Your phone is an amazing tool to make money. It can allow you to stay in touch with your family and friends, take pictures, play games, watch movies, and much more. However, did you know that you can also earn money from your phone quickly and easily?
Why Is Your Phone a Great Tool to Earn Extra Cash?
Phones are great to earn money because they’re easy to carry around. You can make money from your phone in your spare time while doing other activities, like riding the bus or waiting in line at the grocery store.
Since smartphones have all the computing power of a laptop, you can use them to take surveys, download apps, and even do your actual job.
Before you know it, you’ll earn money just by having only your phone on you.
Can You Earn Money Online with Just a Phone?
Absolutely! If you’ve never made money via the internet, it can be a little intimidating at first. You may think that you need to invest in expensive equipment or software to get started making money from your phone, but this isn’t the case.
As long as you have your phone (and its data plan), you’re ready to go. Also, if you enjoy using social media apps like Instagram or Twitter on your smartphone, then utilizing them to earn cash will be easy and fun since they are already familiar platforms.
What Are Some Ways to Make Money from Your Phone?
Turning your phone into an income-making machine is easier than ever before! Just look below for some of our favorite ways that you can make money online just by using your phone through these money-making apps. Most of these apps you can get through either the Google Play Store for Android users or the Apple store for iPhone cell phones.
Invest in Stocks
With investment apps like Robinhood, you get to trade stocks for free.
This means that you don’t have to worry about any commissions or fees when you buy and sell stocks. You won’t need to open a traditional brokerage account either; just download the app, set up an investment account, and make your trades.
In addition, you can use this investment app to track the companies that you want to invest in. You’ll receive price alerts as well.
You don’t even have to know a lot about the stock market either. Some of these investment apps will walk you through buying stocks step-by-step.
Take Surveys
One of the best ways to make easy money from your phone is by taking online surveys. The highest-paying surveys and survey apps can pay a surprising amount, and you usually get them right on your smartphone. And they are completely free.
Several survey panels doing market research will send highly targeted surveys to your phone, including Toluna and Survey Junkie (Survey Junkie is a fantastic app that many college students use to complete surveys so they can have cash for online shopping or to grocery shop.)
In addition, there are plenty of passive income apps that you can download to the device that will allow you to take surveys. This way, you can make money whenever you’re on the go!
Download Apps That Pay You
With just one tap of your finger, you’ll be able to download apps that pay you for different things, like watching ads, playing games, or trying new products.
For instance, you can get paid to download new apps onto your phone. Apps like AppKarma and Cash For Apps will give you points that you can cash in for PayPal or other gift cards when you try out free versions of popular apps.
In addition, many companies have apps specifically designed to pay users just for downloading them. Check out Cash Crate, Appsfire, and Appbounty for more ways to make money with apps.
Finally, you can earn cash by downloading other apps that are not designed for earning money from your phone but have advertisements. However, this option may not pay as well as some of the others listed here.
Take Photos
If you enjoy taking pictures, remember that photos sell.
There are plenty of apps that will pay users for their creative photos. For instance, Foap is an app where you can download stock photos and sell the rights to them for cash.
In addition, other apps will allow you to sell photos from your phone (sometimes even the same photo). This includes Deposit Photos and Stockimo.
Real-life photoshoots can often be a fun way to earn extra money as well, so consider looking through Craigslist or social media sites like Facebook Marketplace to see if anyone is looking for a photographer.
Sell Your Old Stuff Online
Most people have unused items lying around the house that are worth money. Maybe you have old books, DVDs, clothes, or video games that you’re not using anymore (maybe you don’t like playing games anymore).
Instead of selling them one by one, try selling them in bulk through Amazon or eBay. You can use Amazon’s “Fulfillment By Amazon” program if you don’t have any inventory to sell.
In addition, there are plenty of apps that will walk you through the process of selling your used stuff as local sales. Apps like Letgo and VarageSale will allow you to snap photos of your items and sell them without entering a ton of information.
