Edit: 6 out of the 8 money lockscreen apps on this list have recently been removed from the Google Play Store. If you are looking for other passive income ideas, I suggest reading my post on 25 passive income ideas that work.
Lockscreen apps are an incredible way to make extra cash. Since your phone is usually glued to your hip almost all the time, why not earn passive income every time you unlock your screen? Yes, these apps can actually boost your income.
Advertising companies are taking advantage of lockscreen advertising to promote their products by allowing you to download apps, participate in surveys, and unlock your screen.
To make the most out of these apps, you will be required to interact with the apps to earn points or cash, which you can redeem for gift cards or cash via PayPal. Below are some of the best lockscreen apps that will allow you to make money when using your phone.
8 Best Money Lockscreen Apps that Pay
1. ScreenLift Rewards App
- iPhone: N/A
- Android: 3.3 – 5,111+ reviews
- Payment methods: You earn points that you can redeem for gift cards.
- Quick summary: With SscreenLift you’ll earn points for just using its lockscreen that you can redeem for gift cards. You can also earn points for reading news articles.
Over 100,000 people worldwide use ScreenLift to earn money for using their phones. ScreenLift is a rewards app that will allow you to customize your first screen and earn money every time you open your new first screen.
How is how this lockscreen app let you earn money:
- Once you sign up, you can customize your first screen with different themes and features to make your phone stand out
- ScreenLift will reward you with points or “Lifts” for having ScreenLift as your first screen and guess what!? You don’t have to open or read the news articles to earn money
- Keep using your phone to accumulate Lifts, which you can redeem for real cash or a gift card of your choice
- Refer a friend and the money lockscreen app will give you Lifts every time they earn Lifts
Not a bad deal, right? It’s just that simple! ScreenLift will give you money for using your first screen which is something you already do several times a day. So, why not get paid for it? If you love free money, then this app is for you!
Overall, ScreenLift is slightly different than the other money lockscreen apps in that it allows you to customize your first screen and earn points. One of the greatest features of ScreenLift is that it is not invasive and you do not need to read the news articles to earn rewards once you unlock your phone.
How much can I make from ScreenLift? The amount of your income will depend on your level of integration with the app. You need a minimum of 1,500 points, which is equivalent to $1 for PayPal deposits to PayPal, Google Play gift cards, and Amazon cards. The app is currently available to Android users in the US.
2. S’More
- iPhone: N/A
- Android: 3.3 – 25,511+ reviews
- Payment methods: You earn points that you can redeem for gift cards.
- Quick summary: With S’more you’ll earn points for just using its lockscreen that you can redeem for gift cards. You can also earn points for taking surveys and completing offers.
S’More is one of the newest and one of the highest paying lockscreen apps in the market and is available for those living in the US who are using Android devices (sorry iPhone users).
S’Mores is a lot different from other lockscreen apps since it acts as a reward website (psst.. you can see the top reward sites here) that partners with advertisers to market their products to their members through lockscreen adverts and product surveys.
Besides earning money by having ads on the lockscreen, S’Mores also allows you to participate in surveys, watch videos, and interact with advertisers on the platform. In addition, you can choose to ignore the ads and you are still eligible to earn points that you can redeem for gift cards.
How much can I make from S’Mores? While everyone is bound to use their phone differently, the amount you earn from this app is dependent on the number of successful referrals, the amount of time spent watching the videos, and surveys for which you qualify to participate. Furthermore, your location also matters since some surveys will only be available for people in specific states. The minimum threshold for payout is $1 in a day redeemable through Amazon gift cards or other popular retailers.
3. Adme
EDIT: 06/02/2020: Adme is no longer available on the Google Play Store.
Adme is another free mobile app that you download to your smartphone to earn money each time you unlock your phone screen. Every time you unlock your phone screen, an ad is displayed on your phone and you will earn points for viewing the ads r ignoring them by sliding to your right.
Unlike other apps that require you to watch ads to get paid, Adme will not pay you every time you unlock your phone. However, you will realize that your daily balance increases at the end of the day.
Adme claims they do this due to hacking attempts by people who want to continually unlock their phones and earn points. Therefore, they use an algorithm to increase your points at the end of the day.
How much can I earn from Adme? Adme will reward you with $0.02 cents for using your phone normally, and not necessarily locking and unlocking the phone just to earn points. Due to the increased potential of fraud cases for people to earn points, Adme uses a unique algorithm to reward increases your cash balances. Moreover, you will an extra $1 for signing up for the app and $.50 cents for referring friends. If you use your phone normally, you can make an average of $15 per month.
4. Fronto
EDIT: 06/02/2020: Fronto is no longer available on the Google Play Store.
Fronto is an Android App that rewards you for swiping your screen upon unlocking it. The App is currently available for US citizens with android phones. You will be presented with the option of either swiping it to the right or left. To the left, you will be redirected to a mobile website with advertisements which or are required to watch or download apps on Google Play. You can build your points by reading news articles, participating in sponsored promotions, downloading apps, and participating in surveys and shopping promotions. To the right, you will be redirected to your phone’s home screen.
