Make Money with Your Phone in 2025: The Complete Guide to the Top 10 Platforms for Extra Income

The era of remote work is no longer a trend — it is a reality. By 2025, turning your smartphone into an extra income machine has gone from fantasy to a viable and increasingly common strategy. Whether you are a content creator seeking monetization, a beginner investor, or a self-employed professional looking for flexibility, there is an app ready for that. In this guide, we map out the 10 best platforms to make money with your cell phone, organized by activity type and potential return — so you can choose exactly what best fits your profile.

Short Video Platforms: The Fastest Way to Earn Extra Income

If you have creativity and a smartphone, social media becomes your best ally. Two giants dominate this segment in 2025.

TikTok: Millions in Views, Real Earnings

With billions of global users, TikTok is the platform that offers the most accessible extra income for beginner creators. The app works like this: the more views your videos generate, the more you earn. But that’s not all. You can also:

• Participate in TikTok Shop and earn commissions on product sales
• Receive “Super Gifts” from followers during live streams
• Partner with brands for sponsored collaborations

Requirements: Minimum 10,000 followers
Payment: PayPal or bank transfer (within 30 days)
Available on: Android and iOS

YouTube: The Platform for Long-Term Passive Income

While TikTok rewards quick creators, YouTube builds lasting income. With over 2 billion active users, the platform offers multiple revenue streams: ads (AdSense), channel subscriptions, Super Stickers in live streams, and affiliate marketing.

Requirements: 1,000 subscribers + 4,000 hours of watch time (in the last 12 months)
Payment: Google AdSense (within 30 days after monthly closing)
Available on: Android and iOS

Digital Investment: For Those Seeking Quick Gains

Tired of waiting for views? The financial market offers short-term opportunities through trading and investment apps.

Mitrade: Regulated CFD Trading with Security

Mitrade is an app that allows trading gold, global indices (NASDAQ, S&P 500), Bitcoin, Brent oil, and other contracts for difference — all in real time. The platform operates under regulation from international bodies like ASIC, CIMA, and FSC, offering advanced charts and technical analysis tools that facilitate investment decisions.

Highlights: Real-time trading, robust technical analysis, intuitive platform
Minimum deposit: US$5
Payment: Via Visa, Mastercard, Worldpay, Poli, Skrill, Neteller, or bank transfer (business days)
Available on: Android and iOS

IC Markets: Professional Trading for Experienced Operators

For those seeking a more technical experience, IC Markets is one of the most recognized brokers in the CFD market. It allows trading currency pairs, cryptocurrencies, stocks, indices, and commodities with ultra-fast execution and competitive spreads.

Highlights: Fast execution, low spreads, ideal for short-term strategies
Payment: Direct bank transfer (business days)
Available on: Android and iOS

Written Content Creators: Monetize Your Creativity

If your strength is writing, there are platforms that pay for articles, analyses, and essays.

Kwai: The Brazilian Alternative to Short Videos

Kwai is more than a copy of TikTok — it’s a native Brazilian platform focused on creators from the North and Northeast regions. It offers monetization through views, daily bonuses, paid viral challenges, and brand partnerships. Earning extra income with your cell phone has never been so straightforward here.

Highlights: Rewards for engagement, daily bonuses, brand partnerships
Payment: Pix or digital wallets (within 7 business days)
Available on: Android and iOS

Medium Brazil: Extra Income for Writers

If you enjoy longer articles about finance, technology, or entrepreneurship, Medium offers monetization through the Partner Program. The more time people spend reading your content, the more you earn. Besides income, you build authority as an expert.

Highlights: Payment based on reading time, community of qualified readers
Payment: Stripe or PayPal (monthly)
Available on: Android and iOS

Affiliate Marketing: Commissions Without Creating Content

Don’t want to create from scratch? Promote other people’s products and earn commissions on each sale.

Temu: The New Shopping Phenomenon with Affiliate Program

Temu revolutionized Brazilian e-commerce by offering unbeatable prices. Its affiliate strategy allows earning money by sharing links or personalized coupons. Each purchase made through these links generates commissions in cash or bonuses in the app.

Highlights: Commissions per sale, marketing campaigns, personalized coupons
Payment: Pix, PayPal, or credit in the app
Available on: Android and iOS

Shopee: The King of Affiliate Marketing Commissions

Shopee’s affiliate program is simple and reliable. Promote any product from the platform on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, or Facebook and earn up to 28% commission per sale. Registration is free, and approval is quick.

Highlights: Commissions up to 28%, trusted structure, punctual payments
Payment: Pix (3 to 5 business days)
Available on: Android and iOS

Freelancers: Remote Work and On-Demand Income

Self-employed professionals have two main platforms to generate extra income with their cell phone in Brazil.

Workana Brazil: Reliable Latin American Marketplace

With projects in design, writing, digital marketing, translation, and IT, Workana connects freelancers with companies. The escrow system guarantees secure payment before releasing the funds.

Highlights: Projects in Portuguese, guaranteed payment, large community
Payment: Payoneer, bank account, or PayPal
Available on: Web and Android

99Freelas: 100% Brazilian and in Reais

Created specifically for the Brazilian market, 99Freelas offers jobs in writing, design, programming, and marketing with an interface in Portuguese and local support. Negotiate prices directly with clients.

Highlights: Payment in reais, national support, intuitive interface
Payment: Pix (after client approval)
Available on: Web and Android

How to Choose Your App and Get Started

With 10 different options, the choice can seem overwhelming. Here are 5 criteria to filter:

1. Match with your skill — Choose between video creation, writing, trading, or freelance services according to your talent.

2. Check reputation — Apps like Mitrade, Shopee, and TikTok have a history of punctual payments. Read real user reviews.

3. Analyze the commission rate — Some retain significant percentages. Compare the return versus the effort invested.

4. Understand the payment method — Pix, PayPal, bank transfer? Choose what’s most convenient for you.

5. Test before scaling — Start small, monitor your earnings, and expand only with what works.

How Much Can You Earn?

Income varies drastically depending on the platform and your involvement:

• Social media (TikTok/Kwai): R$100 from R$5,000/month (beginners to creators with high engagement)
• YouTube: R$500 from R$10,000+/month (long-term, as your audience grows)
• Trading (Mitrade/IC Markets): Unlimited earnings (but with real risk of losses)
• Affiliate marketing: R$200 from R$3,000/month (proportional to traffic generated)
• Freelancer: R$1,000 to R$8,000+/month (depending on experience and specialization)

The Future: Extra Income with Your Cell Phone Is Here and Now

In 2025, the question “Is it worth leaving home to work?” finally has an answer: no, if you know how to use the right tools. The cell phone has become an office, studio, business platform, and broker — all at the same time.

Extra income with your cell phone is real. Millions of Brazilians have already proven it. What’s missing now is for you to discover which of these 10 platforms best fits your profile and start. With dedication, good results, and a dash of creativity, what begins as extra income can become your main source of earnings.

Golden tip: Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Test 2 or 3 apps simultaneously, track results for 30 days, and scale what works best. Making money with your cell phone in 2025 is a matter of strategy, patience, and action.