There are a lot of ways to make money with just your cell phone. In fact, one could make a full-time income using nothing but a cell phone. In this post, you will find 18 ways to make money with just your phone. Some may pay you as early as today, others require a larger time commitment. Some may only make you pennies per hour, and others could make you thousands of dollars a month.
In many cases,(most cases, actually) it would be easier to earn money if you had other tools, like a laptop, desktop, or a car, but we are going to talk about earning money with only a cell phone on this post.
But, let’s face it, the more skills you have, the more earning opportunities can be had with just a cell phone. Even people who think that they have no skills can still turn a profit using only a cell phone. Just so we are on the same page, you will not be earning much (in most instances) without any skills, but you can still make some pretty good pocket change.
I was going to divide this list into skilled and unskilled, but everything takes some skill, so the list is in no particular order. Some of these methods only require your time, others will take some skill to do.
But, keep in mind that many of these are skills that can be learned in a short time, some in as short as a weekend, so don’t get discouraged. Also, keep in mind that this is just a list of ways to make money with your phone. I don’t go into great depth on this post.
I have included a little blurb about each, but not a full lesson for each way to earn money. Some of these methods will take months and hard work, but all can be done from just a phone. I have included links to posts that will provide more information if you would like to read further about any of these techniques.
So, without further ado, let’s take a look at how YOU can make some money using only your cell phone!
1. Get Paid to Play Games on Your Phone
I have tried a bunch of get-paid-to-play apps but my favorite is Mistplay. All you have to do is download the Mistplay app onto an Android phone (No IOS at the moment). After download, you set up your account and start playing games.
It seems impossible but, as I said, I spent quite a bit of time on this app, and was able to cash out several times, in the form of Amazon gift cards. If you are really trying to earn money with this app, you can earn up to $10 (a more realistic number would be about $5 a day), but that takes a lot of playtime. Check out my post HERE on my results from Mistplay. I also include a couple of tips on how to maximize your earnings.
You can download the Mistplay app here or
2. Get Paid to Take Surveys on Your Phone (Survey Junkie)
Making money by taking surveys has been around for a while. Unfortunately, It is still time-consuming and many of the apps are glitchy.
There are several that I have tried that I was able to make a few bucks, but this is one of my least favorite ways to earn cash with a phone.
Survey Junkie, in my opinion, is the best one to get started with. It is easy to set up, payouts are relatively quick, and you can earn some decent pocket change.
It works just as you would expect, by answering questions on surveys. The biggest catch is that you don’t qualify for all of the surveys, so after answering some preliminary questions, 4 times out of 5 you are rejected from the survey. A few points are given by the app, but only a few.
Once you have taken enough surveys to earn 500 points, you can redeem them for $5 on PayPal or a gift card. The surveys generally take between 5 and 60 minutes and pay somewhere between 10 and 100 points. So, technically, you could earn $5 in less than 2 hours using just your phone.
3. Get Paid to Walk Using the Sweatcoin App
I have written several posts on this, and I want to make sure you know that this takes a LONG time to get anything of value. But, it is mostly passive, especially on Sweatcoin, which is my favorite pay-to-exercise app.
It works like this.
- You download the app.
- You register. (name, number, email, permissions)
- You walk (the app counts your steps), and you points as you go.
- Once you collect points, you redeem for prizes
It’s that easy, but like I said it takes a long time. You can read my ongoing experience with Sweatcoin Here: How Much Do you Make With Sweatcoin?
4. Sell Some of Your Stuff Using your Phone
I know, I know. This is the same stuff you hear everywhere, but it’s a fact, you can make some money selling items online with just your phone. With sites like Letgo and Craigslist, it really is as easy as snapping a picture and selling your unwanted items for some cold hard cash.
Of course, you have to have something of value to someone else. Some ideas are old DVD’s, that guitar you never play, or furniture gathering dust in the garage.
5. Global Poker (Get Free Money Just by Asking)
Being a poker player, this is one of my favorite ways to make money online. The best part about Global Poker is that you don’t even have to make a deposit to earn real money. Here’s how it works…
First, you have to set up an account. Then you have to get some free money to play with. There are several ways to do this…
- Take part in giveaways on Global Poker social media sites.
- Check-in daily to earn between $.025 and $1.00 per day. ($3.10 per week)
- Request free money just by asking via snail mail.
I have written an entire post on Global Poker and how to earn real money by playing. You can check that out HERE.
In order to cash out, you do have to put the money given to you into play at least once. So, it is certainly an advantage if you know how to play Texas Hold ’em.
Global Poker has tournaments running for as little as $1 and cash games running for as little as a $10 buy-in. If all you did was check in daily, you would have the chance to play in 3 $1 tournaments that usually have dozens of players entering creating a nice prize pool. If you were to win one of these “buck-a-ments,” you could easily move to higher stakes and create real income playing online poker on your phone.
