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We all love our phones. From spending hours browsing through our social media feeds, playing games, and chatting with our friends to checking the news, replying to emails, and snapping photos, our smartphones have become irreplaceable digital companions.
But many people are turning their phones into more than just a device that keeps us connected and entertained. They’re putting their phones to work, earning money with them while still using these powerful devices as the everyday tool we can’t live without.
Smartphones have become powerful tools, often more capable than the average PC laptop or tablet. Compact, lightweight, and boasting sleek designs with revolutionary features, smartphones have evolved into virtual extensions of our own talents and abilities. So why not use them to earn an income?
We look at the best jobs you can do from your phone and which apps and tools are best suited for the task. Whether you’re looking to turn your phone into a short-term “on-the-go” side hustle or a stable revenue stream, smartphone jobs are more accessible, profitable, and easier to do than ever before.
The Smartphone – A Business in Your Pocket
The smartphone of 2022 has become central to our lives. With 7.2 billion smartphones in use globally by over 90% of the world’s population, mobile phones have come a long way since the heyday of Motorola flip phones, the iconic iPhone 1, and the Nokia 3310.
Turning your phone into a money-making asset
Since those early digital forbears laid the groundwork for what has become a global industry slated to hit $500 billion by 2030, smartphones have reshaped how we live our lives – and how we make a living.
Almost every professional, across virtually every job sector, rely on their phone to communicate with their colleagues, check emails, and even punch in when working from home. Entrepreneurs are leading the way in figuring out how to make money with your phone, opening up not one but multiple revenue streams using nothing but their devices to get jobs done – and to get paid for doing them.
A powerful business tool with powerful features
While mobile phones were originally designed to make and receive voice calls, modern messaging services and video call functions have created a new medium for us to talk to one another. Today’s top smartphones boast multiple CPU cores, enhanced battery capacities, and RAM capabilities that many of us don’t even need on our PCs. And with better location abilities, 5G bandwidth connectivity, and access to millions of apps, phones have become more of a money-making business tool than a communications device.
Working From “Phone”
As many of us adapted to a new work-from-home culture, we quickly had to learn how to get the most out of our tools and devices to stay productive and connected. Many people were forced to upgrade their home office setups, reconfiguring their connectivity and security infrastructure.
Smartphones, on the other hand, are built just for this – keeping you connected and productive 24/7 and from anywhere. Now, as we head towards a creator and passion economy-fueled era, ‘working from phone’ is the new normal for many – we just need to figure out how to get it right.
What you need to work from your phone
Here are some of the basic specs your smartphone and you should have if you want to access and succeed with the best jobs you can do from your phone:
A stable internet connection
Whether connected to a 5G mobile network or a Wi-Fi router, ensure that your internet connection is stable and online. Check if your data plan is capped and what download speeds you have access to.
- Recommended: Uncapped plan with 5Mb/s minimum speed.
A charging point or backup power supply
If you plan on doing smartphone jobs that require you to be online and available at all times, the last thing you need is to run out of juice for your phone. Always carry a spare charger, adaptor, and charged power bank where possible.
- Recommended: Original charger and 8000Mah backup power bank.
Capable performance and hardware specs
Most phones today – even the low-budget options – are built with impressive performance capabilities. Nonetheless, check to ensure that yours can run those apps and that you have enough storage space available.
- Recommended: At least a dual or quad-core CPU of minimum 1 GHz each, 8GB RAM, 256 GB storage, and 3000 mAh battery capacity.
Access to apps
If you’re an Android or Apple user, you must register (for free) with their respective app stores to download and access the apps you’ll need to make money with your phone. Some devices with other operating systems (like Huawei) have their own stores, and downloading directly from the web can be risky.
- Recommended: Registration with either the Google Play or App Store services.
Now that we’ve explored the basics, let’s look at some of the best jobs you can do from your phone and which tools and apps are ideal for helping you to ‘work from phone.’
Best Jobs You Can Do From Your Phone
There are countless opportunities and choices available for smartphone jobs, and every day, new options are arriving on the scene. We’ve picked 18 of the most popular, accessible, and profitable jobs to make money with your phone and selected the best apps for doing so.
1. Deliveries
Delivery apps are making it possible to become a food or parcel delivery person at the click of a button. Apps allow customers to place orders and for the outlet to request a delivery person to collect and deliver directly to the customer. Companies like UBER and Amazon are already employing hundreds of thousands of people worldwide.
