For those of you looking to put their smartphones to a good use, take a look at our list of best money making apps for Android phones for 2017. They won’t make you filthy rich, but some side money always comes in handy.
First of all, I have to tell you that I’ve been always skeptical about money making websites and apps. Back in the days when smartphones were still a longshot, the internet was (I guess it still is) flooded with websites that were promising easy cash for performing some simple tasks. While there were some legit sites, most of them were scams. You would get your balance boosted up only to figure that there is no way to get your money. The legit sites did pay out, but you would have to wait for months to get some decent amount. I’ve tried both the legit ones and the scams, and I can tell you one thing. If it sounds too good to be true, it is definitely a scam.
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Now, with smartphones almost taking all of our time we used to spend in front of the computer, money making apps just keep on coming. The way they work is that you have to participate in surveys, watch ads or do some other choirs. When you complete the task, you get paid. Some are good, some are bad, and others are just a plain fraud. The easiest way to recognize a fraudulent money making an app is if they require you to pay a certain amount upfront either to become a member of the “club” or to withdraw the money you earned through the app. If that happens, just delete it and move on with your life. Another red flag is if the app asks you for your personal information. If you want to increase your budget in a more conventional way, check out our list of 6 Tips on Becoming a LuLaRoe Consultant to Make Money.
Having said all this, there are some apps out there that can bring you some money or other perks. To create our list of best money making apps for Android phones for 2017, we took recommendations from various sources including Huffington Post, Android Pit, and Digital Synopsis. Then we ranked the apps according to rating they received from users on Google Play while dismissing those that obviously don’t work anymore. While some apps will bring your real cash, there are others that will give you store credit or gift cards for various retailers. Also, we didn’t want to insult your intelligence by listing eBay and recommending you to sell stuff. Let’s check out our list.
20. Field Agent
This app will require you to do some legwork. Basically, Field Agent has a nationwide (U.S.) list of simple tasks you are required to perform. For example, the task may be for you to snap a photo of a retail store display. The companies want to ensure all of their locations are well maintained. You can earn from $3 to $12, depending on the complexity of the task.
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19. Appcasher
While Appcasher doesn’t give you money, you can earn various gift cards. Your task is to download the apps this app offers you, test them and after that, you get points that you can exchange for gift cards. Although the app seems legit, there aren’t lots of points to be made.
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18. Swagbucks
I’m a little bit turned off with their line: “Best App that Pays”, but it seems ok. After you install the app you’ll need to take surveys, watch an advertisement or search the web. By doing so, you’ll be earning “SB”, which are then transferred to Amazon, iTunes, Target, and many other gift cards.
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17. Foap
This is the first of two apps on our list of best money making apps for Android phones for 2017 that enables you to sell photos. After you create a profile, you can make a portfolio of your photos which are then placed on the Foap Market and bought by companies or individuals. Each photo is sold for $10, from which you get $5 and other $5 goes to the company. The app pays only through PayPal.
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16. iPoll
Good old surveys. According to the users, you can get around from $1 to $2 by completing a 10-minute survey about products, stores, restaurants and similar. There are also “missions” available which require you to visit a store or test a product. You’ll need to amount $50 to request a payment to PayPal or exchange the balance for gift cards.
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15. AppTrailers
If you like apps and watching videos, this is the one for you. You can earn money by watching trailers for apps and then get paid via PayPal or gift cards.
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14. Snapwire
Although Snapwire also gives you a possibility to sell your photos, it is more of an app for experienced photographers than smartphone snappers. Besides the marketplace for photos, the app also has a “request” section where buyers make a specific request for the photo they want. Users get around 70% of the photo price.
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13. Google Opinion Rewards
You would think that the official Google app would have a better rating. Maybe it is because of the fact that you can only use earned money to buy things from Google Play Store. The tasks mostly revolve around short surveys like picking out the best logo from multiple choices.
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12. ESPN Streak for The Cash
This is where you can earn big, but you have to know sports. The app offers a daily choice of matches from various sports, and your task is to choose a winner. The person who has the longest streak of correct picks gets a $30,000 reward. Sounds good, right?
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11. CheckPoints
CheckPoints app works in a really simple way. When you visit a particular store, you log into the app and it offers you points for scanning barcodes of listed products. And that’s it. You can then exchange those points for various gift cards, coupons or products.
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10. shopkick
This app also revolves around shopping. You get points for just entering a particular store like American Eagle, Target or Wal-Mart. If you try on an item of clothing or purchase a featured item, you get more points. The “KickBucks” can be later redeemed for gift cards.
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9. Tap Cash Rewards
Tap Cash Rewards also requires you to try out apps and games, or watch videos to earn points. Those points are then transferred to gift cards. There are currently 15 gift card options available.
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8. Receipt Hog
There is no complication with this app. You only have to take a photo of your receipt from any store and upload it. Doing so, you will get reward with points that are exchangeable for gift cards. If you ask: “Why someone would want a photo of your receipt?” the answer is simple. The app makers are a market research company and they use the information collected from receipts for research purposes.
7. AppLike
Another app that rewards your enthusiasm for other apps. When you install one of the recommended apps or games by AppLike, you’ll get mCoins. The more you use the recommended app, the more mCoins you get. When you rack up enough, you can exchange them for money sent via PayPal or gift cards.
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6. Slidejoy
Now, this is interesting. To earn money, you have to basically sell your lock screen. The app posts news, videos and advertisements on your lock screen and gives you money for that. You can get paid through gift cards, PayPal or even donate your earnings to charity.
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5. Surveys On The Go
If you don’t mind doing surveys and you are not a fan of points and gift cards, you’ll like this app. Surveys on the Go is all about real money. The app requires you to do surveys on various topics, from TV shows to products and will pay hard cash for that. You need to have a balance of $10 to request a payment via PayPal.
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4. Fronto Lock Screen
This entry on our list of best money making apps for Android phones for 2017 also gets personal with your lock screen. It works on almost exact principle like Slidejoy and the payments are the same. You can earn up to $20 a month and you don’t need to interact with the advertisements since that won’t increase your earnings.
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3. CashPirate
Don’t trust me completely on this one. The app was updated a while ago, but according to the reviews, Twitter and Facebook accounts, it is still operational. CashPirate pays you for loads of stuff, starting from testing out new apps, taking surveys to watching advertisements. You can get paid through PayPal, gift cards and surprisingly, mobile recharge.
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2. Ebates
This is both money saving and money making app. You use the app to make the purchases online, meaning that you’ll buy what you intended to buy in the first place but through the app. Then app rewards you with gift cards, coupons, discounts and you occasionally get a certain amount of money back if you buy some promotional products.
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1. Ibotta
Another cash back app closes our list of best money making apps for Android phones for 2017. After you download the app, you’ll need to watch some videos or take surveys in order to unlock rebates. Then, you can purchase the products you would usually buy from more than 80 stores including Wal-Mart, Costco, Target and Best Buy and submit the receipt to the app. After the purchase is verified, you get a portion of the money back. The app also offers $10 bonus for first users, so you may check it out at least.
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