The mobile market has grown to unprecedented levels. In 2020, the global smartphone market was valued at $378 billion and it’s expected to reach a whopping $493 billion by 2026. With more and more people turning to their smartphones to access the internet, it means that there are plenty of opportunities to make money in this growing industry.
If you already spend a lot of time on your smartphone, then it’s a good idea to start looking at ways to make some money at the same time.
There are a lot of side hustles that can help you earn extra cash from your phone. You can even find things to do that allow you to start working from home full-time. Which is why I’ve decided to write a guide on how to make money from your phone.
Whether you have an Android or iPhone, these easy strategies will help you start earning right away. Read on as we unpack 19 proven tactics to make money from your phone.
Can You Really Make Money on Your Phone?
The answer to the question of whether or not you can really make money on your phone is a resounding “yes”.
Of course, like all other online businesses, making money from your phone is possible, but it’s not necessarily easy. You need to work hard at building a profitable business, but the payoff can be huge, which makes it worth the effort.
Whether you’re looking to supplement your income or replace it entirely, many of the strategies listed in this article will help you get started on the right foot.
Here are some of the different ways to earn on your trusty device:
- Participating in surveys and focus groups
- Getting paid to shop
- Sharing your expertise
- Getting paid to play games
- Doing odd jobs
- Watching videos online for cash
- Getting paid to browse the internet
- Saving money on groceries
- Selling your photos, books, clothes, etc.
- Creating passive income online
… and many more.
With that said, here are some of the most lucrative ways to make money from your phone.
Best Ways to Make Money on Your Phone
In this section of my guide on how to make money from your phone, I’ll be discussing all the best methods to help you generate an income with your mobile device.
1) Create a Blog
I’m a big advocate for creating passive income online. That’s why, my first recommendation for making money is to start a blog.
Starting a blog is easy, and you can log into WordPress from your phone. Create, edit, and manage your blog from anywhere. Update content on the go, engage with visitors, and much more – you can do it all from your trusty device.
If you’re not sure how to get started, check out my free Ignition course. It has everything you need to know to build a successful blog from your phone.
Pro Tip: For mobile blogging, it’s a good idea to use voice-to-text software on your smartphone. This will make your content creation faster and easier. Just remember to read through everything first before publishing to make sure your phone heard you correctly.
If you’re too overwhelmed by creating your own blog to make money, consider publishing on a place like Medium instead.
2) Try Out Mobile Apps
You can get paid to try out the leading edge of the mobile app market. Sign up for a site like UserTesting to get rewards for participating in trials for apps that have not yet been released.
Once you sign up, you’ll be required to do simple tests after which you’ll start getting paid for your honest opinion on different apps. You get paid $10 for every 20-minute session. Payments are made via PayPal after you submit your feedback.
The platform also lets you try out new games and gadgets, and gives you the opportunity to earn big bonuses for referring your friends.
If they log in using your referral link, you’ll get paid 50% of the points they earn, which can be a huge boost to your own earnings. Points can be traded in for gift cards from Amazon, iTunes, Starbucks, and other top brands.
3) Earn with Cash App
Cash App is one of the easiest ways to send, spend, bank, and invest your money. The platform allows you to earn effortlessly by referring new users, entering giveaways, and getting instant cashback for purchases at supermarkets, restaurants, online stores, etc.
The app also connects to a variety of third-party sites where you can earn even more. There are a dozen or more sites that pay instantly into Cash App, including:
- Inbox Dollars
- Swagbucks
- MyPoints
- SurveyJunkie
- Branded Surveys
With all these sites, you can log in from your phone and take part in surveys, sweepstakes, contests, etc. to start earning money. I wrote all about how to make money on Cashapp here.
4) Do Odd Jobs
These days, there are a lot of apps that allow you to earn cash in exchange for doing a little work. Apps like Field Agent, Gigwalk, and Rewardable act as a middleman to connect you with big consumer brands, giving you the opportunity to earn from various types of gigs.
