July 6, 2023
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Kari is a writer for SideHustles.com. She previously managed a website in the privacy and digital compliance industry and earned money on the side by working as a pet sitter for 7 years.
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NoToday, we treat our phones like extensions of ourselves. It makes sense to use the thing that’s always in the palm of your hand to tackle essential parts of life—like making money.
If you want to pick up a side hustle that you can conduct through your mobile device, keep reading. We’ll explain exactly how you can use your phone to make extra money and show you how to get started.
Here are the best ways to make money from your phone and the apps you can use:
If you’re cleaning out your closet, upgrading your devices and getting rid of old ones, or making room for new books on your shelves, you can make money by selling your used goods—and you can use your phone to do it. Just download a reselling app on your phone, then take pictures of your goods and list them on the app.
You can sell clothing, technology, equipment, textbooks, gaming consoles, and more.
If you don’t want to part with your belongings (or you’ve already sold all of them and are ready to take on a second phone-based side hustle), you can create and sell new items. Hand-making goods is a great way to flex your creative muscles and make an extra buck.
There are many apps you can use to open your own online marketplace, so pick one that suits your niche, then start making and selling crafts.
You can make jewelry, woodwork, bath products, home goods, or whatever else your hands can bring to life.
Most of us have stuff—arguably too much stuff. That said, sometimes the idea of selling it outright is hard to swallow. If that’s the case, consider renting it instead.
There are apps dedicated to renting out your car for blocks of time during the day when you aren’t using it, or even renting out other miscellaneous items like dresses, musical equipment, baby supplies, and tools.
Do you have a spare room collecting dust in your home? What about a shed, garage, basement, or even just a closet? Help out a neighbor in need by renting out your spare space as private storage.
You can arrange everything through an app, then earn a passive income while someone stores their stuff in your home.
Alternatively, if you have green space that isn’t seeing regular activity, consider renting out your yard as a private dog park to pet owners in need. You won’t need to interact with the people or their pets (many apps allow you to arrange things remotely), and you can set strict parameters on when renters are welcome.
Another way to earn passive income through your phone is to use an investing app. You don’t need to be a stock market aficionado to invest your spare change and see your bank account grow over time.
There are more advanced options for confident investors, but there are also apps built for beginners with limited funds. Acorns, for example, is a newbie-friendly app that will round up your purchases to the dollar and invest that leftover change on your behalf.
Show off your artist’s eye by taking and selling photos with your phone. While you can build a more robust photography side hustle with a real camera and equipment, a decent phone camera still affords you the chance to sell pictures for profit.
Take clear and aesthetically pleasing photos of landscapes, architecture, or objects and sell them to stock photo sites or on photography marketplaces. Alternatively, download an app like iVueit that sends you around town to take pics.
Believe it or not, you can get your steps and make some extra cash with an app that pays you to walk.
Some apps, like Sweatcoin and Evidation, will reward you simply for the act of walking (and reducing your environmental footprint in the process). Others, like Gigwalk, will have you complete local tasks, like taking pictures of establishments and answering some questions.
You’re probably on your phone half the time you’re shopping anyway—why not make some money while you’re at it? Through different apps, you can get special deals and offers to earn cash back on purchases you’re already making, or you can snap pictures of receipts to earn a little dough on the side.
If you’re comfortable giving companies access to the details of how you use your device, you can download apps that track your phone usage and share this data with companies to help with consumer research.
This can all be done through your phone, and usually only requires you to install the necessary software and create an account.
One of the easiest ways to make money from your phone is by watching ads, completing microtasks, and answering surveys.
One cautionary note: there are tons of apps for taking surveys for money, but no matter what platform you use, they’re all fairly low-paying. This isn’t a great side hustle for earning big bucks. What’s more, some apps don’t even offer money for your services; instead, you earn shopping credits or gift cards.
If you love killing time by playing games on your phone, turn your free time into profit by playing games for money.
You can play competitive online games, test games, or just play microgames for a quick and fun way to make a little extra cash on your phone.
Influence what products and services are rolled out by testing products from your phone. Download a product testing app, then complete tasks like downloading certain programs or engaging with certain products. You’ll share your honest feedback on your experiences, then get paid.
How often are you on your phone because you’re scrolling through social media? Turn your pastime into cold, hard cash by using your phone to manage social media accounts on the side. Tons of businesses and websites need individuals to help them manage their campaigns, schedule posts, create social content, and track engagement metrics.
You don’t need to be a full-time social media manager to adopt this career path. Instead, opt for part-time freelance work and manage social media right on your phone as a side hustle.
If you have expertise in a specific field—like medicine, law, or psychology—you can share it using your phone and earn money for it.
With the apps listed below, folks pose questions that you can claim and draft thoughtful and informative answers to. You’ll get paid for your time and expertise.
There are tons of gig apps out there for picking up service-industry shifts, completing projects, or landing freelance work. These apps tend to have higher pay rates and more regular work opportunities. Find a job that fits your skills and interests, then manage your work right from your phone.
You’ll probably get more work and higher pay on these apps if you have some experience in the field in question, but most of these gigs are accessible to newbies with no experience.
Is making money from your phone legit, or just another scam?
Yes, you can really make money right from your phone. There are plenty of apps out there that will pay you for your time and labor.
However, there are also a lot of scams out there, so make sure you do your research about a company before signing up to participate in their program.
Keep an eye out for side hustle scams by avoiding anything that:
There’s no one-size-fits-all side hustle, but some may be better than others
The best way to make money from your phone is to find a side hustle you can easily accomplish and are motivated to do regularly.
Investment apps, rental services, and online marketplaces can be great ways to earn money from your phone, but the income is less consistent than with gig work (like making deliveries, walking dogs, etc). And, while microtasking apps offer easy money for taking surveys, playing games, or watching ads, the payouts are incredibly low and usually don’t justify the time commitment.
If you’re looking for low-risk, high-payoff ways to make money, focus on gig apps that offer shift- or project-based work (like delivery driving, dog walking, lawn care, and freelancing). Find a line of work you’re good at and excited by to optimize your money-making potential.