Seriously, check it out!
6. Get Paid to Watch Videos, Take Surveys, Play Games, etc. (Swagbucks)
The thing I like about Swagbucks is that you can easily determine how much each task is paying you. Each Swagbuck is worth a penny, so if you earn 100 Swagbucks you have earned your self one dollar. And, there are lots of ways to earn on Swagbucks.
You can earn money by playing games, just like on Mistplay. You can also take surveys like on Survey Junkie. But you can also watch TV and earn points by watching through the Swagbucks app. You can earn money by printing coupons and using them on items you will buy anyway. This pays you twice. First, you get the discount at the store, and next, you receive Swagbucks just for using the coupon.
Like most things so far in this list, you won’t get rich with Swagbucks, but it is a nice way to earn extra income using just your phone.
7. Sell Pictures Taken From Your Phone
Content creators are always looking for the perfect picture to add to their articles or blog posts. Some but stock photos from websites, others look to Fiverr for higher quality pictures, and still, others shop photo-sharing sites.
If you have a knack for capturing just the right shot with your phone you could make money selling those photos. On Fiverr, for example, you can set up an account, tell people about the photos you have taken or will take for them, and then wait to fill their orders.
Other places to sell photos you have taken with your phone are shutter stock and adobe stock.
These two photo marketplaces work similarly to each other. You just set up an account, upload your best photos, and wait for orders. One hint is to see what types of photos are trending and try to take advantage of their popularity.
8. Get Paid to Test Websites
TryMyui.com offers you the opportunity to earn money by simply visiting websites and offering your feedback. It is much like the survey sites, in that you are paid for your opinions, which help the website builders.
On TryMyui.com you can earn as much as $30 an hour, but that is pushing it. You are paid $10 for each “test” you take, but the sites are selective in who they want opinions from.
“You will be paid $10 for each test you take. A typical test lasts approximately 20 minutes.”
So, doing the math, if you are excepted to 3 tests each hour you could manage to make $30/hour. But don’t get your hopes up too high on how many tests you are selected for.
9. Use your Phone to Be Social Media Assistant
Even “Boomers” know they need to be on social media to promote their businesses. Some brick and mortar business owners don’t know the difference between Instagram and Facebook. They might not even be able to tell you if their business is listed on Google Maps. That is where you come in.
These business owners will pay you to set up and manage their social media for them, and it can all be done from your phone. You can snap and share it on Instagram. You can make sure there are regular posts on Twitter and Facebook. The best part about this is that it won’t take you too much time, but it is so foreign to those “Boomers” that they will gladly pay you.
10. Make Money with Your Phone as a Voice-over Specialist
Numbers 10, 11, and 12 on this list can all be done by signing up with Fiverr. There are pros and cons to freelancing on Fiverr, as I discuss in my post “How Hard is it to Make Money on Fiverr?”
A voice-over specialist, or voice actor, is a person who adds their voice to a video or animation. Your customers could be someone wanting to create an ebook and need a soothing voice to read and record it. Another customer may need to add a voice to an animated animal for a television commercial.
It does help if you have a unique voice or accent. A Jamaican friend makes almost $1000 a month on Fivver serving clients who are looking for a Jamaican accent for online content. His biggest client is a Cruise Company who found him on Fiverr.
And, he started this voice acting business with just a smartphone. He has now upgraded his microphone and computer, but at first, he became a seller on Fiverr, created his gigs, and performed the requested audio all on his i-phone.
11. Earn Money Designing Logos on Your Phone
There are tons of people starting blogs and YouTube channels and websites every day. A lot of these folks have no idea what they are getting themselves into, but at the very start of most of these ventures, they are thinking about their brand, which means they want a logo.
The most basic way to get started in this business is to get familiar with the logo maker on a site, logo.com, for example. On logo.com you can create a high-resolution logo quickly for $20. Someone in a big hurry for their logo would pay twice that or more for a 1-day turnaround. You just add a fee on top of the $20 and start cranking out some logos.
When I started my very first website over a decade ago, I paid over $50 for a simple logo that probably took the designer minutes to create. Of course, this can all be done with just your cell phone, so grab that phone and have at it.
12. Make Some Cash as a Freelance Writer Using Just Your Phone
My experience as a freelance writer is primarily writing blog posts for other people. I have a proven system that I use almost every time.
First I set up my Fiverr.com account. Next, I create a “Blog Post Writing” gig. When I get an order, which usually has a title, I do the following…
- Write an introductory paragraph, just to grab some attention and make myself likable.
- Most blog posts are answering some kind of question. The one you are reading right now is a “list” post, where I answer the question in a list format. If the question can be answered without a list I generally use the second part of my post to answer the main question.
- After I have answered the main question, I add 2-4 subheadings related to the question and give a short, quick answer to those questions.