For instance, brands might require you to work as a “corporate spy” where you go to various stores to check in on their products to ensure consistency. You might have to visit a store, take a few photos or scan barcodes to see if products are available and/or priced correctly.
You can then provide feedback or respond to questions. This is sort of like doing market research where you collect data for the companies.
Rewardable gives you more varied tasks compared to other apps, allowing you to choose from different jobs, such as watching videos, completing surveys at home, etc.
Short jobs pay $1-12, and gigs that take a few hours to complete can pay up to $300.
Note: These types of apps track your location to find you relevant jobs, and this can drain your battery, so plan accordingly.
5) Sign Up for Shopping Gigs
For most people, shopping on your smartphone is the most natural thing to do. So why not get paid for it?
There are a lot of shopping gigs to choose from, including:
- Ibotta
- Shopkick
- Mobee
- Jobs2Shop
- EasyShift
- Paribus
- Swagbucks
With these apps, you’ll actually be getting paid to do something you are going to do anyway. Sign up on at least one of them to ensure that you make a few extra bucks on your next shopping trip.
All you have to do is open the app before you head over to the store. Complete a few tasks to uncover offers for your favorite brands and products, and once you have your receipt, scan it or take a picture to redeem the offers you selected.
6) Sell Items from Your Phone
Another great way to make money from your phone quickly and easily is to sell things like clothes, books, electronics, etc.
How much you make will depend largely on the type of things you sell, how much they cost to ship, etc. Fortunately, there are a lot of apps that make this easy, such as:
…and many others.
With these apps, you’ll have an easier time earning extra cash from your phone. Simply sign up, snap a photo of the items you want to sell, and list them on the website with a description.
You can then set the price and start promoting your items. The platforms allow you to list items for free, but you have to pay them a percentage of each sale you make.
7) Get Paid to Browse the Internet
There are companies out there that will pay you to watch videos online, listen to podcasts, or read blog posts.
These companies often have lots of clients that require more traffic, more video views, or some other online metric. So, all you have to do is simply behave as a normal user would while consuming content from their clients.
You can also get paid to play mobile games. In fact, this method of making money from home is growing in popularity, and people are earning big rewards for simply playing games on their smartphones.
You can choose from a wide range of genres on offer, including survival, strategy, adventure, puzzle, and card games.
An example of a game that lets you have fun while earning money is Mistplay.
You can earn in-game rewards from your phone, level up in games to earn units (the game’s in-app currency) which you can redeem for gift cards from Amazon, iTunes, Best Buy, and other brands.
Here’s a list of sites that pay you to browse the web, play games, watch videos, or listen to music:
- InboxDollars
- Nielsen Digital Voice
- Slicethepie
- Slidejoy
- Viggle
- InCompass Media Cell
- MobileXpression
You can take this a step further by playing games that have huge fanbases and ways to an ecosystem where you can make money directly like Roblox.
8) Participate in Focus Groups and Opinion Studies
Companies are always in need of consumer feedback, and they’ll pay to get answers from you. You can take part in surveys where you only have to tick a few boxes to get paid.
Filling out surveys isn’t always exciting, but it can be a great way for you to earn extra money. Most survey sites also allow you to become part of focus groups or engage in a variety of other activities to help marketers better understand their audiences.
Some of the best survey companies that pay well include:
- Swagbucks
- UserTesting
- uTest
- Nielsen Digital Voice
- Survey Junkie
- Pinecone Research
- iPoll
- LifePoints
9) Sell Your Photos
Another fun way to make money with your mobile phone is to sell the pictures you take when you’re out and about.
Most people are obsessed with modern phone cameras and snap dozens of photos daily. But, instead of leaving them to sit on your phone, why not sell them on platforms like FOAP for some quick cash?
Each of your photos can sell for $10 and the platform will keep 50% of each sale. Uploading your stock photos to the site is completely free, which means you have everything to gain and nothing to lose by selling your photos on FOAP.
Leverage Your Instagram Fame
If you have thousands of followers on Instagram, brands will pay you big money to take photos of their products and share them with your followers on social media. There are third-party platforms that facilitate this process, including platforms like Popular Pays.
