Skip to content
Upgrade My Wealth
Earn

Side hustles you can do from your phone UK: 12 legit apps and ideas

Real ways to earn money from your phone in the UK: selling apps, user testing, paid studies, delivery and gig apps, cashback and more, plus the ones to avoid and how tax works.

By SimonUpdated 11 November 20262 min read
In this guideShow
  1. 1Selling from your phone
  2. 2Testing and research apps
  3. 3Gig and delivery apps
  4. 4Earn from what you own
  5. 5Save rather than earn
  6. 6Phone "side hustles" to avoid
  7. 7Tax on phone side hustles
  8. 8Common questions

Selling from your phone

  1. Vinted. Photograph, list and post clothes in minutes, with no seller fees. See making money on Vinted.
  2. eBay. Better for electronics, branded items and collectables. See selling on eBay.
  3. Facebook Marketplace. Best for furniture and bulky items collected locally, often the same day.
  4. Depop. Popular for vintage and streetwear.

Testing and research apps

  1. Paid user testing. Many tests are for mobile apps and websites. See paid user testing sites.
  2. Paid research studies, such as Prolific, which sets a minimum hourly rate for studies.

Gig and delivery apps

  1. Food delivery through Deliveroo, Uber Eats or Just Eat. See food delivery as a side hustle.
  2. Pet sitting and dog walking apps. See pet sitting and dog walking.
  3. Mystery shopping apps, with jobs you pick on the app. See mystery shopping.

Earn from what you own

  1. Parking apps like JustPark and YourParkingSpace for your driveway. See renting out your driveway.
  2. Airbnb, managed entirely from the app. See making money on Airbnb.

Save rather than earn

  1. Cashback apps and sites pay a share of what you spend back to you. They save money on shopping you were doing anyway. See the best cashback sites.

Phone "side hustles" to avoid

  • Apps that pay you to play games or watch ads. Most pay pennies per hour, if you ever reach the payout threshold.
  • Anything that needs an upfront fee or a "starter pack" before you earn.
  • Task scams on WhatsApp or Telegram, where you "earn" by liking posts and then have to pay to unlock your earnings. These are fraud.
  • "Earn £100 a day from your phone" adverts. If it sounds too good to be true, it is.

Tax on phone side hustles

  • Selling your own unwanted things is not taxable.
  • Trading income, like reselling, delivery or testing, is covered by the £1,000 trading allowance, rising to £3,000 from April 2027.
  • Apps like Vinted and eBay report sellers with 30 or more sales, or about £1,700, a year to HMRC. See tax on selling online.
Free toolSide hustle tax calculatorSee how much tax and National Insurance you owe on side income, and what to set aside each month.

Common questions

Can you really make money from your phone in the UK?

Yes, mainly by selling, user testing, paid studies and gig apps. Apps that promise big earnings for playing games or watching ads rarely pay much.

What is the best app to make money in the UK?

For most people, Vinted, because it costs nothing to sell and you can start with things you already own.

Do I need to pay tax on money I make from apps?

Not on selling your own unwanted things. Other app income counts as trading or miscellaneous income, which is tax free up to £1,000 a year (£3,000 from April 2027).

This is general information, not personal tax or financial advice. Tax rules change and depend on your circumstances, so check GOV.UK or speak to an accountant before acting.

Keep reading

What to read next

  1. 1EarnBest side hustles UK 2026: 24 ideas compared (pay, costs and tax)6 min read
  2. 2EarnGet paid to test websites UK: UserTesting, Prolific and more (2026)3 min read
  3. 3EarnHow to make money on Vinted UK: a seller's guide (2026)3 min read

Tax deadline reminders

Never miss a Self Assessment deadline again

A short email before every key tax date, plus new guides and tools for earning, saving and investing. One or two emails a month.

Free. No spam. Unsubscribe any time.