How to Make Money with Lock-Screen Apps? (Legit and Free)

One easy way to earn extra cash is to use a lock-screen app that will allow you to earn money every time you unlock your phone screen.

Yes, you read that right. These apps exist, and they seem appealing at first.

However, they are not necessarily the right option for all.

I’ve, therefore, decided to put together a guide on how to make money with the lock-screen app since I’ve tested a lot of these apps and want to share both the pros and cons of making money this way, so you know exactly what to expect.

For every app I will list, I will include a summary to help you determine which apps are a good fit for you or not.

All the apps I will include in this guide are legit and free to join. So, you can just download them and go through the sign-up process, and then you can start earning.

How can you earn from this kind of app?

The apps that offer this kind of earning opportunity mainly make money from the ads they can display to their members. And one way to do that is to display the ad on your lock screen. That way, you will always see it.

It’s a very smart idea, in my opinion, since you will look at your lock screen several times a day rather than logging into the app to view an ad. So, the ad will get maximum exposure.

And they have advertisers that are willing to pay for this kind of exposure, and they will share a small percentage of this with their users, and that is why we can earn by using these apps.

The one thing you need to keep in mind with this kind of app is, it is usually not available for iOS devices. That’s because Apple doesn’t allow any app to modify the functionality of its lock screen. So, if you are an iOS user, then this opportunity is not for you.

Then, you can check out this list of free ways to earn from your iPhone instead.

How much money can you make from lock-screen apps?

Before we talk about the actual apps you can use, we first have to discuss the earning potential this kind of app offers. That way, you won’t go in with the wrong expectations, which is the best way not to end up getting disappointed.

So, just to be clear, you won’t earn a lot from unlocking your phone screen. The pay you will receive per ad you view on your lock screen will be very small. You will have to view hundreds or, in some cases, even thousands of ads before you can earn a significant amount.

So, it’s not a way to make a living. But, since it is almost a kind of passive earning since you won’t have to do anything else, then I would say it still can be a way to earn because you don’t have to put in any effort.

That’s the advantage this kind of app offers. You can use it in conjunction with other types of apps that offer other kinds of earning opportunities.

2 Best lock-screen apps to earn

Now that you know more or less everything there is to know about lock-screen apps, it’s time we discuss the actual apps you can use. Take note that these apps are only available for Android devices.

I will keep updating this page if I find more apps that offer this kind of opportunity that I think are worth using, but Google has been very critical of apps that will modify your lock screen, which is what happens when you use these apps.

So, you will seldom find these apps on Google Play anymore. So, I'm not sure if there will be more apps like this that will be developed. You can bookmark this page and visit it from time to time to see if there are new opportunities.

#1 – S’more

S’more is a Get-Paid-To app that will allow you to earn in several ways. As for earning from the ads on your lock screen, you can only earn a maximum of $0.1 per day from this method.

But as mentioned, there are other ways you can earn from this app. So, you can still earn a decent amount by using the other earning opportunities it offers.

The app will reward you with various gift cards from Amazon, AMC Theaters, Applebee’s, Best Buy, Domino's Pizza, GameStop, Starbucks, Target, and more.

So, there’s a wide range of gift cards to choose from. Unfortunately, though, there aren’t any cash rewards offered.

#2 – Current

Current, which is now called Mode Earn, is mainly an app that lets you earn by listening to music. But you can also earn through your lock screen. Just be warned that the app will take over your lock screen, and it can get quite hard to use your device once this mode is enabled.

But if you get used to how to use this app, it shouldn’t be a problem anymore. You can also earn from other ways like answering surveys, watching videos, and claiming a daily bonus.

You can get paid via PayPal once you’ve earned enough rewards to redeem a $1 PayPal withdrawal. So, their payout threshold is quite low, which is a good thing because you don’t have to wait that long to withdraw your earnings.

And one more thing, the app is available globally. So, you can register as a member regardless of where you live.

Final Thoughts

So, that rounds up all the lock-screen apps you can download to earn a bit of extra cash.

As I’ve explained earlier, though, don’t expect to earn a lot from these apps, so you won’t get disappointed. But the good thing with these apps is that they require very little effort to earn, which is the real value this kind of app offers.

Normally, I would recommend you download most (if not all of the apps mentioned), but this time around, I don’t really think it is possible if you can let multiple apps take over your lock screen. So, just pick which one would fit you best and install it (or whichever one is available in your country).

Now, if you are looking for better ways to earn passively without compromising your lock screen, I would instead suggest you check out the best passive income apps to earn from.

I will keep updating this page if I find more apps that offer this kind of opportunity that I think are worth using. But as mentioned earlier, I doubt that there will be more apps like this that will be developed in the future. So, I'm not sure if I can find more apps like this, but you can bookmark this page and visit it from time to time to see if there are new ones added.

If you have any comments or questions, or if you know other lock-screen apps that should be on this guide, I would love to hear from you in a comment below.