10) Start Freelancing
If you have knowledge and skills in a specific area, then freelancing is a great way for you to make money online. In fact, a lot of people use freelancing as a way to make a full-time income from their phones.
For example, you might sign up on freelance marketplaces like Upwork, FlexJobs, SolidGigs, ProBlogger, and Fiverr to find “gigs” for everything from
- Copywriting
- Creating blogs or websites
- Editing images and videos
- Managing social media accounts
…and much more.
To get started, simply set up a few accounts and monitor them via apps or email to help you find new clients.
Managing social media, in particular, has become a lucrative freelance option. There are many companies out there that will pay you to manage their accounts on various social media platforms.
For savvy users, it’s easy to do this from your phone, which means you can do it from any location. Whether it’s tweeting, updating the brand’s profile Instagram, or responding to customer inquiries on Facebook, all of it can be done from the convenience of your smartphone.
11) Leverage Your Content on Instagram
Instagram is a great platform for anyone looking to earn money online. It offers many different ways to monetize your content, including affiliate marketing, brand sponsorships, IGTV ads, Instagram Shop, online courses, and more.
You can use the platform as a way to share your knowledge and expertise with your audience. Update your profile regularly from your phone, and add links to products and services that are relevant to your audience.
Whenever they make a purchase, you’ll be paid a commission – unless the product is yours, in which case you get to keep all the money (minus the platform fees, of course).
12) Post Videos on YouTube
Chances are, you already use your phone to take lots of videos. You can use your phone to create YouTube content which you can then monetize through ads, affiliate marketing, subscriptions, etc.
This strategy will be easier to implement if you already have a following on your blog or social media. But, even if you are just starting out, it’s relatively easy to start making money on YouTube.
Check out this YouTube Secrets course that provides you with all the basics to help you create a YouTube channel, start building an audience, and monetize your content in the most effective way possible.
Important Note: Cashing in on your content on sites like Instagram and YouTube can take some time. A lot of people don’t get to experience the positive results from their efforts because they give up before the results start to show.
13) Provide Customer Service
This side hustle is simple, and literally involves talking on the phone to help customers find solutions to their problems.
Many companies will pay you to answer customer service calls from the comfort of your own home. You can sign up on a site like Working Solutions that outsource call center jobs to agents working from home.
The average pay is $15/hour, but you will likely have to maintain a regular schedule in order to make this side hustle work. Many of the jobs will require you to be available for other work or answer calls during specific hours of the day.
You can work as a customer service representative for major companies like:
- Upwork
- Delta Airlines
- Getty Images
- U-Haul
- Dollar Flight Club
- JetBlue
…and many others.
Working as a customer service rep from your phone is a great option for anyone who wants a steady stream of income. However, the jobs can be harder to come by than others on this list. Also, some companies may require you to get onsite training before you can start working from home and you might need to get a phone number operating on an internet connection to make that possible.
14) Become a Driver for Uber or Lyft
If you don’t mind driving around town, then you can use your smartphone to get gigs from Uber or Lyft.
The driving service takes between 20 and 25% of all fares, and drivers can keep all their tips. On average, drivers on these platforms make between $8.50 and $11.70/hour. And if you’re comfortable driving during rush hour or in bad weather, you can make even more.
To get started, simply apply on the site. After approval, download the app, and you will be notified whenever there is a rider nearby. You can accept or deny fares at any time.
Just keep in mind that you are responsible for the maintenance of your car and getting the proper insurance. Also, the platform will run a background check on you, and you can only start scheduling rides once you’re approved.
15) Sign Up to Deliver for Amazon Flex
The Amazon Flex app allows you to make up to $25 an hour delivering for Amazon. Schedule your availability in advance using the app, or check to see if there is an open block.
Once you’re set, you can start making your deliveries and track your earnings via the app. The best part about Amazon Flex is that it allows you to work around your own schedule and there is a high potential for earning part-time income each month.
16) Work as a Language Tutor
If you are adept at any language, then you can use your smartphone to work online as a language tutor.
