How to Make Money on Your Phone: 18 Apps & Side Hustles

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Try these online gigs to make some cash

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IN THIS ARTICLE

1 Take paid surveys.

2 Save money with cash-back apps.

3 Resell unwanted clothes and other items.

4 Complete paid tasks.

5 Perform user testing for websites.

6 Join freelancing platforms.

7 Do random jobs for strangers.

8 Deliver food or groceries.

9 Drive for a ride-share app.

10 Tutor students online.

11 Sell your photos for profit.

12 Create content on TikTok.

13 Become a Twitch streamer.

14 Build a successful YouTube channel.

15 Sell handmade items on Etsy.

16 Become a social media manager.

17 Join an online customer support team.

18 Use an investment app.

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Co-authored by Jenna Jean Davis and Devin McSween

Last Updated: January 7, 2025 Fact Checked

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Making money from your phone sounds like a total dream—but is it possible? The answer is yes: but the amount you make ultimately depends on the apps and activities you’re looking to do. Whether you’re looking for a quick buck or a long-term side hustle, we’ve got you covered with tons of app-based activities, like taking paid surveys, reselling items, testing websites, and creating online content.

Ways to Make Money from Your Phone

• Complete paid surveys with the Eureka and Swagbucks apps.
• Get cash back on purchases with apps like Rakuten and Ibotta.
• Resell items you don’t want with apps like Poshmark, Depop, and OfferUp.

Steps

1

Take paid surveys.

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1. Sign up for apps like Eureka, Swagbucks, and Google Opinion Awards. These platforms offer plenty of opportunities to make a little pocket change through surveys, offers, and referral codes. Many apps even let you cash out in different ways, Visa and PayPal. To sign up, just download the app(s):

   • Eureka
   • Swagbucks
   • Google Opinion Rewards
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2

Save money with cash-back apps.

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1. Rakuten and Ibotta can help you earn money on your purchases. The only thing more convenient than shopping online is getting cash back for the purchases that you make. While apps like Ibotta and Rakuten do technically require you to spend money in order to make money, it’s still a handy way to save and get a little more money back into your pocket.

3

Resell unwanted clothes and other items.

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1. List your items on OfferUp, Poshmark, and Depop. Poshmark and Depop have a special focus on clothing items, while OfferUp is a great marketplace for just about any item you’re looking to sell. All you have to do is take a picture of your item, post the listing on the app, and wait for a customer to bite.

   • Download OfferUp
   • Download Poshmark
   • Download Depop
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4

Complete paid tasks.

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1. Try the Premise app to make some spare change. This app offers small payments to users who complete specific tasks and surveys. All you have to do is download the app and sign up to get started.

5

Perform user testing for websites.

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1. UserTesting pays users for completing tasks. The main difference is what these tasks are—rather than surveys, the UserTesting app invites users to perform paid user tests of websites.

   • Some users have had issues with user tests being taken off the platform really quickly, so keep that in mind when you’re trying out the app.
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6

Join freelancing platforms.

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1. Fiverr and UpWork are great resources for prospective freelancers. Fiverr is a large freelance platform that allows you to showcase and sell your talents to prospective clients, while UpWork has freelancers submit proposals for gigs that they’re interested in. Choose the app that you vibe with the most (or use both) and see how much money you can make!

   • Keep in mind that Fiverr pockets around 20% of your total earnings, and you have to wait 2 weeks before you can actually access the money you’ve made.

7

Do random jobs for strangers.

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1. Apps like TaskRabbit make it easy to find in-person gigs. If you don’t mind doing a bit of physical labor, like mowing someone’s lawn or grabbing someone’s groceries, this line of work could be an appealing way to make a little cash on the side.
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8

Deliver food or groceries.

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1. Sign up for platforms like DoorDash and Uber Eats. Third-party food delivery apps have become more and more popular due to their door-to-door convenience for hungry customers. Depending on the amount of time you’re willing to put into fielding deliveries, you can make some money by signing on as a delivery driver for platforms like:

   • DoorDash
   • Grubhub
   • UberEats
   • Postmates
   • Instacart

9

Drive for a ride-share app.

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1. Start driving for a company like Lyft or Uber. If you have your own vehicle and some free time to spend cruising around your local area, consider signing up as a driver with an established ride-share service, like Uber or Lyft. You can make a decent amount of pocket change with this type of side hustle, depending on how much time you’re willing to put into it.

   • Make sure to download the “driver” version of the Uber or Lyft app.
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10

Tutor students online.

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1. Sign up for Wyzant to become a freelance tutor. Do you know a lot about a specific field, like math, science, or a foreign language? The Tutor on Wyzant app makes it easy to advertise your know-how to potential clients. Through the app, you can manage your schedule to perfection and keep track of the lessons currently on your schedule.

11

Sell your photos for profit.

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1. Shutterstock pays out for high-quality photographs. Every time other Shutterstock users download your photos, you’ll make a little cash for your contribution. Simply download the Shutterstock app, create an account, upload your pictures, and wait to start earning.

   • Shutterstock also offers a referral code program, which gives users another way to make money when they get new people to upload and download pictures from the platform.
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12

Create content on TikTok.

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1. You can make money from TikTok if you get a big enough following. Once you download the TikTok app, it’s easy to start making your own content, and, eventually, make money from the videos you create.

   • Social media influencer Jenna Jean Davis suggests “engaging with your community. The comment section of TikTok is almost as entertaining as the videos themselves. Make sure you are commenting back and commenting on other creators’ videos as well.”
   • Davis also advises “experimenting with different types of videos and topics to give your audience some variety. See what your audience reacts best to and what sticks. Whatever is your most popular topic, post about that most often. Still, you don’t need to be singularly focused on one thing.”

13

Become a Twitch streamer.

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1. You can earn money on Twitch when you get a serious following. Create a Twitch channel, where you can stream yourself playing video games and doing other online activities. As you gain more followers and regular viewers, you’ll be able to monetize your profile and make money from your gaming.
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14

Build a successful YouTube channel.

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1. YouTube eventually pays out if your channel gets enough traffic. It can even be a lucrative side hustle if you build enough of a following. While you might have an easier time organizing and uploading your content on a computer, it’s definitely possible to upload, manage, and analyze content on your phone, especially if you use the YouTube Studio app.

15

Sell handmade items on Etsy.

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1. Download the Etsy Seller app to manage your new storefront. While it’s probably easiest to set up an online store using your computer, Etsy offers a seller-based app to make it easier to manage your store, from listings to current orders. Naturally, you’ll likely have to put some work in independent of your phone, but the Etsy Seller app definitely helps streamline parts of the shop management experience.
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16

Become a social media manager.

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1. Many social media-related duties can be done from your phone. Search online for openings in the social media management field—while you may need your computer to complete part of this job’s duties, you could definitely create some social media posts from your phone.

17

Join an online customer support team.

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1. Companies like Arise and Alorica offer remote-friendly careers. While you may need to use your computer as well, being an at-home customer support representative can be an effective way to make money using your phone (and computer).

   • Some positions may specifically request bilingual candidates to apply.
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18

Use an investment app.

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1. Robinhood and Acorns are both great investment platforms to consider. While both apps focus on your financial future, Acorns specifically focuses on making small but meaningful financial decisions with small amounts of money that you otherwise wouldn’t think about (like the money you’d spend on a coffee). Either app can be a great starting point as you dip your feet into the world of investing.

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