Learning how to make money on your phone is a practical way to boost your income. In fact, 9 % of adults in the U.S. now earn money through app-based tasks, a trend confirmed by recent Federal Reserve economic data.
This guide focuses on legitimate ways to make money on your phone. We’ve filtered out the noise to provide you with verified apps and methods that protect your time and data, ensuring you find real opportunities without upfront costs.
How to identify legitimate money-making apps
Finding safe apps that pay you money requires a careful eye. As you explore how to make money on your phone, learning to spot the differences between genuine opportunities and scams is essential.
Here are the key things to look for:
- Legitimate platforms provide transparent payment policies, clearly explaining how and when you will be paid. If you can’t find these terms, be cautious.
- Avoid apps that require you to pay upfront fees to access tasks or withdraw earnings. The Federal Trade Commission warns about task scams demanding payment, as this is a common red flag.
- Look for consistent user reviews on independent forums and websites, not just the app store, to identify any patterns of reported payment issues.
- Trustworthy apps set realistic earning expectations, so be skeptical of any platform that promises high income for minimal effort.
Earn money with quick task and gig apps
Quick task platforms are among the most accessible ways to make money on your phone. These apps allow you to complete small jobs in your spare time, from answering surveys to testing new mobile games, with no long-term commitment required.
Take paid online surveys for cash
Paid online surveys offer a simple way to earn money with your phone by sharing your opinions for small rewards. While this won't replace a full-time income, it is a flexible option for earning in your spare time.
Here are a few trusted platforms:
- With Survey Junkie, you can complete market research surveys and get paid via PayPal or with e-gift cards.
- Swagbucks is one of the most versatile apps that pay you money, offering points for surveys, watching videos, and online shopping.
- You can influence global brands by sharing your unique perspective on Ipsos iSay, a platform run by a major market research firm.
Get paid to test websites and apps
Companies will pay you to test their websites and apps, helping them find usability issues before a release. To earn money with your phone this way, you often need to record your screen and voice while sharing your thoughts.
Here are some established user testing platforms:
- UserTesting is a leading platform where you can influence products from major brands by completing tests on your phone or computer.
- With Trymata, you can provide feedback on new websites and apps, with payments for each completed test sent out weekly via PayPal.
- Userlytics offers a variety of testing projects for websites, apps, and even prototypes that you can complete using your mobile device.
Earn rewards for playing mobile games
You can earn money with your phone by playing games on discovery platforms. These apps that pay you money offer points for hitting milestones or for playtime, redeemable for cash or gift cards.
Here are a few well-known apps in this space:
- Discover new games on Mistplay, an Android-exclusive app that allows you to earn gift cards for your playtime.
- Kashkick pays you directly to your PayPal account for reaching specific levels in various mobile games they feature.
- With MyPoints, you can earn points from playing games, which adds to other reward-earning activities like shopping and surveys.
Find local odd jobs and delivery gigs
Gig apps are effective ways to make money on your phone by connecting you with local tasks. These platforms use your location to find available jobs, from quick retail audits to longer delivery or handyman work.
Here are some popular gig apps:
- On Gigwalk, you can act as a brand representative, completing quick gigs like checking store displays or product availability.
- Taskrabbit connects you with people in your area looking for help with various tasks, from furniture assembly to yard work.
- You can deliver food from local restaurants by signing up as a Dasher with DoorDash, using your car or even a bike.
Sell your skills and services from anywhere
Your phone can be more than a task-completer; it’s a powerful tool to sell your unique skills. This is a great way to earn money from your phone by offering services like photography or social media management.
License your smartphone photographs
You can make money from your phone by licensing your photos on stock photography sites. Buyers seek authentic images, and you earn royalties that build up over time as your pictures sell.
Here are a few platforms that accept smartphone photos:
- You can become a contributor on Adobe Stock and sell your photos to a global audience of creatives.
- Another top-tier option is Shutterstock, which has a massive customer base looking for authentic, modern images.
- The platform Foap is built specifically for smartphone photographers, featuring a community marketplace and direct photo-buying missions from brands.