There are many students looking to learn languages, and even if English is the only language you speak, you only have to be fluent in it and you’ll find plenty of foreign students who require help learning the language.
Download an app like NiceTalk. Submit your registration, and once you’re approved, you can log on to the app to take requests from students from across the globe.
English tutors only have to be able to video chat with learners. The app may assign you a random student or students can choose you from the list of tutors on the app.
Your only responsibility is to converse with the students in order for them to learn English through conversation. You get paid for each minute that you spend conversing with a student, and payments are made via PayPal once you reach the $10 minimum threshold.
17) Provide Answers on JustAnswer
If you are an expert in some fields, then you can make money just by being available to answer other people’s questions through this platform.
Your rate will be set by the person asking the question, and if you accept what they are willing to pay, you can submit an answer. Depending on your expertise level, you will be paid a portion of the fee if your answer is accepted.
Unfortunately, this means that you could potentially answer questions on the site and not get paid.
There’s an approval process, you must go through before you can start offering your professional opinion on the platform. But, once you are set up, you can potentially make hundreds of dollars every month, depending on how often you are available.
18) Clear out Your Clutter
If you’re someone who needs to clear out some clutter from your home or office, then this is a great opportunity for you to earn money from your phone.
There are mobile apps that connect you with online buyers who will purchase your old junk, making it even easier for you to sort out your mess.
Some of the apps you can use are:
- Ziffit
- MusicMagpie
- Zapper
- Letgo
- Decluttr
These apps will allow you to sell otherwise unsellable items. Ziffit, in particular, is great for sorting out clutter. It comes with a handy barcode scanner which means all you have to do is take a picture of the back of an old book for an instant price evaluation.
19) Get Paid for Walking
If you do a lot of walking every day, whether it’s taking a stroll with your dog or commuting to the office, then you can download an app like Sweatcoin which pays you for walking.
This handy app is capable of converting each of your steps into “sweat coins”. Unfortunately, these coins can’t be withdrawn to your bank account, but you can save them and convert them into goods and services.
There are over 300 brands connected to Sweatcoin right now, a list that continues to grow each day. This is a great way to earn cash while getting fit – especially if walking is already a part of your daily routine.
Rewards range from athletic wear, headphones, and audiobooks, to the latest iPhone, top-of-the-range shoes, and much more.
3 Tips to Earn the Most Money on Your Phone
This section will help you learn how to make money from your phone by maximizing potential earnings.
Smartphones provide everyone with an opportunity to make money online. However, while anyone can earn, not everyone makes big bucks from their phones.
The ones who earn a lot do so by following best practices in order to succeed. Below, I’ve listed some tips below to help you earn the most money on your phone.
1) Choose the Apps You Use Wisely
One of the best ways to maximize your earnings is to focus your attention on only a select number of apps, otherwise, you run the risk of spreading yourself too thin. You’ll end up earning a little bit on a lot of different sites, which would mean you’d fail to reach the payout threshold on any of them. Rather, focus your efforts on a few select apps so you can be sure to get your payout on time.
2) Set Aside Time for Your Side Hustle
As with any other online business, if you want to earn the most money on your phone, then you must put in the work.
That’s why it’s important for you to set aside time every day to focus on your chosen money-making strategies.
The more time you put in, especially at the beginning, the more money you can expect to make in the long run.
3) Create Passive Income
Do you know that it’s possible to create passive income from your phone?
Rather than simply focusing on sites that make you trade your time for money, such as answering survey questions or working as a freelancer, why not spend some time building an online business that will provide you with a source of income even after you stop working on it?
If you’re not sure how this is possible, check out my free digital marketing courses to find out more about how you can get started.
Summing Things Up
As you can see, your smartphone provides you with a lot more opportunities than just taking videos and photos, or checking in on friends.
If you use the right strategy, you’ll be able to create an income from your phone by doing a bunch of simple tasks, some of which you may already be doing as part of your daily routine.
I hope my guide has helped you with regards to learning how to make money from your phone. Good luck!
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