Everyone could use some extra money.
You might also want to use your smartphone’s scrolling capabilities to make money.
There are many apps, tools and resources that can help you, but it can be difficult to determine which ones are profitable and which are just a waste of time.
Do not worry if you are in this boat and finding it difficult to break even.
We will be discussing 11 ways you can get paid to use your smartphone, and the steps you can take to make that happen.
Let’s get to it.
11 Ways to Make Money with Your Phone
1. Sell your old stuff
Do you have any old clothes, furniture or books that you can do without? (Or any other item, for that matter!)
You can sell your items and make extra money with a variety of mobile apps. Let’s take a look at some.
Decluttr
This app allows you to sell media and tech such as cell phones, games and DVDs. You get next-day payment and free shipping for all orders. It allows you to scan the barcode of an item and instantly get a value estimate.
Poshmark
Poshmark will pay for the shipping costs if you list your items for sale. Poshmark will pay the postage. You can also host a party with your friends to list similar items. Listing is free but selling items will require you to pay a fee. You’ll be charged $2.95 for items below $15. You’ll be charged 20% for items over $15
Letgo
This app is part Craigslist and part thrift shop. This app can only be used for local sales. You cannot accept payments through the app. Therefore, you will need to coordinate the actual sale with the buyer.
2. Amazon: Trade in your old stuff
Another way to make money with your phone is to sell any belongings you no longer need. Although this option won’t make you any cash, it could earn you gift certificates.
Amazon offers a great trade in program where you can send in your tech items such as phones, tablets, and video games.
If your item qualifies, you will receive an instant offer for an Amazon Gift Card or a promotional Credit towards the purchase of a new product.
Amazon will pay shipping costs, but there are no shipping fees.
3. Use an investment app
Although you may be trying to make some extra cash right now, it is a smart decision to plan for the future.
There are many investment apps that will help you make money with your phone right now, and grow your wealth as you age.
Let’s take a look at some of the most popular investment apps.
Betterment
Betterment was created for people who want to manage their money. It combines savings and investments. The app allows you to set goals and create an investment plan to help you reach them. You can also set up automatic monthly deposits if you find investing too stressful.
Acorns
This app is a great tool to get started investing. The app automatically rounds up your purchases to the nearest dollar and deposits that amount into your investment account. Shop with Acorns’s selected partners to earn additional cash towards your account.
Robinhood
Robinhood has been receiving a lot media attention recently. This app can be used to trade stocks and funds, as well as for complex investments. This app will allow you to access “fractional shares”, which allows you to invest as low as $1 instead of buying a complete share.
4. Sell your data
Some people find the idea of installing an app on their phone and “selling” their data a little intrusive. If you don’t believe so, this is one way to make money with your phone without any additional work.
Nielsen, for example, is one of the largest market research companies in the world. They’d love to see your phone activity and pay you.
All you have to do with Nielsen’s Computer & Mobile Panel is to download a mobile app. That’s it! This app tracks and records how you use your phone. It gives the company valuable market research data.
Sign up now to earn up $50 in gift card points.
5. Be a User Testing Participant
Brands want to hear what customers think about their products. Some brands will even pay you to share your opinions.
UserTesting helps brands to get valuable feedback in order to improve their offerings.
Participants can earn $4 USD for a 5-minute test, and $10 for a twenty-minute test. Live interviews can be as low as $30 and up to $120.
You will need to complete some screening questions in order for UserTesting to match you with the right products and services.
If you are interested in user testing, uTest might be a company worth looking into.
6. Complete Surveys
Surveys are something you’ve likely heard of before. They may not be the best use of your time but they can be useful if you are stuck at home, on your daily commute or waiting at the DMV.
Let’s take a look at some of the most popular survey apps.
InboxDollars
You can earn rewards for participating in surveys and other activities such as watching videos, playing games and reading emails. Members can also get cashback and coupons for online shopping.
Survey Junkie
You can also earn rewards for sharing your web browsing data. You can earn points for filling out surveys or providing data. These points can be used to redeem for cash or gift cards.
7. You can sell your photos
Do you love taking selfies with your selfie stick Perhaps you consider yourself an amateur photographer thanks to your iPhone. You could make a few nice pictures to earn extra cash through apps such as FOAP.
FOAP is free and you can resell the same image as many times as you wish.
Photos are sold for $10 and you keep half of the sale ($5). You can build your own portfolio of stock photos to sell to companies, or send your photos to “missions.”
A mission is an assignment that is given by a larger company to find specific images. You can make a lot of money if you are able to attract the attention of the mission poster by your content.
8. Shopify Store from Your Phone
Did you know that you can run an ecommerce business from your smartphone?
Shopify’s mobile app allows you to access all aspects of your store from your smartphone.
Shopify allows you to manage inventory, add products, fulfill orders and compare sales channels. You can also talk with customers and keep your revenue levels under control.
While you might need to initially set up your store on a computer, once it’s up and running you can use the Shopify mobile application to manage your day-today store operations while you’re away.
9. You can earn rewards for playing games
Today’s app market has thousands of apps that offer thousands of games. Many apps will only give you ways to pass your time. However, some apps can help you make money and have fun.
For example, Mistplay is an app that allows you to earn rewards by playing games on your smartphone.
Mistplay allows you to play and level up in games in order to earn Units, which is MistPlay’s in app currency. You can then redeem Units to purchase gift cards for companies such as Amazon, iTunes, Best Buy, and Amazon.
There are many genres to choose from, including strategy, survival, card, puzzle and adventure games.
10. Walk for a living and get paid
Many of us already walk a lot, whether we’re walking with our dog, or just going to work.
Sweatcoin, a handy app that converts each step into “sweat coin”, can be saved and converted into goods and services. You can earn rewards for everything from headphones and technology to audiobooks, athletic wear, and even apparel.
Sweatcoin is currently connected to more than 300 brands. New partners are constantly being added. It’s a great way for you to get fit and save money.
11. Earn while protecting the environment
You can make your wallet and the planet a little greener by doing the same.
Cleanspace is an amazing app that provides discounts and freebies to those who take care of the environment and themselves.
Cleanspace tags are used to link the app to your smartphone via Bluetooth. They monitor the levels of carbon monoxide in the air around you.
The app gives away freebies and discounts for every mile you walk, cycle, or cycle. The app uses your surroundings to intelligently determine how you get around. Neat stuff, right?