Join a Ride-Sharing Service
If you love driving and meeting new people, then ride-sharing is a great way to make money from your phone.
Uber and Lyft allow drivers to earn cash by picking up passengers and dropping them off at different destinations. And with services like UberPOOL and Lyft Line, you can fit more than one person into the car for even more money.
If you don’t want to drive people around, then there are plenty of other delivery service options to earn money on your phone. You can download a free app like DoorDash or Instacart and get paid to deliver food to hungry customers.
Become an Instagram Ad Rater
Don’t have time to post pictures on Instagram, but still enjoy scrolling through your feed? Then why not get paid for it?
With this new opportunity from Instagram, you can earn money whenever you watch ads. This way, you’ll earn cash whether you’re watching videos or checking out your friends’ photos. Check out ad rating opportunities on the Lionbridge website.
Shoot Stock Video
You can even make money from your phone by shooting stock videos. All you have to do is upload videos of different events to YouTube.
For instance, there are plenty of viral trends that you can find on the Internet that would be perfect for YouTube. The next time a big trend sweeps through your city or school, consider filming it and earning cash off of this free footage. Blackbox is the best tool for uploading stock video footage.
Create an Online Course
Are you good at something? Then create an online course teaching others how to do it themselves! The best part about this opportunity is that no experience or education is necessary. All you need is some basic knowledge and a computer (or tablet) and smartphone to record your lessons.
With so many people watching online courses these days, it’s no wonder why this is one of the best ways to make money with your phone. Sites like Udemy and Skillshare allow you to create an e-teaching profile that you can use for free. You can then post videos or presentations on there for other users to watch.
Try a Tasking App
Tasking apps are perfect for those looking to make money from their phones. These apps allow you to complete simple tasks like take photos, write short reviews, play games, or watch videos. In return, you’ll get paid a certain amount of money per task completed.
Some of the most popular tasking apps include Gigwalk, Field Agent, and EasyShift. With these apps, you can get paid almost anywhere in the United States for completing small tasks from your smartphone.
Sell Your Music
Do you have a collection of songs that you’ve been meaning to sell? You might be surprised at how much other people are willing to pay for your music.
There are several websites dedicated to helping you sell digital versions of your albums. The most popular ones include TuneCore, ReverbNation, and BandCamp. The best part is that you can set the price for your music and then get paid every time someone buys it.
Try Playing Games With Ads
If you’re a casual gamer, then there’s no reason you should be paying for your games. Most mobile games have an ad-based version that gives you the opportunity for playing games without having to pay anything upfront.
The best part about playing free games with ads is that you still get rewarded if the video ad gets watched. So even if you have to sit through a commercial, then you’ll still get money just for playing.
Benefits of Earning Extra Money With Your Cell Phone
Now that you know the many different ways to make money using your cell phone, it’s time to take action. While making extra cash is great, there are tons of other benefits that come with this opportunity.
Here are just some of them.
Free Time
This is the best benefit of working from your phone. One way to make money with an app or website is by completing tasks while you’re riding on a bus or waiting in line at the grocery store. In this way, you can earn money without having to miss a moment of free time.
Pocket Money
If this extra money goes straight into your pocket, then there’s no reason why you shouldn’t take advantage of it. This is a great opportunity if you love going out and exploring new places but never have enough cash on hand. You can also use the extra earnings (or free gift cards) to invest in higher profit ventures like investing in crytpo (like Bitcoin) or making money by transcribing.
Flexibility
The great thing when you earn money with apps and websites is that everyone has a different schedule. If you’re a student, then you can set your own hours to work by turning on the app or site whenever it’s convenient for you. You can also work if school isn’t in session or if homework needs to be done.
Extra Savings
Making extra cash from using your phone might not seem like a big deal, but it all adds up over time. We all have those monthly expenses that we don’t realize how much they cost until later on. For example, do you want to buy some new clothes but didn’t plan? No problem at all! Just work more on your phone and put the earnings towards something else down the line.
