Nowadays, everybody is connected to their phone; for most, it’s like it’s super glued to their hand.
That isn’t strictly the worst thing; now, being on your phone constantly could be better.
However, this powerful device has some significant advantages.
One familiar one is to ability to keep in touch with others.
While also, as I have touched upon on my site plenty of times, a helpful device to turn into a money generator.
But what if you could disconnect yourself from this world and earn money?
Imagine if you could earn more by not using your phone compared to using it.
That is actually an idea that, while to some, seems weird and strange, is something that is possible.
Heck, people of all ages are doing it right now as we speak.
So what apps that pay you not to use your phone are out there that you can benefit from?
In this post, I will take you through the apps that will help you distance yourself from your phone, all while increasing your bank balance.
Table of Contents
1. Forest
Forest is an app that will help you get the best out of two worlds when it comes to helping you stay focused and from procrastinating at work while also helping you earn.
With a powerful motive behind it where you will be planting virtual trees but also helping towards building actual trees to help the environment, there are plenty of reasons to use it.
Now if you’re like me, you might find yourself straying towards temptations, whether that be refreshing that Instagram page for the 50th time or having just one go at that game.
An app like Forest will solve that through these trees, as when you plant one of these virtual ones, you won’t be able to re-use your phone.
If you do, you will find your tree all withered and lifeless; if you don’t, you will have a tree full of life and earn coins that you can put towards actual trees or rewards.
Through an app like this, there is a bigger picture, too, as, let’s say, you are trying to do a project, and your phone is distracting you.
Focusing on that project somewhere down the line might help you even more money on top of the coins that Forest gives you.
So, whether you’re looking to improve your productivity or make money from an app that pays you not to use your phone, this could be it.
2. Hold
Can you hold off your phone?
If you’re up for the challenge, you should take up an app called Hold.
Now this app was specifically designed for those having issues creating space between themselves and their phones.
How this works is simple: every 20 minutes you can go without using your phone, you will receive some points.
If you get that overwhelming urge to check your DM’s or social media feeds, you must figure out if it’s worth sacrificing those points.
Ultimately an app like this will be a big help while, of course, a challenge for you.
But if you want to earn cash and rewards, and keep that screentime to a minimum, then an app like Hold could be for you.
3. HoneyGain
An app I have used for several years now that pays you without needing to do anything is HoneyGain.
While this app won’t encourage you to become more productive, it will pay you in two different ways.
Each of these doesn’t require you to use your phone to earn.
Firstly this free app will pay you for using a small percentage of your internet usage, seeing what kinds of websites you use and collecting various data.
Since this works entirely in the background, you won’t need to keep unlocking and locking your money, as it will get to work for you and earn you some passive income.
Secondly, you can also leverage the app’s referral program.
Where recommending HoneyGain to others will only increase your earnings as you can earn from others along with yourself.
The more referrals you can manage, the more you’ll be rewarded for offline time.
This free app will pay you for a small percentage of your internet usage.
As for getting paid, you can cash out once you have hit the $20 threshold for PayPal.
4. Swagbucks
When I talk about Swagbucks, whether on this app or to my friends, I always talk about all the opportunities they have for you to earn online.
With all the tasks they offer their users, there is always something to do for you to gain cash from your phone.
However, here I will only discuss one of the opportunities they offer.
To be fair, on its own is a way with a lot of potentials to earn at least $1000+ a month through the platform,
That is by referring friends to Swagbucks through their incentivized affiliate program.
With this generous program that they offer, you will be able to benefit by earning by referring friends, too.
Here they give out $3 for each person who has signed up through your link.
On top of that, they also give you a 10 percent cut of whatever your referrals make for life.
So no matter if your friends are getting into a survey, watching a video or playing games, you can earn while offline.
Now you may wonder, what if you need someone to refer to the site?
Which is a good question.
You, of course, want to avoid standing on the street, holding a sign with your personalized link.
So what I highly recommend is building a platform.
That you can promote your links on; this could be a personal Instagram or Facebook.
Or you are starting your own YouTube channel.
Which I will touch upon later on in this post.
You can post your Swagbucks link, put your phone down, and wait for people to sign up and earn with the app.
That way, you are not hands on your phone all the time.
But you can still earn money from it despite that.
5. PrizeRebel
Another reward app that feels weird to talk about without going into all its earning opportunities is PrizeRebel.
One of my go-tos’s to use whenever I am up for playing games or completing surveys to earn money is one opportunity that will pay you while you nowhere near your phone.
Thanks to the PrizeRebels referral program, users can use its 30% percentage rates.
A rate that not only is one of the highest in the biz but means you can earn a considerable percentage of each user you send PrizeRebel’s way.
The more referrals you can attain, the more you can earn while giving you more reasons to stay off your phone.
6. Sweatcoin
While Sweatcoin will pay you not to use your phone, it sure will make you work for it.
Sweatcoin is an app that is all about rewarding people for exercising and leaving their houses.
So if you want to relax and earn, this might not be for you.
However, if it is, there is potential to get your hands on some sweet cash prizes and rewards and get yourself in the best possible shape.
For each step, you will earn Sweatcoin, which is their currency that can be used directly for rewards in their marketplace.
You won’t need to walk the length of your city and back to get something for your time.
The good thing about this app is they have plenty that you can redeem reasonably quickly.
Now given, there is a vast disparity between those great prizes and the lower tier rewards, but with 50% discounts and freebies given out.
It’s hard to devise a reason not to use this detoxing app, especially when you only have to let it run as you go about your day.
7. AppJobber
You should start thinking, I am trying to get you to work, but you must hear me out with this one.
While this excellent app called AppJobber will pay you for doing tasks around the city, for one, these are easy and manageable to complete.
Number two, you can earn money while getting that screen time down.
Something I am sure for you to be here is what you’re looking to achieve.
When I said easy tasks, I also meant it, too, as you will be asked to check a product display or give the thumbs up to a road condition.
You will actually be doing exciting things close to you that won’t make you work super hard but will enable you to earn.
Once you detoxify, you can get a payout via Bank Transfer or PayPal.
8. YouTube
YouTube is the last app you may have seen popping up on this list.
Now, while this app could be your evening escape or a place to get information, it’s a great app to earn money in general, not just through not using it.
I want to be transparent by saying I would be lying if I told you I could earn without spending some time on YouTube.
However, when it comes down to repurchasing your time and needing to work less and get more out of your life.
That is one of the best apps when it comes to combating this.
So where to start with this app? Firstly we want to consider what exactly you do right now that you enjoy.
Has YouTube isn’t an app you download and follow instructions like others on this list, you will need to be creative.
You will therefore need to create videos, edit and record them, stepping outside the box if necessary to build a platform that will enable you to earn passively to allow you to enjoy this world we live in more.
YouTube is my favourite on the list regarding what it can do for you, but I have put it last, as admittedly, it isn’t for everybody.
While there is potential to earn millions without using your phone, it will require considerable leg work.
Conclusion
As you can see taking that break from your phone, doesn’t necessary mean a complete break to your earnings.
By using the apps we discussed in this article you can make sure that money is still coming in, while giving your eyes a well needed rest.
I like I touched upon with some of these apps, the amounts of money and the work you will need to put in will depend on the app.
For an app like Hold, you will just need to download it and stop using your phone to earn.
While an app like YouTube will require a lot of screen time before hand.
However once you have built a platform through engaging content, you will be able to take a break from your phone to your hearts content.
So what do you think of this list of apps that pay you not to use your phone? Any that take your fancy or you have used before?
Let me know by leaving a comment down in the section below.