2. Reviews
Posting reviews is a great way to earn money with your smartphone. Survey sites and apps allow you to sign up and write paid reviews about brands’ and companies’ products and services. Many require you to experience the product or service you’re reviewing directly, and they can offer alternatives to cash payments like vouchers and entry into competitions.
3. Reselling
Reselling involves buying something in bulk or at a discount and then selling individual units off at a marked-up price. Marketplaces and eCommerce sites are a great way to earn a profit for your efforts. The best part? You don’t need to worry about storage, inventory, or even shipping.
4. Freelancing & Gig Work
If you’re not quite sure about what you want to do exactly, you can always offer your services for a variety of smartphone jobs instead of just committing to one. Gig platforms allow freelancers and gig workers access to large markets of clients looking for people to complete quickfire or contract work.
6. Video Content
Become a video content creator by shooting original content on your smartphone and earn with YouTube’s partner program or one of the many apps that pay for high-quality clips. The video streaming giant is looking to pay creators to create authentic content and to stay on the platform, while other sites will pay for generic footage that people will want to buy.
7. Photography
If you’ve got an eye for photography and a powerful camera built into your smartphone, you can make good money snapping images for people. Canva’s Contributors partner program and the FOAP app will also pay you for your photographs to be used for stock imagery.
8. Gaming
Gaming is growing fast, and the industry is slated to become even bigger in the years ahead. Developers want to test their games before launching them and will pay you for your feedback and opinions. Apps like Mistplay will pay you to play – cash for fun!
9. App Testing
Like games, products also need to be tested before going to market. Brands can use testing and survey sites to send questionnaires, surveys, and polls to large test audiences, capturing critical data which allows them to refine and perfect their products. These testing apps pay well, frequently, and usually don’t require more than a few minutes of your time per job.
10. Virtual Assistant
If getting paid to make other people’s lives easier is your thing, then becoming a virtual assistant (VA) is for you. VA apps allow you to take on tasks and jobs that others don’t have the energy or time for and earn varying revenues for completing them. From shopping for someone to booking appointments and making restaurant reservations, becoming a VA is quick and easy.
11. Live Reporting
Reporting is all about objectivity, speed, and accuracy. If you enjoy keeping people up to date on the news and current events, you can always become a freelance reporter and reach out to outlets that will pay you for your written stories and content. Use your phone as a recorder and notebook and post to platforms like Twitter for better exposure.
12. Blogging & Writing
For a more lucrative option, blogging is one of the best jobs you can do from your phone, and earn good money in the process. Whether running a monetized blog or operating on a writing platform, inspiration can strike anywhere, at any time, and you’ll need to be ready to compose your masterpieces.
13. Social Media Influencer
Influencers are making it big in 2023, earning up to tens of thousands of dollars for posting about brands and companies looking for exposure to their audiences. But you don’t need millions of followers to become an influencer anymore. All you need is access to a niche market which a brand is willing to pay for you to promote them to.
14. Surveys and Micro Tasks
Completing surveys and micro-tasks is a popular way to make money with your phone, and there are many different apps out there to help you do it. Most of them allow you to choose to earn in cash or rewards, and there are literally thousands of surveys and tasks available to pick from.
15. Play the Stock Market
While the crypto game is booming, trading in stocks and commodities is still a great way to make money with your phone. Easy-to-use investing and stock trading apps are becoming popular among beginner and veteran investors looking to build their wealth and who need to track their investments 24 hours a day.
16. Teaching and Coaching
17. Fitness & Training
Working out at home is trending heavily right now. Across the world, gyms are struggling to hold onto their members as people realize that working out in their homes is safer, more affordable, and more comfortable than heading out to the local workout spot. Host live fitness classes, make training videos for home fitness apps, and earn every time someone downloads your routine or attends a session.
18. eCommerce
One of the best jobs you can do from your phone is eCommerce. eCommerce platforms and apps allow you to design, open and run online stores to sell anything from physical products that need shipping to digital offerings that can be downloaded. And they make getting started easy too.
Conclusion
Finding the best jobs you can do from your phone has never been easier. Whether you’re looking for a smartphone job that doubles as an effective side hustle or are trying to figure out how to make money with your phone and quit the 9 to 5, you can count on the growing number of apps and platforms to provide you with everything you need to get started.
Online entrepreneurs and aspiring businesspeople are taking advantage of what their phones can do for them – all you need is a little innovation and the courage to take the plunge. Work from phone is the future – don’t wait until it’s too late!
