10+ Best Mobile Apps for earning Crypto (2019+)

10+ Mobile Apps for Earning Crypto (that actually work: 2019+)

There are many low-quality apps out there that draw users in with the promise of earning cryptocurrency etc. Usually it’s the poor design that gives them away, with intrusive ads that mean they get quickly uninstalled.

But… not all… There are some cloud-mining, game-playing, ad-watching or mini-tasking apps which do reward users for their time and engagement.

 

[Note: if you’re reading this to learn about how to actually mine cryptocurrency on your phone, then the answer is: it’s not really worth it. Expensive hardware is used for that which can make it worthwhile, but you can subscribe to them via ‘cloud mining’ or by joining a mining pool and get rewards distributed to you. ‘Cloud mining’ can mean that just by logging into an app, you can be rewarded by those actually mining, for your attention, ad-watching and/or engagement time.]

The best ones are those that fit some activity into your existing habits or lifestyle. This could be walking or getting fit, using a browser (such as Brave and getting paid to watch ads etc.), searching, testing or interacting with games, securing blockchain networks (by mining) or transacting with a wallet.

There is nothing wrong with getting something back for these time-taking activities (finally), and thanks to cryptocurrency this is a growing trend. These mobile apps are also allowing more and more people to discover crypto and blockchain, (and dapps) and offer some rewards for ‘gamifying’ mundane tasks.

Here are a few I’ve tried and tested [and I aim to keep this page updated with others, so stay tuned or bookmark this page.]

[Further note: A number of these apps require simple log-in via Google, Facebook etc., and don’t require any creation of special crypto-wallets to withdraw, normally just your Coinbase email address, or at some later time, when you’ve accumulated enough crypto rewards.]

 

– Brave Browser

We’ll start with this app+browser. Unlike some other scammy browsers promising ‘in-built crypto-mining’ [Cryptotab, to name one], the Brave browser is actually a mature project to disrupt the conventional internet advertising model. It doesn’t promise any ‘mining’ features, but what it will do is give you control over what you see online, in terms of advertising. Yes, it will pay you for watching occasional ads but the browser itself is also faster and more secure, blocking ads and preserving your privacy. It also allows you to also reward (automatically) sites that you visit regularly, supporting them in a new kind of way that doesn’t depend on ads. If you are a publisher yourself, you can sign up to the Rewards program and start earning for visits to your site.

This brave project is still getting going from a mobile point-of-view, but it’s a program worth having and using right now.

 

– BitTube Browser + Bittubers.com

This browser is all about the Tubes cryptocurrency, for rewarding content creators, video streamers or… anyone. It’s similar to Brave and offers a cool browser/extension/wallet/VPN etc. I’ve covered this project before, and you can visit Ade’s Press profile page on Bittubers. It maybe the closest crypto thing yet to offering everything all-in-one. Development of this new platform Bittubers continues at an exciting pace, at this time.

 

– Electroneum ‘Miner’/Wallet

‘Cloud-mining’ is where you or your device(s) are not actually doing the mining, but an intermediary. Electroneum is not just a wallet for ETN (a proof-of-work cryptocurrency aimed at developing countries). Once you’re all signed up and verified, you can tap the ‘mine’ button and gain tiny amounts of ETN that are paid out automatically into your wallet app. It runs in the background for certain amounts of time.

It’s very small amounts, but then you’re participating in the Electroneum network, which has a strong community. You also have the option of accepting payments from other ETN users, where there are projects in the pipe such as AnyTask and Gig Guru that could expand the use-case. For some countries, you can also top-up your mobile phone Airtime directly using ETN, which is great.

If you believe in the future prospects of ETN, then these tiny amounts may be worth a more one day as the network grows.
ETN is tradeable on some major exchanges. You can also use my referral code for extra earnings which is 5B872D.

 

– Pi Network

A similar project to Electroneum but it’s even earlier days, which means the early birds catch more worms. For those interested in just how nascent cryptocurrencies begin to evolve then this could be a good place to start. You can use the mobile app to ‘mine’ Pi and get more for spreading the word and getting involved. I’m happy to do this with my invite code [adespress] because reading the project website I think the intent is genuine and it may grow over time. You can join my earning team.

This is to encourage a strong community (which the app does cultivate) which will be key to this project finding further development and success.

You can read the FAQ here, and once again, there’s no battery drain on your phone because no actual mining is happening.