How You Get Paid From Phone Odd Jobs
Different phone apps have different payment options, but many of them have a way to get paid that’s similar. The most common ways include either PayPal or a gift card that you will receive via email. Let’s look at some of the different ways to make money.
Cash Rewards
Some apps allow you to earn rewards and cash out whenever you want. This is great for people who need quick payouts, but the amount of the cash rewards might not be quite as good depending on which tasking app you choose.
Pay per Task Completed
With this option, you’ll get paid a certain rate for every task completed. This is perfect if you’re looking to make more money in less time, but it can vary depending on the difficulty of the job. Sometimes these jobs are also attached to an hourly minimum that needs to be met before cashing out.
PayPal or Gift Cards
As mentioned before, many apps will allow you to get paid via your PayPal account or a prepaid gift card. If you’re not comfortable with getting paid this way, then you might want to choose another app that pays out differently than free gift cards.
Direct Deposit
This is by far the best way to get paid from free apps because you’ll be guaranteed a certain amount of earnings every pay period. You can also request an automatic monthly deposit into your bank account whenever you need to earn cash and won’t have to worry about anything else.
Win Prizes
You can also use apps that will pay you to win prizes or earn virtual points. While not as good as a deposit into your bank account, you’ll still earn extra cash for entering contests, earning monthly sweepstakes, helping with user testing, doing grocery shopping, or playing games on your own schedule.
Earn Rewards or Earn Points
Some apps will let you earn points or rewards for using their service. You’ll get a certain number of points every time you take a survey, use their search engine, etc. Usually, these can be redeemed for PayPal cash or something else from the app’s reward catalog.
Scams to Watch Out For
There are a few phone apps that might not be what they seem. If an app seems too good to be true, then it probably is. That’s why you should always do your research before downloading something and never fall for anything that promises instant riches or sky-high returns on investments.
Don’t Give Out Personal Information
Some apps will ask you to sign up through your phone number or email. This is great for getting started quickly, but you might want to think twice about giving out that information. If an app asks too much of it, then it might not be what it promised to be.
Don’t Download Questionable Apps
Another scam that you should avoid at all costs is downloading an app that’s not from a reputable source. The last thing you want to do is download a virus on your phone and risk getting hacked. Always go with a name-brand app when downloading something new.
Tips for Making Extra Money with Your Phone
There are a few ways you can maximize the amount of money you make with your phone.
Sign Up for Multiple Apps
Just because you’re not working doesn’t mean that you can’t cash out on some extra savings. You can sign up for more than one app and work on them both at the same time. Depending on which one you work at, it will help you maximize your earnings so that every minute is being put to good use.
Be Flexible with Your Schedule
Working during off-hours or even getting paid by the hour are great ways to pile on the savings fast. Also, if there are days when you know nothing is going on or don’t have homework due then take advantage of those times as well. It’s to earn something rather than just waste a few hours.
Work in Short Bursts
You don’t have to spend a half-hour or more on an app if you don’t want to. Some apps will let you cash out even when you haven’t been working for very long, but shorter, more frequent work sessions are the best way to make money fast. You’ll get done quickly and still be able to do something else with your time afterward.
Expand Your Search Beyond the App Store
Some app alternatives might offer better opportunities than what’s available inside of your phone’s app store. There are websites like Amazon Mechanical Turk where you can make quite a bit of extra cash by doing various tasks or taking surveys about certain products. If there’s an app that you’re interested in getting paid for, then do your research. You might find that there are other ways to cash out on it aside from what’s inside of the app store.
Take Advantage of Rewards Programs
If you have an opportunity to sign up for a rewards program, then you should take advantage of it. You can usually get discounts or even cash back for doing simple things like taking surveys or downloading certain apps so don’t pass them off as useless perks.
Surveys are especially good because if they offer rewards programs, then chances are they pay pretty well too since someone has to pay for all those points and rewards.
Don’t Spam Your Friends with Ads
One thing that makes money but isn’t worth much is friend requests. If you have to send out requests for completing surveys for money, then wait until you’ve built up a decent amount of points. Also, there’s no need to spam your friends with ads or requests every few minutes, so find a happy medium between being active and not being annoying.
