20 Ways to Make Money With Your Smartphone

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Person making money with a smartphone

Unlike a wallet that makes it easy to spend money, your phone helps you make money! And you don’t need to have your wallet to make money from your phone.

Since there are so many ways to earn extra money with your phone, it’s hard to know where to start. So, this list is organized by how long it takes to complete each activity.

How To Make Money With Your Phone

One of my favorite ways to make money from your phone is microtasks. In most cases, you only need 15 minutes to complete the job.

After each task, you get paid. And there is a wide variety of tasks, so you should never get bored.

1. Swagbucks

Swagbucks is a great way to get paid for doing small tasks from your phone.

Some tasks only take five minutes to complete. These tasks include daily surveys, watching videos, and playing games. And Swagbucks pays you to search the web too! Sometimes, it will feel as if these tasks aren’t even “work.”

You will receive points for each completed task. You can redeem your points for PayPal cash or gift cards.

For gift cards, your redemptions start at $3 for your favorite restaurants and stores. And, you can earn your first $5 as a sign-up bonus!

2. InboxDollars

InboxDollars is probably the next largest “get-paid-to” platform after Swagbucks. There are many different ways to make money with InboxDollars. Some of these include reading emails, playing games, taking surveys, and watching videos.

To double your daily earning potential, you might consider joining two platforms. Besides InboxDollars, you might join Swagbucks. Or, you can join one of the other platforms on this page.

If you prefer earning cash to gift cards, InboxDollars can be a better option. Plus, you receive a $5 bonus for joining.

3. MyPoints

MyPoints is the sister site to Swagbucks. The earning options are identical, but the award options can be different.

For example, you might earn 1,000 points from MyPoints and only 500 points at Swagbucks for an activity. Or, MyPoints might have a gift card sale when Swagbucks doesn’t.

You may not appreciate the overlap with Swagbucks. But, at least you know what to expect from MyPoints!

4. instaGC

If you want to earn gift cards, instaGC can be a good option to make money from your phone. You make the most money taking surveys. But you can also make money by watching videos, shopping online and playing games.

There are more than 360 gift card options to choose from. And all gift cards are digital, so you receive them instantly.

5. Mechanical Turk

Do you want to earn gift cards with little effort? You should consider Amazon’s Mechanical Turk (MTurk) as an income stream. To be honest, MTurk is best for tablets and computers.

This means your iPhone might not be MTurk-friendly. But, there are some mobile-friendly tasks (HITs) as well.

You will need to determine what works best for your phone. Two options include taking surveys and entering data from images.

6. Survey Junkie

Do you only have time for surveys? If so, Survey Junkie is one of the best survey apps! By taking surveys, you help shape new product designs. You will receive points for every survey, which is good for cash and gift cards.

Survey Junkie is available in both the Google Play and IOS App Store.

7. Opinion Outpost

Opinion Outpost lets you earn cash or gift cards by taking surveys. As a bonus, you enter into the quarterly $10,000 cash prize drawing with each survey as well.

You will be able to complete surveys on a variety of topics. For example, today, you might answer questions about the brands you use.

Tomorrow, you might take a survey about your personal beliefs. With Opinion Outpost, variety makes each survey fun.

8. Ipsos I-Say

Ipsos I-Say is one of the oldest online survey communities. You will earn points for taking paid surveys and user-generated polls.

At the end of each year, you also earn a loyalty bonus. So, loyalty has its benefits with Ipsos I-Say!  With Ipsos, your points are good for gift cards or contest drawings.

9. National Consumer Panel

National Consumer Panel is another way to make money from your phone that only requires one hour every week.

Before you go to bed one night, share your shopping activity for the week. To get paid, scan the receipts of products you buy with the NCP Mobile app. For each product, share the purchase price and the place of purchase, too.

With each scan, you earn points that are good for cash, gift cards, and prizes. And NCP also increases your point payout the longer you remain an active member.

To get the bonus, share your shopping history every week.

10. Ibotta

Ibotta is a mobile app that helps you earn cash back whenever you visit the grocery. Before you check out, activate the cash-back offers within the app.

With Ibotta, you can get cash back at nearly any grocery store. Plus, the app also works at discount stores like Walmart and Target.

There are two different types of cash-back offers to activate. For example, you might get $2 back by buying a 12-pack of Coca-Cola. Or, you can earn cash back when you purchase a loaf of bread, regardless of the brand.