Offer your freelance services on the go
Freelance platforms let you offer professional services like writing or design to a global market. Their apps allow you to find clients and manage projects, making it easy to earn money with your phone from anywhere.
Here are some of the largest freelance marketplaces:
- On Fiverr, you can package your services as project-based "gigs" that clients can purchase directly, starting from just $5.
- Upwork allows you to find a wide range of opportunities, where you can submit proposals for both short-term and long-term projects.
- You can bid on millions of jobs and compete with other professionals in your field on Freelancer.com.
Become a remote customer service representative
Many companies hire remote agents for customer service, allowing you to earn money with your phone handling calls or chats. While these roles often require a computer and quiet workspace, they offer the flexibility of working from home.
Here are some platforms that hire remote agents:
- You can find flexible opportunities as an independent agent through LiveOps, which has a long history in remote customer support.
- Working Solutions offers remote contract work for major brands, with roles in customer service, sales, and tech support.
- The gig-based platform Omni Interactions allows you to choose your own hours while providing support for well-known companies.
Manage social media accounts for businesses
Managing social media for businesses is one of the most mobile-friendly ways to make money on your phone. Many companies need help scheduling posts and engaging followers, tasks you can perform entirely from your device.
Here is where you can find clients:
- The Instagram Creator Marketplace helps connect content creators directly with brands for paid partnerships and collaborations.
- You can use a lead generation service like Bark to get alerts when local businesses are actively seeking social media help.
- Major freelance platforms have dedicated categories for social media marketing on Upwork, connecting you with clients from around the world.
Turn your phone into a small business tool
You can elevate how you earn money with your phone by using it to run an entire small business. This approach treats your device as the primary tool for managing sales, marketing, and customer communication.
Sell items you already own on marketplaces
Selling secondhand goods is a practical way to make money from your phone. Marketplace apps let you manage everything—from photographing items and communicating with buyers to handling shipping—all from your device.
Here are some popular marketplaces to get started:
- eBay lets you reach a massive global audience with its auction or fixed-price listings and offers built-in shipping label options.
- With Facebook Marketplace, you can easily list items for local pickup, often avoiding the hassle of shipping.
- The Mercari app simplifies selling with its easy listing process, prepaid shipping labels, and built-in buyer protection.
Launch an ecommerce store
For one of the more advanced ways to make money on your phone, you can launch a branded ecommerce store. Modern platforms provide powerful mobile apps that let you manage inventory, process orders, and run marketing from anywhere.
Here are some top ecommerce platforms with robust mobile apps:
- The Shopify mobile app gives you a complete dashboard to build your site, manage products, and track sales on the go.
- You can build a professional-looking storefront with Wix, which offers extensive mobile features through its owner app.
Offer online tutoring services
You can earn money with your phone by tutoring students in subjects where you have expertise. Many online platforms are mobile-friendly, allowing you to manage your schedule and communicate with students from anywhere.
Here are a few popular tutoring platforms:
- On Cambly, you can get paid to help people practice conversational English, with sessions conducted entirely on your phone or computer.
- Wyzant connects you with students seeking help in over 300 academic subjects, giving you control over your rates and schedule.
- You can teach a language or other skill on Preply, a platform that lets you build a student base from around the world.
Start a YouTube channel
Your phone is a complete production studio, making it one of the most creative ways to make money on your phone. You can film, edit, and manage a YouTube channel using just mobile apps to create and upload your content.
Here are a few essential tools for a mobile creator:
- The YouTube Studio app is essential for managing your channel, tracking analytics, and responding to comments on the go.
- The graphic design app Canva lets you create professional thumbnails and channel art directly on your phone.
- TubeBuddy is a mobile-friendly tool that helps you research keywords and optimize your videos for audience growth.
Now, get paid for your work professionally
You've learned how to earn money with your phone. The next step is to get paid. For freelancers and business owners, a professional payment system is essential for managing sales and cash flow without extra hardware.
JIM turns your iPhone into a secure payment terminal, helping you:
- Accept contactless credit, debit, and digital wallets.
- Pay a flat 1.99% fee per transaction.
- Access your earnings instantly.
Stop juggling different payment apps. Start accepting payments professionally on your iPhone and get paid in minutes.