Always Save Half of Your Money
The best rule that you should always follow is to save half of what you make with apps. This can be tough in the beginning when spending time on an app might seem more important, but it will pay off in the long run if you manage your finances properly. You never want to risk losing all of your earnings by putting them in a savings account without keeping some out just in case anything happens with rewards or even ads.
Every Minute Counts
It might seem like a good idea to invest in apps that allow you to make money while you sleep, but it’s not exactly the best way to get ahead. Overtime is what will help boost your earnings and create long-term stability with your work. If any app claims that you can instantly start to earn money by just sitting back and watching videos then chances are they’re lying to you. Even if they’re not, it’s still probably not worth it to stop doing other things when you could be earning more for each minute invested elsewhere.
Conclusion
You don’t have to spend hours on end with apps to make money. There are plenty of ways to make money fast with some help from your phone without sacrificing all of your free time. It might even be the perfect way to earn a little bit extra or hit that next savings goal that you’ve had your eye on.
Just follow the simple points mentioned above and you’ll be able to start making some quick cash in no time.
FAQ – Making Money from Your Phone
What is a way I can make money from my phone?
There are several ways to make money with your phone or tablet, though some of them might be more effective than others. Some apps will pay you for completing specific tasks, such as watching ads or downloading certain apps. You could also do paid surveys and other micro-tasks. Additionally, you can take advantage of various rewards programs that will give you points just for spending time on apps you normally use anyway. These points can often be redeemed for cash or gift cards.
How much actual money can I make?
This varies depending on the app and what kind of task they want you to complete. Usually, they’ll offer different payment options, including cash and gift cards. For most apps, you’ll usually get the best payout through these gift cards because they’re fast and easy to redeem. Though sometimes you can earn money just for downloading an app or watching a video ad.
How much time will I have to spend on this?
The more tasks that are available with an app, the better your chances of earning quicker. To start out easily, try signing up for rewards programs so that you can collect points for offers you normally use anyway like surveys or downloads of a rewards app. If there’s an offer that requires very little work but offers some reward, then it may be worth checking out since not all apps require tons of time before you can cash out your earnings.
How do I make money if it says my phone is not compatible?
When an app requires a specific device to work, such as Android or iPhone, then you’ll have to download it from the correct store. Otherwise, the app will say that your phone isn’t compatible and won’t let you download it. If this happens, check with mobile apps in that category to see which ones are available for your phone. Then try them out and see if they give you any offers or rewards that can be redeemed for money or gift cards. It never hurts to install different apps so that you can look around and find something worth downloading.
How do I redeem rewards?
After earning enough points on various reward programs, can start collecting your earnings for gift cards or cash. Most of these apps will usually require you to claim your reward within a specific time limit before they expire, or else you’ll miss out on them entirely. You can keep track of when these rewards are scheduled to appear in the app, and then use that information to remember when it’s time to redeem them.
How do I stay organized?
A good way to stay organized is by keeping a list of all the tasks you’ve completed with each app so that you can check back when it’s time for redemption. Some apps offer various ways to redeem your earnings, such as PayPal transfer or Amazon gift card. In some cases, they might also offer other methods for transferring money besides gift cards if their options are limited in your country. But if not, then gift cards are usually the best since they can be redeemed quickly and used anywhere.
Do I have to pay taxes on rewards?
The apps that offer rewards will eventually send you a form 1099-MISC if your earnings were $600 or more for the tax year. However, you should check with a tax professional regarding your specific situation.
What if I don’t want to do offers anymore?
If an app has a lot of offers and rewards, you can always go through the list to see what’s available. If some require a lot of work to earn anything, then it might be best to skip those and find something else to do. Once your reward points start getting higher, you can even opt-out of some apps entirely so that you have more time for the others. Just remember to check back every once in a while so that you don’t miss out on any new opportunities for earning money or gift cards. Money on your phone from mobile apps sure beats shopping online.