Most importantly, you don’t have to clip paper coupons to enjoy the savings. When you cash out, you can request payment by PayPal, Venmo, or gift cards.

11. Rakuten

Rakuten is one of my favorite apps! Here’s why. You and I can get up to 40% cash back on nearly any online purchase.

Even though Rakuten is accessible on a tablet or computer, the Rakuten app offers bonus cash back. For select retailers, you get special in-app bonus cashback.

Each calendar quarter, Rakuten will send you a “Big Fat Check” in the mail. You can also get PayPal cash or a gift card. As a new Rakuten member, you get $10 bonus cash by making your first $25 purchase with Rakuten.

12. Shopkick

No purchase is necessary to earn points with Shopkick. Shopkick is an app available for iOS and Android. Although, you will earn more points when you make a purchase.

To make money with Shopkick, you must first download the app and enable your phone’s location services.

First, you will earn points for walking into the store. Then, you can earn more points by scanning product barcodes.

This can be a fun way to get your exercise and interact with the public. Plus, you might be able to earn a gift card each time you leave the house!

13. Bookscouter

While there are many places to sell used books, Bookscouter is one of the easiest. Indeed, you can sell used textbooks at the best price.

First, enter or scan the book barcode. At once, you get buyback prices from more than 42 vendors. After you finish scanning each book, it’s time to pick the best vendor.

Most vendors provide a prepaid shipping label. When they receive your books, they send PayPal cash within 48 hours.

14. Decluttr

Decluttr is an app that buys your used DVDs, CDs, books, and electronics. Their app scans barcodes so you can sell multiple items quickly.

After that, Decluttr emails you a prepaid shipping label. However, they will mail you those if you don’t have shipping supplies.

Every order has free shipping. You will receive the PayPal payment the day after Decluttr receives your goods.

You could also sell items on eBay if you are willing to do the work needed to list items individually.

15. Foap

Foap is one of the few apps that lets you sell pictures taken with your phone’s camera. This photo-selling app works with Apple and Android devices. And you get paid when a company buys one of your photos.

Surprisingly, many large household brand names buy pictures from Foap. As you might guess, they use them in their advertising campaigns.

To start, take pictures of everyday life or your most recent trip. With Foap, there’s a chance you can make money!

16. Poshmark

Poshmark is a leading clothing resale site my wife uses to buy and sell clothing. To make money, snap a picture with your phone in the app.

Then, upload the pricing details. In a matter of minutes, you can list several items. No doubt, it’s easy to sell on Poshmark.

When an item sells, Poshmark provides a prepaid shipping label. Finally, attach it to the package and put it in the mail. At this point, you get paid!

Besides Poshmark, learn where else you can sell clothes online.

17. Craigslist

When you want to sell unwanted items locally, install the Craigslist app.

It’s free to list and sell on Craigslist. Notably, there are no “middleman” commissions or shipping fees! You might also like this option if you have bulky items to sell like furniture. Also, you can sell exercise equipment or old television sets too.

As an alternative to Craigslist, you might also consider Offerup or Facebook Marketplace. All of these groups are free to list and sell. Some sellers consider these apps to be smartphone-friendly. As a result, some buyers don’t even use Craigslist.

18. DoorDash

You no longer have to work for a pizza company to deliver food for cash. Instead, DoorDash partners with many take-out restaurants. So, you can deliver a variety of different cuisines.

For example, you might deliver Chinese first, then Italian. Before you finish for the night, you might deliver for a handful of restaurants.

So far, DoorDash has delivered over 10 million orders to hungry customers!

First, you only need a reliable vehicle, moped, or good walking shoes. Of course, don’t forget a smartphone with the DoorDash app! With DoorDash, you get paid weekly and can even earn tips!

19. Airbnb

So, you need a spare bedroom or a whole house to make money with Airbnb. Even if you don’t own a second home, you can rent your home when you travel. If you travel often, you can rent your home multiple times a year.

As an Airbnb host, you open your doors to travelers who don’t want to stay at a hotel. As a result, they pay less, and you make more money!

20. Lyft

If you own a reliable, 4-door vehicle, you can become a Lyft driver. As a driver, you get paid to drive people around town.

Once you pass a background check and your car passes a safety check, it’s drive time! In the app, accept a ride request to earn your first dollar!

