How to Make Money on Your Phone

Most of us spend a lot of time on our phones. In fact, research conducted in 2021 found that the average person spends over four hours a day on their phone. 

While this may seem like a waste of time, what if I could show you how to make money on your phone? 

If you’re like me, much of the time you spend on your phone is mindless scrolling without much purpose. But you can turn time into money on your iPhone or Android device by implementing one or more of the ideas I’ve listed below.

15 Ways to Make Money on Your Phone

Of the ways to make money on your phone we’re sharing in this article, not all will suit your time and talents. 

Search each option and find the best work with your time, talents, and abilities. What will you do with the money you make in your spare time?

1. Sell Printables on Etsy 

A printable is a digital file that you can download and print from your computer. To make extra money, you can make printable calendars, budget worksheets, checklists, etc., and sell them through online marketplaces like Etsy.

Simply create the printables on a graphic design app such as Canva, add them to your Etsy store, and make money when they sell. 

Once you’ve done the upfront work of creating and uploading your designs, it becomes a passive income source. Of course, you’ll need to market your printables as well.

Interested in learning more? We’ve got an article for that: How to Make Money Selling Etsy Printables.

2. Sell your Clothes

If you’re like most people, you’ve got a healthy selection of clothes in your closet that you no longer wear. 

Why hold onto them when you can sell them and earn some cash? Use a site like Poshmark to market and sell your designer clothes to people around the globe. 

You’ll pay a $2.95 fee for any item that sells for under $15. If an item sells for $15 or more, you’ll pay a flat 20%.

For your fee, you get a free, prepaid shipping label to ship the item you sold, and Poshmark will handle the payment.

In addition to Poshmark, there are many other websites where you can sell your clothes online.

3. Rent Out Your Car with Turo

Do you have a car that doesn’t get used very often? If so, you could make money on your phone by renting it out with a service such as Turo.

Turo is a car-sharing marketplace that connects car owners with people who need a short-term car rental. You let Turo know when your car will be available and your rates.

Turo handles all of the details for you and even provides liability insurance.

After your car is returned, Turo sends you the payment for your car’s rental. The Turo website says that the average car renter makes over $10,000 per year per car on Turo when renting out two or more vehicles. 

4. Rent Out Your RV: Outdoorsy 

You can also make money on your phone by renting out your RV. Just like how Turo helps you rent out your car, Outdoorsy helps you rent out your RV. The Outdoorsy website says hosts earn an average of $185 per night when renting out their RV.

You start by creating a profile on Outdoorsy that showcases your RV. You set your rental rates as well as your available dates. 

Outdoorsy provides $1M in liability insurance as well as roadside assistance. You get paid 24-48 hours after your RV has departed, and Outdoorsy takes a small transaction fee for each rental.

5. Walk Dogs

Do you love dogs? Do you love getting outside and enjoying the fresh air? Why not use your phone to make money as a dog walker?

Rover is an app that connects you with pet owners. In addition to dog walking, you can offer in-house pet sittings, doggy daycare, and drop-in visits. You can care for various types of pets, from dogs to bunnies to cats and more.

With Rover, you set your own rates. Rover will charge you a $35 profile review fee and will take a 20% commission on any completed services. 

Note that all applicants must be at least 18 years old and will be subject to a background check. 

In addition, Rover considers pet sitters independent contractors, meaning you’ll be responsible for your own tracking of income, expenses, and tax payments. 

✨ Related: Fun Jobs that Pay Surprisingly Well

6. Sell Your Old Stuff

Almost everyone has a closet or storage area full of items they no longer use. You can use your phone to make money by selling those items with popular selling apps. 

Use Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace if you don’t want to pay any fees. If you’re okay with fees and want to reach a wider audience, sell your stuff on eBay. 

Always practice smart selling habits when selling your stuff. Meet in a public place when selling locally and only accept cash. And if you’re selling online, follow the website’s tips for recognizing scammers. 

7. Trade In Your Old Stuff

Some apps will let you exchange your old stuff for money. For example, Amazon will give you a store credit when you trade in old electronics such as video games, phones, and accessories. 

And Decluttr will pay you cash when you send them your old electronics, whether phones, mobile devices, or even Legos. 

You won’t get top dollar for your stuff when you trade it in. However, it’s a convenient way to make extra cash.

8. Babysit

Do you like taking care of kids? If so, you can find jobs on your phone by signing up with Care.com. 

Just use Care.com to create a profile. Let users know a little bit about you and about your babysitting experience. 

