use for an old MacBook is enabled by a macOS and Mac OS X feature called internet sharing. Essentially, it allows you to take an internet connection from one input source and share it through another. For example, you could connect to a Wi-Fi network and share it over Ethernet. These options are found under the Sharing tab in either System Settings or System Preferences. Using this setting, you can use a MacBook as a Wi-Fi range extender. By connecting an Ethernet cable to your MacBook and enabling internet sharing over Wi-Fi, you can create a separate network for devices closer to your MacBook. This could provide better wireless performance in situations where your router is far away from your other devices, mimicking a traditional mesh Wi-Fi network.

6 Create a home server

An old laptop can easily handle server duties on your network

Through the same Sharing tab in System Settings or System Preferences, you can use your old MacBook as a file server for your network. It'll essentially function like a NAS, using the MacBook's on-device storage to hold files and media accessible through your home network. Ideally, for this to work well, your MacBook should be connected directly to your router over Ethernet. Additionally, we wouldn't recommend using an old MacBook with a hard drive as a file server unless there are multiple redundancies put in place. If your MacBook is old enough to have shipped with a spinning hard drive, chances are, it could be close to failure. Still, using a MacBook as a file server can be useful, especially if it has SSD storage. For those who aren't satisfied by macOS' built-in file sharing method, you can alternatively set up services like Plex on your MacBook.

5 Use it as a retro gaming console

There are plenty of emulators that'll work with older versions of Mac OS X

A fun way to enjoy using your old MacBook is to set it up as a retro gaming console. There are seemingly endless possibilities for retro gaming on a MacBook, even an old one. You can play games that were exclusive to the era your MacBook is from, which can be a nice throwback. For example, an old MacBook running a version of Mac OS X could play games that only run on that specific release. Retro Mac gaming is understandably niche, but an old MacBook can do much more than that. Emulation software for Mac OS X and macOS will let you play games from retro consoles on your MacBook, and it'll make it like using Delta emulator on newer versions of macOS.

4 Install Windows or Linux

These operating systems might make your old MacBook more capable

If you'd like to keep an obsolete MacBook up and running as a laptop, that can be tricky after macOS support is dropped. One workaround is to install another operating system, like Windows or Linux. Of course, a lightweight Linux distro will pull the most performance out of your MacBook's older hardware. However, a more approachable solution may be installing Windows 10 (or Windows 11, with a bit of tinkering) using Boot Camp. It's a built-in tool on Intel MacBooks that makes it easy to install Windows 10 on your device. We recently installed it on a MacBook from 2016, and the performance and stability improvements were seriously impressive.

3 Make hardware upgrades

Adding an SSD and some more memory will go a long way

If a new OS won't cut it, your MacBook might be old enough to support physical hardware upgrades. Older laptops will be most likely to benefit from this option, as they allow for memory and storage upgrades. MacBooks from 2012 or older use a SATA hard drive that can be swapped for a 2.5-inch SATA SSD with minimal effort. Some MacBooks also use SODIMM memory sticks, and these can be upgraded — within limits. For MacBooks that shipped with SSDs, the ones that are non-soldered can be replaced as well. You'll need an adapter to connect a standard NVMe SSD to your MacBook's logic board, but it is definitely possible. And although we can't recommend it for users without extreme knowledge of soldering and microelectronics, people have even managed to upgrade the soldered flash chips on certain Apple Silicon Macs.

If your old MacBook has a hard drive and limited memory, you'll be amazed at how much it benefits from an SSD and more available memory. Hardware upgrades aren't for everyone, but these two upgrades — if possible — are the best way to improve performance on an old MacBook.

2 Install ChromeOS Flex

It's a quick and easy way to give new life to your old MacBook

We've already mentioned how replacing macOS can improve MacBook performance, but one operating system is worthy enough to have its own spot on this list: ChromeOS Flex. It's derived from the same ChromeOS that runs on the best Chromebooks, and is extremely lightweight. More importantly, ChromeOS Flex is cloud-based, so MacBooks with older hardware can still run it just fine. If you don't believe me, I installed ChromeOS Flex on one of the first MacBooks ever released by Apple. It wasn't a perfect experience, but that ancient MacBook was able to browse the web and watch YouTube videos with no issues. For reference, Safari can barely even load websites on that MacBook while running the latest Mac OS X software.

The best part about ChromeOS Flex is that anyone can use it. Creating a bootable USB for ChromeOS Flex takes literally a few minutes, and the entire install process will take about five minutes. Google officially supports ChromeOS Flex on select MacBook models, and the operating system is designed for just this purpose — reviving old macOS and Windows laptops.

1 Use it as a secondary screen

If the display on your MacBook still works fine, it can serve as an extended display

We've saved the best way to use your old MacBook for last, and that's using it as an external display for your new one. The first MacBook to feature a Retina display was released in 2012, and that means your old MacBook might have one. The whole idea behind "retina" as a concept is that it was a good enough resolution that the human eye couldn't make out the individual pixels on the display. In other words, Retina displays are good enough for use in 2024, whether we're talking about the new ones Apple makes today or the first one it made over a decade ago.

There are a handful of ways you can use your MacBook as an external monitor for another Mac. The best one is using the built-in screen sharing feature, which was introduced in macOS High Sierra. You can start using it by opening up the Launchpad, navigating to the Utilities folder, and clicking the Screen Sharing app. Alternatively, you may be able to find your old MacBook in the display mirroring settings on another Mac, provided both devices are on the same network and connected to the same iCloud account. There are also third-party options, like Duet Display and Luna Display, that serve this purpose without the restrictions. Either way, using the display of your old MacBook to add extra screen real estate to your new Mac is an excellent use for it.

The best one for your MacBook will depend on how old it is

All the options on this list are great ways to get additional use out of an aging MacBook, and it's hard to say which one will be best for everyone. Movie buffs might love using their old MacBook as a DVD player, while people in desperate need of better Wi-Fi coverage might want to use their MacBook as a range extender.

One thing to consider when picking out a use for your old MacBook is just how old it is. If your MacBook is still running an old version of Mac OS X and can't be upgraded, that will limit your options a bit. Try considering the less demanding uses for old MacBooks, like Wi-Fi range extending, media playing, and file hosting. On the other hand, newer MacBooks with Retina displays may be better fit for use as an external monitor. One thing is for sure — old MacBooks still have value, and there are plenty of ways you can keep them in use before they need to be recycled.