 

– StormPlay

WIth a large array of offers, regular ads to watch and games to try, this app seems to be growing or doing well with its ‘gamification’ of mundane mini-tasks, product promotion, surveys etc.. You can earn Bolts crypto for completing these mini-tasks, but which often includes providing your vital data and input on surveys, product feedback and game testing etc. (It sure will be nice when there are better ways to ensure this data is kept secure, as with Civic, where your ID and data is more protected.)

There’s a helpful button in the corner you can tap to see what the price of a Bolt is in fiat, Bitcoin etc.

The wallet section is where you enter your Coinbase etc. addresses, and Bolts themselves are an Ethereum-based token. Presumably, you change Bolts into Storm tokens which are traded on major exchanges.

Clearly, there’s a potential ecosystem here, and a promising Stormshop (browser extension) which allows cryptoback and discounts for many purchases on partner sites. You can use Ade’s Press referral code = 9E3CMK.

 

– SwissBorg

This smartly-designed app is a simple game of predicting the price of Bitcoin. It gathers your input into crowd intelligence to provide an overall forecast, which you can also view. Correct forecasts give you more points to collect. [You can use Ade’s Press referral code FYIHTWY in the app and earn 3000 extra points for forecasting.]

The app is also a gateway into the early SwissBorg ecosystem with its future plans for a full-scale ‘Wealth Management App’ which could be well worth having. You can get involved in the DAO community (akin to a meritocracy) at SwissBorg and find yourself learning a lot about crypto.

 

 

– Sweatcoin

You enable GPS tracking and it will track your walking activity and pay you for it in crypto. This is worth a look if you already carry around your smartphone all day and want to get something back for it. And it’s all been well designed. It can be motivational too.

However… the real point of it all is to get the app to promote various products and offers to you, at least at this stage. But a whole crypto-fuelled fitness ecosystem down the line would be interesting.

 

 

– Phoneum Games+Apps

Phoneum is developing a number of well-designed apps and mini-games that all allow you to earn PHM (an Ethereum token) in engaging ways. They could be on to a good idea, in that games and mobiles are a prevalent gateway to get users interacting with a crypto, earning it, ‘mining’ it, moving it and storing it. The PHM you earn can also unlock extra items in some of the games, but mostly traditional money still.

They have a separate wallet app + separate cloud mining app (in fact, more engaging in some way than Electroneum’s) and a number of mini-games set within – or distinct from – interactive ‘areas’ that encourage activity and fun (like outer space, or pirate theme).

The ones I’ve tried: Crypto Planet, Crypto Treasures, Crypto Connect3 etc. are made in Unity and all work well. These app/games provide a glimpse as to why crypto may succeed: It’s exactly this kind of ‘gamification’ of achievement – of a user’s time and interaction with the digital world – in return for crypto payment, upgrades and rewards that expand the currency further, that will create more valuable and self-sustaining ecosystems for the currency or token.

 

 

– Free Litecoin and Free Bitcoin Cash

 

 

 

Both these apps (all by the same developer) will pay out directly to Coinbase, which is fine if you’ve got the time to spare now and then in a car or on a train to watch adverts in between making lucky spins.

 

 

– Vweeter games: Crypto Pop, Photon/Litecoin Poker, PopStellar etc…

Playing mini-games interspersed with adverts are the name of the game. They’re basic games but they connect easily to your Coinbase account and will pay-out tiny amounts of Ethereum, Litecoin, Stellar etc…

They do what they say on the tin, if you can stand playing them now and then. Just bear in mind that blockchain-based dapps are doing this type of thing better, and are more trustworthy.

 

 

– Bitcoin Blast

This colourful and quite challenging match3 game at least is more of an actual game. But it has to ‘recharge’ so it restricts more heavily the number of payouts. It actually feels like you’re playing a game for more crypto.

 

 

And more…

Thanks perhaps to tighter controls, there seem to be far less scammy crypto apps getting through the filters onto app stores. You can tell just by the quantity of downloads what the more popular and widely used ones are. Many of these apps provide good gateways into learning about crypto and moving into the world of dapps: real, blockchain-based, monetized programs.

They’re onto a good thing: the desire to get paid for sharing time, experience or for doing things. In the future, an app or game which is just a game, may have no meaning, and may seem strange.

Still, it can save a lot of time to remain wary about the nature of many ‘free crypto’ apps. While some of them may prove to be promising projects with strong ideas behind them, many are time-wasting dead-ends, or which actually have hidden agendas, where they’re trying to get you to do something else completely, if not immediately, then later on.

 

Are you making any crypto with an app for something?

[Bookmark this page: I’ll continue to update with any new entries I find myself actually bothering with.]

Last update: Dec 2019

 

See also:
– Crypto Youtube Alternatives
– Crypto-Powered Social Media Network Alternatives