Wouldn't it be nice to have a little extra money in your pocket? Especially if you don't have to do much for it, and can claim it right from your phone.
Let's get this out of the way first. If you have reached here searching for ways to get rich, you'll be disappointed. The apps listed in this article will most likely earn you some pocket money at best. Though there may be exceptions, we don't want to get your hopes up.
With that being said, the methods mentioned below are certainly legit for making money with your smartphone, regardless of how much.
So, let's look at the ways of earning some extra cash with your Android or iPhone.
Sell Photos and Art
If you are a photographer or a graphic designer who is enthusiastic about selling your work, the following two apps are a must-try for you. They're ideal for earning a passive income.
1. Shutterstock Contributor
Shutterstock is a fantastic app for people who capture decent photos. You just have to download the app and create your account to get started.
The next thing you can do is upload your best work. And whenever someone downloads any of your uploaded images, you will earn money off it.
You can see how many people have downloaded your images from your portfolio. Moreover, you will also get notifications whenever someone looks at your photos.
Download: Shutterstock Contributor for Android | iOS (Free)
2. EyeEm
EyeEm is also hugely popular among photographers who like to earn online. All you have to do is create an account to start uploading your images instantly.
You can also take and upload photos directly from the EyeEm camera. It has some interesting filters and frames that you can apply to make your photos better.
The app also allows you to discover photos uploaded by your friends and by people all over the world. The Around You tab shows the photos uploaded by people near you, and the Popular Feed shows you the currently trending images.
Download: EyeEm for Android | iOS (Free)
Take Surveys
If you are not a pro at taking pictures, you can go with this option. Taking surveys is one of the easiest ways to earn money online.
3. InboxDollars
With InboxDollars, you get paid for taking surveys, reading emails, completing offers, playing games, and shopping online. This app has been around for a while and is well-reputed.
It is free to make an account on InboxDollars. Once the account is in place, you can start taking surveys and watching videos to earn money. Once you reach their minimum threshold, you can cash out with a cheque or gift card.
Download: InboxDollars for Android | iOS (Free)
4. Survey Junkie
Almost 11 million people have used this survey app. As with other apps on the list, you need to create an account to start receiving surveys. You must be a citizen of the USA and 16 years or older.
The app works by offering you points for every survey you take. When you reach 500 points, you can convert them to cash and redeem them through PayPal, e-giftcards, or direct bank transfer.
Download: Survey Junkie for Android | iOS (Free)
Freelancing
The world has collectively moved towards freelancing as many people now prefer working from home. You can do so too with these two top apps for freelancers.
5. Fiverr
With Fiverr, you can earn money by performing almost any task that you are good at doing.
You have to download the app and signup to get started. Next, you have to set up a profile and showcase your skills by creating an ad which is called a Gig.
While creating a Gig, you need to fill out information related to the service you are offering. This information includes basic details along with the delivery time, the revisions you are willing to offer, and your rate.
Fiverr deals in tons of categories like graphic designing, website development, translation, copywriting, social media marketing, content writing, and many more. So, you are sure to find something of interest.
Download: Fiverr for Android | iOS (Free)
6. Upwork for Freelancers
You can join Upwork for free by creating a profile. Freelancers on this app are getting good money for services including programming, web development, mobile development, graphic design, writing, accounting, sales, marketing, and a lot more.
You can earn a decent living if you have any of these skills. Freelancers get paid on time with direct deposits, PayPal, or wire transfers. You can get paid by completing milestones or by setting an hourly price and getting paid weekly. Be sure to complete your profile before you start bidding on projects.
Download: Upwork for Freelancers for Android | iOS (Free)
Cashback and Rewards
Cashback and rewards are super easy ways to earn money online. Here are a couple of popular apps in this category.
7. Receipt Hog
You can get paid for any purchase you make online or in-store with Receipt Hog. Sharing the receipt of the purchase you made is all you have to do to start earning money with this app.
Receipt Hog offers rewards whenever you buy something online from any brand or from inside the app's own store. You also get bonuses for completing surveys about the shop and products.
Download: Receipt Hog for Android | iOS (Free)
8. Fetch Rewards
With Fetch Rewards, you can make money by showing the receipts of things you bought or for places you ate at. You have to take pictures of receipts with the app's receipt scanner.
You can redeem the points earned against these receipts once you reach the minimum threshold which is usually quite low. Fetch Reward supports shopping from popular stores, including Target, Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy, Chipotle, Home Depot, CVS, and more.
Download: Fetch Rewards for Android | iOS (Free)
Rent Out Your House or Cars
If you're going away for a while you can rent your house or car and earn money.
9. Airbnb
Airbnb is a community of hosts and guests where hosts can list their extra space for rent. The guests can book the place that they like and pay the hosts.
As a host, you can list the availability of your house and share what's unique about it. You can mention things such as the adventures the guests can have at a specific place to make it more attractive for them.
Download: Airbnb for Android | iOS (Free)
10. Turo
Turo allows you to both rent out and book cars in your locality. This app has over 10 million users, and customers can choose from around 850 models of cars.
Turo has more than 400,000 vehicles listed worldwide, where people can rent their favorite vehicles. You can get your car on that list too. The bookings start from $18 per day as of this writing.
Download: Turo for Android | iOS (Free)
Earn Money Playing Games
You can also earn money by playing games online. Here are a couple of apps that you can use to make money by playing your favorite games.
11. MISTPLAY
MISTPLAY lets you earn gift cards by playing games. While you play, you'll earn redeemable points. The more you play, the more you earn.
You can exchange those points for gift cards for Visa, Amazon, Google Play Store, and more. Moreover, you can also chat with your friends from within this app.
MISTPLAY is currently available for Android users only. iPhone users can check out these two apps to earn money while playing games: GAMEE and Pocket7Games.
Download: MISTPLAY for Android (Free)
12. Current Rewards
With Current Rewards, you can make money by listening to music and playing games. You can select from 100,000 radio stations to listen to your favorite music and can choose from a large collection of games to play.
You can also earn by watching short videos and completing surveys. There is an option to earn with cashback as well.
Download: Current Rewards for Android | iOS (Free)
Earn Some Extra Cash With These Apps
Doing something constructive is obviously better than procrastinating. And smartphones are indeed the primary devices of procrastination. Why not use the same devices to earn a living—or at least a part of it?
All the apps listed above work genuinely, as you can see from the reviews and ratings. So, choose the one that suits you best and start earning with your smartphone.