It’s no secret that phones are a big part of many lives today. Whether scrolling through social media, shopping online, or streaming videos, our smartphones are always in our hands. But instead of just spending money on your phone, why not use it to earn?
With the right apps, platforms, and strategies, your phone can become a side hustle powerhouse, helping you make extra cash anytime, anywhere—at home, in line at the grocery store, or chilling on your couch.
So, if you’re wondering, “How can I make money with my phone?” this article will cover amazing ways to go about it. But remember that it won’t happen overnight or make you rich instantly. However, it can give you a reliable stream of extra income—and sometimes even a full-time income.
Keep reading to find eleven legitimate ways to make money using your phone without scams, false promises, or gimmicks.
Table of Contents
11 Ways to make extra money with mobile phones
1. Launch an online store
2. Take paid online surveys
3. Sell items you already own
4. Find odd jobs & gig work
5. License your photography
6. Engage in affiliate marketing
7. Offer online tutoring
8. Participate in user testing
9. Start a YouTube channel
10. Provide customer service
11. Manage social media accounts
Wrapping up
11 Ways to make extra money with mobile phones
1. Launch an online store
If you’ve ever thought about selling products online, the good news is you don’t need a computer to do it. Platforms like Shopify, Etsy, and eBay let you run a fully functional online store from your phone.
Here’s how to start in three easy steps:
- Pick a niche (like selling handmade crafts, vintage items, print-on-demand T-shirts, or digital downloads).
- Set up your store: E-commerce platforms like Shopify and Etsy have mobile-friendly apps that allow you to upload products, manage inventory, and track sales—everything you need for an online shop.
- Market your store and products: To attract customers, use social media apps like Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest.
Earning potential can range from a few hundred to thousands of dollars per month, depending on your business model.
2. Take paid online surveys
Companies pay for consumer opinions and survey mobile apps like Swagbucks, Survey Junkie, and InboxDollars that let you earn real cash by answering these questions. Here’s how it works:
- Sign up for free on a survey site (Swagbucks and InboxDollars are top choices).
- Answer surveys about products, brands, or daily habits.
- Get paid via PayPal, gift cards, direct deposits, or other rewards.
Earning potential is around US $1 to $5 per survey, but some high-paying ones can go up to US $50.
🚨 Pro tip: Only sign up for legit survey sites and avoid anything asking for upfront fees.
3. Sell items you already own
Did you know you can turn your unused stuff into cash? If you’ve got property lying around, consider selling it on marketplace apps like Facebook Marketplace, Poshmark, eBay, and Mercari. Here are some things that have a higher chance of selling:
- Clothes and accessories (Poshmark is great for fashion items).
- Electronics & gadgets (sell old phones, laptops, or cameras on eBay).
- Home goods and furniture (Facebook Marketplace is ideal for local sales).
Earning potential depends on what you sell—but some sellers make US $500+ per month flipping secondhand goods.
Pro tip: Use your phone’s camera to take high-quality product photos. Remember that good images always help items sell faster!
4. Find odd jobs and gig work
If you don’t mind rolling up your sleeves and doing some physical work, check out apps like TaskRabbit, Fiverr, and Upwork. These platforms can connect you with short-term gigs like:
- Moving and delivery jobs: Help people move, assemble furniture, or run errands.
- Freelance work: Offer skills like graphic design, writing, or coding.
- Pet sitting and dog walking: Apps like Rover pay you to hang out with dogs and perform other pet care services.
Earning potential: Some users make over US $1,000 monthly doing gig work on their phones.
🚨 Pro tip: Set up instant notifications so you can grab jobs before others take them.
5. License your photography
If you’re great at photography, why not make money with your skills? You can sell high-quality photos on stock image sites like Shutterstock, Getty Images, and Alamy. And you don’t need expensive equipment either—anyone can make money with this method using a phone with a great camera. Here’s how it works:
- Take high-quality photos with your phone.
- Upload them to stock photography platforms.
- Earn money every time someone licenses your photo.
Earning potential: Each sale might earn US $1 to $10, but popular images can sell hundreds of times.
Pro tip: Nature, travel, and business-themed photos tend to sell the most.
6. Engage in affiliate marketing
Affiliate marketing is one of the easiest ways to earn passive income from your phone. You’ll get rewards for promoting a business’s product and bringing customers who make purchases. Companies will either pay on a pay-per-click, pay-per-lead, or pay-per-sale basis. Here’s how to start earning with this method.
- Sign up for an affiliate program like Amazon Associates or ShareASale.
- Share referral links on social media, blogs, or anywhere you can reach most.
- Earn commissions whenever someone buys or completes an action through your link.
Earning potential: Some people make thousands per month—but it takes time to build an audience.
7. Offer online tutoring
If you’re great at math, science, coding, or languages, tutoring apps like Wyzant and Varsity Tutors can let you teach students remotely using your phone. Usually, tutors can charge US $15 to $50 per hour, depending on the subject you want to teach.
Pro tip: Specializing in high-demand subjects (like SAT prep or coding) helps you earn more.
8. Participate in user testing
Companies also pay people to test websites and apps before they launch. The best part is you can do these jobs using only your mobile phone. Go through sites like Swagbucks, Mistplay, UserTesting, and Honeygain to earn by providing feedback on user experience or completing other tasks (like playing video games). The earning potential is US $10 to $60 per test, depending on the length.
🚀 Pro tip: Tests fill up quickly, so turn on notifications to ensure you don’t miss opportunities.
9. Start a YouTube channel
Love making videos (or content creation)? You can build a YouTube channel by doing everything on your phone, including recording, editing, and uploading videos. You can monetize the channel through:
- YouTube ads: Once you hit 1,000 subscribers, you can earn from ads.
- Sponsorships: Brands will pay for product placements in your videos.
- Affiliate links: Add referral links in your video descriptions.
- Memberships: Subscribers can pay a membership fee to gain exclusive benefits or support their favorite creator.
Earning potential: Some creators make six figures, but beginners can start with US $100+ monthly.
Pro tip: Get your niche down and find a unique angle, whether it’s tech reviews, DIY projects, or gaming content.
10. Provide customer service
Work-from-home customer service jobs let you assist customers via phone or chat. So, if you’re great at interacting with others and helping them solve their problems, you can work for companies like Amazon, Apple, and LiveOps—they hire remote workers for customer support roles.
Earning potential is typically US $15 to $25 per hour.
Pro tip: If you’re bilingual, you can earn even more as a multilingual customer support rep.
11. Manage social media accounts
Can you tick all the boxes for well-performing content (social media, content, SEO marketing)? Then, you’d be a great fit as a social media manager. It involves doing the following tasks:
- Creating and scheduling posts
- Responding to comments
- Running ad campaigns
- Guiding small businesses on how to get the most engagement.
Earning potential: Freelance social media managers can charge US $500 to $5,000 monthly, depending on experience.
Pro tip: Build a portfolio showcasing your past work. Brands usually want proof that you can grow engagement.
Wrapping up
Your phone is more than a scrolling device. With the right strategy, anyone can transform it into a money-making powerhouse. From selling products and freelancing to affiliate marketing and YouTube, there’s no shortage of ways to make money with your phone. The best part? You don’t need a huge investment to start—just time, effort, and a little strategy.