How much can I earn from Fronto? Fronto aims at rewarding you with approximately $20 a month. When swiping the app to the left you will be interacting with the content and earning points ranging between 20 to 100 points depending on the type of content. If you download apps, you will earn the highest amount of points in the 300 range. While swiping your phone to the right, you do not interact with the app hence you will only earn 20 points per unlock. You can also earn $.50 cents by referring friends through your referral code. The payout is set at 25,000 points equivalent to $10 that can be redeemed through Amazon or PayPal.
5. SlideJoy
EDIT: 06/02/2020: Slidejoy is still on the Google Play store but the app is currently broken and it seems like the developers have abandoned it. You won’t be able to cash out your earnings.
Slidejoy is a renowned lockscreen mobile application for Android users. Once you have the app installed on your phone, you will notice ads on the screen, which you can watch or ignore to earn some extra bucks. Slidejoy works through commissions from advertisers where they let you share their commission. It is important to note that when you will not be guaranteed to earn cash each time you unlock your phone: you will notice the amount in your account adding up gradually.
The amount received will be the same for viewing and ignoring ads, hence you should click on ads that you are interested in. Slidejoy also offers other ways to earn credits within the app including Carats, which are games, scratch offers, and 20% of your referrals first month income.
How much can I earn with Slidejoy? Upon signing up for the app, you automatically receive $0.20 cents with an estimate of $10 per month based on your phone usage. However, if you are a frequent phone user, you pay can be slightly higher. The minimum cash out is $1 to your PayPal account.
6. SurveyCow Lockscreen Rewards
EDIT: 06/02/2020: SurveyCow is no longer available on the Google Play Store.
SurveyCow is a free mobile lockscreen app that pays you to answer one survey question each time you unlock your phone screen. When you unlock your phone, you will be presented with a mini-survey or poll where you earn beef points for each question answered. The more the questions you answer, the higher your earnings. The trick is to give honest answers, as repeat questions with different answers will not earn any point. You can also earn an extra 1,000 beef points by referring friends.
How much can I earn with SurveyCow Lockscreen Rewards? You will need a minimum of 10,000 beef points to cash out which is equivalent to $10 payable through PayPal. Currently, the app is available for Android users in the UK, USA, Australia, and Canada.
7. Whaff Locker
EDIT: 06/02/2020: Whaff Locker is no longer available on the Google Play Store.
If you are looking for an app where you are assured of your payout per activity, Whaff Locker is the best. The app provides you with premium picks and payouts where you earn points by downloading apps, storing the apps on your phone, and using the apps. Each time you unlock your phone screen, an ad appears along with the weather, time, and date.
If you swipe to the left and view additional information about the ad, you will be guaranteed of $.03 cents. However, if you swipe the phone to the right, you will be skipping your chance to earn extra cash. You can also earn cash by participating in other tasks including checking your attendance, downloading apps, and inviting friends.
How much can I earn from Whaff Locker? The amount you can earn from Whaff Locker depends on the activities and the amount of effort you put to it. Taking into account the maximum daily payout, you can earn an average of $10 per month.
8. BillsBoard Lockscreen App
EDIT: 06/02/2020: BillsBoard is no longer available on the Google Play Store.
BillsBoard app works like other lockscreen apps where you install the app on your phone and allow it to control your lockscreen through ads. The app will present you with news stories and product ads, which you will opt to view or skip, to earn your points.
How much can I earn on BillsBoard? Similar to other lockscreen apps, the amount you earn depends on your level of interaction with the app. Upon attaining the minimum $10 payout, you can redeem your money directly to PayPal, Amazon gift cards, Google Play store credits, and zap survey credit points.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I make money by unlocking my phone?
Short answer: yes, you can get paid for unlocking your phone. These best lockscreen apps that pay are an awesome way to make extra money passively. They will not make you rich, but they can supplement income when you need money fast. The best part is that earning money lockscreen reward apps doesn’t require any effort.
However, you couldn’t make a living through lockscreen ad apps. If you’re looking to develop a more sustainable, truly wealth-building side hustle, then check out our article on the best side hustles.
What app pays you to unlock your phone?
Many of the best lockscreen apps to earn money have been removed from the Google Play store as of June 2020. The only lockscreen apps that pay left are S’more and ScreenLift. SlideJoy, a popular app like S’more is still in the Google Play store but the developers have abandoned it and you won’t get paid for using it.
What apps pay you instantly?
If you are looking for apps that pay you instantly, you’ll want to check out apps like Ibotta, Dosh, Survey Junkie, InboxDollars, and Swagbucks.
You can see the full list of money making apps here.
Final Thoughts on Making Money from Lockscreen Apps
Lockscreen apps are a credible way to make a passive income each month to clear your bills.
Since a vast majority of these lockscreen apps are compatible with each other, you can download all of them to make an estimated $60 passive monthly income for unlocking your phone.
The only limitation of lockscreen apps is that they are only available for Android devices.
So if you are up for the task then sign up for these money lockscreen apps and create a stream of passive online income.