Parents peruse Care.com profiles to find the right babysitter or nanny for their family. Another nice thing about Care.com is that it lets you choose your own pay rate. Fees may apply in some cases. See the Care.com website for more information. 

Bonus: Care.com lets you create a profile to care for elderly people and pets as well. 

9. Invest with Your Phone

Investing these days has become super easy to do on your phone. For instance, M1 Finance helps you save with a high-yield savings account or invest in slices of stock shares. 

What’s more, M1 Finance won’t charge you fees for having a savings account or for purchasing stock.

There’s no minimum balance requirement for the high-yield savings account, and you can start investing in stock share slices with just $1. 

10. Test Websites 

Companies such as UserTesting hire people to test websites for companies. If you work with User Testing, you’ll perform short tests on several websites to ensure functionality and ease of use. 

You’ll get paid for each test you complete. After you’ve earned some cash, you can request payment via PayPal. See the UserTesting website for minimum device requirements. 

11. Sell Your Photos

Are you a budding photographer? Why not sell your photos for use by website owners and companies? 

When you sell stock photos on a site such as FOAP, you’ll get paid a certain dollar amount every time someone uses one of your photos. 

The best photos to sell on a photo stock website are those of people doing everyday things such as eating dinner, playing games, or visiting the doctor. 

12. Start a Dropshipping Business

Dropshipping is a business concept where a website owner sells items that another company makes and ships. The main appeal of dropshipping is that the seller doesn’t have to worry about managing inventory or shipping the product.

You simply act as a middleman to connect customers to products. Sites such as Shopify help people to start dropshipping businesses.  There are also drop services, where you sell services and outsource them.

✨ Related: Best Banks for Digital Nomads

13. Take Paid Surveys

Paid survey sites are yet another way to make money on your phone. Sites such as Survey Junkie, MyPoints, and Pinecone Research will pay you to take short surveys on your phone. 

One nice thing about taking surveys on your phone is that you can do it while watching TV, waiting for an appointment, or relaxing.  

Most surveys take between 5 and 20 minutes to complete. You’ll answer questions about products, services, and your spending habits. The information you provide helps brands decide which products to bring to market, and how to improve existing products.

You’ll earn points or cash depending on which survey companies you participate in. When you earn points, those points can be converted to cash, or you can get retailer gift cards with the points. 

Almost all survey companies are free to join, and you’ll often earn points or cash for referring friends as well. 

14. Play Games 

Some days you just need to chill and do something mindless. Luckily, you can do that and earn money at the same time. 

Sites like Swagbucks will pay you for hanging out on your phone, computer, or other device. Just sign up for a free Swagbucks account.  

Then spend some time perusing the site. Swagbucks will award you points (called SB) for doing things like playing games, watching videos, shopping online, taking surveys, and browsing the web. 

Then you can use your points to get free PayPal money or to get free gift cards from Amazon or your other favorite retailers. 

Hint: Earn more points on Swagbucks by referring friends to use the site. And yes, Swagbucks is legit. They’ve paid out over $850 million to users so far. 

15. Shop Online

According to this report, 71% of consumers shopped on Amazon in 2021. And that doesn’t include other online retailers. Chances are that you’re in the majority here. So if you’re shopping online, why not earn some cash while doing so? 

While most cash back shopping websites don’t give discounts for shopping at Amazon, they do give discounts of up to 40% for shopping at thousands of online stores. 

All you have to do is sign up for a free account on a site like Rakuten. Then, when you log in and shop at your favorite retailers through your Rakuten account, you’ll get cash back for purchases made while you’re shopping through the Rakuten portal. 

Then you’ll get your cash back as a check or a PayPal payment every three months. 

Bonus: You’ll earn cash (up to $30 each) for every person you refer to Rakuten as well. See terms and conditions for details. 

FAQs

What’s The Best Way to Make Money From Your Phone?

While the 15 money-making ideas I shared above are legit, some are more lucrative than others. The fastest and most lucrative option is probably selling stuff you own on Facebook Marketplace or eBay. There’s no limit to how much you can make if you start an online store, but gaining traffic and getting sales will take time.

The lowest-paying ideas are the easiest ones to start – online surveys, playing games online, and earning loyalty rewards when you shop. At best, you’ll earn enough to pay for a few Starbucks lattes each month or cover a few streaming subscriptions, i.e., Netflix and Spotify.

If you’re creative, consider selling printables on Etsy. Either way, review the list and choose an idea that best fits your life.