To earn the most cash possible, read our Lyft driver tips.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the easiest way to make money with your phone?

One of the easiest ways to make money with your phone is by taking surveys. Certain companies will even pay you cash via PayPal on the same day.

Can you make a living from your phone?

It is possible to make a full-time living working from your phone. However, opportunities to work full-time are limited. Lyft and DoorDash are two examples of how you could make a living using your phone.

Do I need a special smartphone to make money?

No, you can use any Android or iOS smartphone to make money with these apps.

Which Is The Best Way To Make Money With A Phone?

The best way to make money with your phone depends on the amount of time you have and how much work you want to do.

Use this list to determine which method makes the most sense for you.

With so many options, you can start making money with your smartphone as soon as today.

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35 Comments

  1. Miracle Benedicta says:

    How do I get started?

    1. Jess Nardini says:

      Just check out some of the links in the article to get started!

  2. I need to know which work from home base business that pays the most doing envelope stuffing or mail order that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg to start making money easily and quickly with no selling or talking to client’s no employees or inventory. A program that will do the work for you and easy to follow steps and can be done on Android Smart Phone.

    1. Jess Nardini says:

      Check out some of the list provided and you can see if any of them meet that particular criteria!

  3. Sam Ini-ubong Isidore says:

    I want to join this online business

    1. Jess Nardini says:

      If you’re looking for an online job, you can check out some of the links and see which option is best for you!

  4. VATICAN NEWS Digital says:

    I would like to know how to click the link to get to watch videos. Because this is what I can afford per now.

    1. Jess Nardini says:

      I would read through the article and check out which ones have ability to make you money via watching videos and try to click the links within those sections!

  5. The best that is available for affordable rates and prices

  6. Iyinyemi Sunday Oluwole says:

    Thanks Mr Joshua for this treasured information I never know that my smartphone can be a revenue generation instrument your information had helped me to know and I will start to do something positive about it because I seriously need the extra cash for my daily expenses. Thanks

    1. Hi, did you earn money from these apps?

  7. P R J GASTER-BALL says:

    I hope this is true as this will be amazing.

  8. Humble G lucky says:

    Does it work? I don’t want to spend my time for nothing.

    1. A lot of people have had success with these! Do some research to figure out what works best for you!

  9. Very good ideas.. Will it work in India?

    1. Check out some of the different links in the article to see if they work in your country! Best of luck!

  10. wokpe Gift m says:

    How do I get started?

    1. Use the links in this post. 🙂

  11. What can I do to earn money?

    1. Try using the links in this post to earn money. In addition, we have other posts about ways to make money on this site. Be sure to check them out and good luck!

  12. rose muthoni says:

    Which site can I work for from Kenya?

    1. You would just have to check to see if any of the ones you are interested in will work in your country. I would start by checking the terms and conditions on each site or their policies. Some sites even have a map or link that shows locations they work in. If none of that tells you for sure, you could always click on their contact information to find out directly from them. I hope that helps.

  13. A smart phone is more of a mini computer in your hands. Once put to a good use, your life can change. This is a great article.

    1. Thanks! I hope you find some tips or ideas that are helpful to you! We appreciate your comments.

  14. Josh Steinberg says:

    Hey Josh,
    This is a great way to use your free time…making money from your phone!
    Thanks.

  15. Timothy Wamwa says:

    Do these apps also work in my country of Uganda?

    1. Unfortunately it would be far too time consuming for us to check that out for you. My suggestion would be to check each app you are interest in. You can pull them up with the links in this article. Then check their terms of use and other information to find out. If you don’t get the answers you’re looking for, try contacting them directly to find out. I wish you good luck!

  16. These ways to earn money from home are really awesome. Can you please tell me which is the best way to earn money out of all the ways?

    1. Well, that honestly depends on each individual person. Some ways may appeal to one person but not to another. It just depends on each person’s individual preferences. The cool thing is, you can try a couple and if you don’t like them, stop and move on to another!

    2. I love all that, but please I need help, I want to start the business too.

    3. Am very happy to be aware of this. I will try it. Thank you

  17. Laurie Blank says:

    I hadn’t heard of a few of these, including MyPoints. Thanks, Josh! This is good info!

  18. Wow! I never thought about that! I could do any of those with my smartphone! Cool!

    1. Josh Patoka says:

      Smartphones can be a digital goldmine!