When it comes to apps that pay, passive income apps are my favorite category because you don’t have to do anything much other than register and cash out. The great thing about these apps is that they can be stacked with one another.
This means that you can easily install two or three different apps to double or triple your earnings. The more you install, the more you earn.
Passive income apps typically work by collecting data about how you use your smartphone, such as which apps you have installed and how long you typically talk on the phone. Keep in mind that all data is sent encrypted and anonymously, making it incredibly difficult to track any information back to you.
Best Passive Income Apps
1. Smart Panel
The Smart Panel app starts off great by giving you a $5 bonus. You’ll need to first determine your eligibility by taking a short survey. As long as you have a smartphone, you shouldn’t have any trouble getting approved.
Smart Panel gives you bonuses along the way for keeping the app installed. For example, leave it installed for one year to earn a total of $110, but leave it installed for two years for a total of $230.
Users report a 1 percent to 5 percent reduction in battery life and data usage of anywhere between 2MB to 5MB per month. In short, the drag on phone performance is almost negligible. Before you can cash out for that $5 bonus, you must leave the app installed for a minimum of 30 days.
2. Nielsen Computer & Mobile Panel
Nielsen Computer & Mobile Panel comes a close third on our passive income money-making apps list. Although the payout isn’t as high, you can install the app on multiple devices, doubling, tripling, or even quadrupling your income.
The number of devices you can install the app on depends on your location. They accept a specific number of devices from any given area. Once they reach this amount, they stop taking on new users.
Therefore, if you live in an area that’s no longer accepting new users, it’s best to try again in a month or two. For every device you have, expect to earn up to $50 per year in passive income.
You can also install the app on desktop devices, but keep in mind that you won’t earn cash that way. If you decide to go the desktop route, you’ll be entered in monthly drawings to earn up to $1,000 at a time. It’s difficult to determine exactly when you’re able to cash out and when you’ll receive cash. In my experience, they pay once or twice a month. Points can be exchanged for both cash and gift cards.
3. SavvyConnect
SavvyConnect is a branch of the popular survey site SurveySavvy. For every month that you leave the app installed, you can earn up to $5 per month for a total of $60 per year. Install the app on a maximum of three devices to earn a total of $180 per year.
When you become a member of SavvyConnect, you’ll be given exclusive access to the higher-paying surveys on the SurveySavvy website. Simply complete your profile to get these surveys sent to your inbox.
One of the best ways to earn with SavvyConnect is to invite your friends. For each friend who completes their first project, you earn anywhere between $5 and $15. And it doesn’t stop there. For any friends that your friends refer, you can earn anywhere from $2 to $6. Unfortunately, they only pay by check.
4. MobileXpression
MobileXpression gives you a $5 Amazon gift card within your first few weeks of signing up as a new member. In total, expect to only earn around $20 per year with this app. While it’s not much, you literally don’t have to do anything except leave it running in the background on your phone.
I haven’t noticed any slowdown on my phone with this app. Aside from earning cash prizes, you’ll also be awarded tokens that can be used to enter cash drawings.
The one downside about MobileXpression is that they require you to install a VPN to your phone. Keep in mind that certain rewards apps may suspend you if they find out that you’re using a VPN.
5. Mobile Performance Meter
What I’ve found with the Mobile Performance Meter is that it doesn’t tend to work on cheap smartphones.
Those with an iPhone or a Samsung shouldn’t have any problems installing this app. This money-making app can be run on multiple accounts per household, but you can only have one phone per account.
By leaving the app installed continuously you should be able to earn roughly $6 per month or $72 per year. The app is currently only available for Android phones. Points can be exchanged for a gift card of your choosing.
6. Media Insiders Panel
The Media Insiders app is supported on iOS, Android, and Kindle Fire HD devices. They collect data by tracking which ads you watch and your social media activity, as well as which web pages you visit.
The app can be installed on a maximum of three devices, with each device earning $2 per month. In total, you can earn $6 per month or $72 per year. You can increase your earnings a bit with the use of the VPN.
However, as mentioned above, other rewards apps on your phone might not permit the use of a VPN. Keep in mind that you will need to wait a minimum of 48 hours after signing up before your account is verified. When active, you’ll notice a green check and a statement that states that your phones are currently earning cash.
7. The Panel App
The Panel App—not to be confused with Smart Panel—doesn’t pay as much as other passive income apps. However, it’s so barebones that you won’t even notice it on your phone. Expect to earn about $1 per month for a total of $12 per year.
What I particularly like about the Panel App is their referral program. Most passive income apps don’t give you any sort of reward for convincing your friends to sign up. But with this app, earn 10 percent of your friends’ points and an additional 5 percent of any points that their friends earn.
You need a minimum of $5 in your account before you can cash out, so you’ll need to wait five months before you receive any type of compensation. If you wait until you earn 15,000 points, you can cash out for $25—a much better deal. There’s also the option of earning additional cash through surveys. However, the payout is so low that I don’t even consider it.
8. Data Wallet
Data Wallet works by tracking how you use your social media accounts. The one downside is that you have to collect enough data before Data Wallet actually buys it from you. The more accounts you link, the greater the chance you have.
I’ve never been able to get them to buy data from me because I didn’t link all of my accounts. Yet if you can get it to work for you, it’s definitely worth it.
You have the potential to earn up to $150 per year with this passive income money-making app. At the time of writing, the app is only available to iOS users, without any expectation of the app expanding to the Android platform.
9. Sweatcoin
Want to get paid to get fit? Now you can with the Sweatcoin app. Each time you walk, Sweatcoin pays you a certain number of points that can be exchanged for physical prizes such as iPhone chargers and sunglasses.
Keep in mind that you must turn on your location in order for Sweatcoin to determine whether you’re moving or not. Refer a friend and earn a bonus of 5 Sweatcoins. I don’t have much experience with this app as it’s fairly recent.
However, I’ve heard some pretty good reviews, especially because it’s incredibly easy to use.
10. Cross Media Panel
Cross Media Panel works by paying you to share your browsing data. This program works on both desktop and mobile devices.
Each time you register a device, you get a bonus of $2, for a maximum sign-up bonus of $6. The app can be installed on one tablet, one mobile device, and one desktop device. For each device that you have registered, you can earn a total of $1 per week.
With all three devices using this money-making app, you’ll earn a total of $12 per month in passive income. You need a minimum of $25 to cash out for a gift card of your choosing.
11. BitMaker
BitMaker is a money-making app only available for Android devices. Earn cash by simply leaving the app open on your phone.
Since you don’t have to do anything, you’re essentially earning passive income. A great way to earn with this app is to leave it open when you’re charging your phone or when you’re sleeping.
Instead of earning directly with cash, you earn in BitCoin or Satoshi (a smaller unit of BitCoin). When you enter the promo code KIEV9L you get a 2,500 Satoshi bonus. You also get the same amount when you refer a friend.
12. Digital Reflection Panel
Digital Reflection Panel is a little bit more than just an app. Earn cash by installing an internet meter on your at-home wireless router. Although it sounds complicated, most people complete the process in about five minutes.
There’s also a full-on tech support team in case you get stuck. Once you install the app on your first smartphone and register your device, you receive a $50 bonus. Keep in mind that it takes an additional month to actually process this bonus.
Leave the app installed and the internet meter running to earn $170 per year. Digital Reflection Panel also gives bonuses every few months, so you actually have the potential to earn a bit more. The more devices you have registered, the more likely you are to increase this amount.