If you want to see an example of a 1000ish word post in this format, check out this one I wrote. “How much do you make on mistplay?” This post shows how I use the intro paragraph, the answer paragraph, and shows you how I add a few subheadings. It really is that simple.
On Fiverr, I usually charge about $25 for a 1000 word post. This is inexpensive enough to attract buyers and enough money to make it worth my while.
Of course, this is quite a bit easier with a laptop or desktop, but you can write an article on a phone just fine.
When I wrote the post “Is Fiverr Worth it?” I was using my PC, but I have written entire blog posts from my phone when I was away from my desk and my laptop was on the fritz. It helps if you have a good voice to text app, but the Google Doc voice to text is adequate.
13. Write an Ebook and get Paid for Years
Now, writing an ebook is not something that is usually accomplished in one day, especially if written on a phone, but once written, you can earn money from the work you put in today for years to come.
If you have some knowledge of ANYTHING, you can write an ebook, get it listed on Amazon, and get paid all from your cellphone. The cool thing is that you don’t have to be a genius. You just have to know more than a beginner.
Take Surfing, for example. When I was in college, many years ago, I liked to think of myself as a surfer, but I wasn’t. I could barely paddle hard enough to catch a wave, and when I did, I could hardly ever stand up. But, when I went back home to the mountains, people would ask me what board they should get, or where the best place to surf was. I even told them I was no good at surfing, but they recognized that I knew more than they did.
Same goes for an ebook. You just need to know more than a beginner. My first ebook was on urban gardening. I liked to grow herbs in my apartment, and so I started with that, did a little more research and added chapters on growing all sorts of vegetables in small pots.
The book didn’t sell a ton of copies, but it did sell some, and I got orders (10 on average per month) for a couple of years. I would get spikes when spread the word on my social media, but mostly people just found the book on Amazon.
You can also write the great American novel and sell it yourself on your website or on Amazon. Ebooks work great for non-fiction and fiction.
Now, I did use a laptop to write my book, but just like freelance writing, you could use a phone and voice to text.
14. Become a Virtual Tutor Using Your Phone
If you are really good at something, you can make money helping others learn that. If you are good at French, you can be a paid french tutor. If you know how to code, teach someone the basics. Hey, if you are really good at Fortnite, you can even coach someone on that.
While there are other ways to get customers, I keep coming back to Fiverr.com since I have seen all these services offered there.
To do this on a phone all you have to do is set up your Fiverr account, add your gig, and when someone wants your help, open a skype or facetime on your phone and educate your student for a few bucks.
15. Start a YouTube Channel with Just Your Phone
I’m sure you know that with hard work and a good niche you can make a good living with a YouTube channel. There are countless ways to monetize your channel once you have created an audience.
There are hundreds of YouTube channels and web content out there that can help you grow your audience. And many others, including this one, on how to earn money with ads, affiliates, your own merch, or even with donations for quality content.
What I’m telling you is that you can create and run a channel using only your cellphone. Like a lot of things on this list, It is easier with a computer, but not necessary to have a computer to make money with a YouTube channel.
To be sure, making money on YouTube takes a lot of time and patience. So, if you have always wanted to be a YouTube success story, all you need to get started is your phone. Create a YouTube account, make interesting content, film it with your phone and upload to your channel.
It really is that simple to start.
16. Get Paid to be a Personal Trainer
I know I keep mentioning Fiverr, but if you are just starting out, it’s a great place to start. Once you have established yourself, you may want to move off the platform because they do charge you 20% of your fee.
With that being said, if you are into exercise, healthy eating, and healthy living, you can offer your services and work with your customers using the Fiverr app and your phone.
17. Start a Podcast Using Only a Phone
OK, these last two methods of earning money with just a phone take a while for the money to come in and it takes a lot of upfront work. But when it does, it can be life-changing.
What can you talk about and make interesting for a half-hour to an hour a week? If you can think of just one thing, chances are you can start a podcast in that niche. And you can do it all on your phone.
A higher-quality microphone would be a bonus, but the mic on your phone will do just fine to record your weekly show. Once you gain listeners, you can monetize in many ways including ads, affiliate marketing, or selling your own merchandise.
18. Start a Blog with Just Your Phone
I have already spoken about earning some money by writing blog posts for other people and being paid for it, but why not write those blog posts for yourself?
To start a blog on your phone and get on your way to making real money online, you just need to…
- Pick a topic
- Pick a name
- Get hosting
- Set up the basics of your website
- Start writing content
Of course, all of this can be accomplished on just your phone. Most of you reading this already have a phone, so pick a method and get started making some money.
You can even do what I did and start with some of the simpler methods of making money (Mistplay, Swagbucks, Survey Junkie) and turn that cash into a cheap laptop. Then you can earn more money faster with some of the other methods that are much easier with a computer. With a little time and effort, you should be able to turn some phone time into a full-time income.
Now, grab your phone and Earn What You’re Worth…and more!!!
Thanks for reading.
Anderson