9 Side Hustles You Can Run From Your Phone
May 12, 2025
Make real money online with zero inventory, no shipping, and no excuses.
🖥️ Reading time: 7 minutes
If you've watched my video or read the blog, you'll know that I have multiple incomes and side hustles. Most of these are passive, and I can even manage them from my phone. Here is why phone-based side hustles are the new goldmine.
You don’t need a warehouse, a storefront, or even a laptop to make money online. All you need is your phone — and a little direction.
Whether you're stuck in traffic, killing time on the couch, or between errands, there are side hustles you can start (and grow) right from your pocket. No product to ship, no inventory to manage, no business degree required.
Let’s dive into 9 side hustles you can run entirely from your phone — plus the websites and apps that’ll get you started today.
✍️ Freelance Writing
From Blogs to Brands, Get Paid to Write.
If you can write a solid email or explain an idea clearly, you can freelance. Businesses, blogs, and creators are always looking for people to write web content, emails, scripts, and product descriptions.
Use tools like Grammarly or ChatGPT to outline, edit, or spark ideas faster — they’ll boost your workflow, not replace your voice.
💡 Pro Tip: You don’t need a fancy setup. Your phone + Google Docs + a client = cash.
📧 Start a Paid Newsletter
Turn Ideas Into Inbox Income.
You don’t need 10,000 followers — just a perspective people care about. Whether it's hot takes, money tips, or deep-dive nerd stuff, newsletters let you build a following and monetize it directly.
Platforms like Substack make it as easy as texting. You write, they handle billing and delivery.
💡 Pro Tip: 100 subscribers paying $5/month = $500 recurring income. That’s groceries, phone bill, or even your monthly Roth IRA contribution.
📱 Become a Virtual Assistant
Manage Businesses from Anywhere.
Entrepreneurs are drowning in admin. You can be their lifeline. As a VA, you’ll manage calendars, reply to emails, organize files, and sometimes even handle light social media — all remotely, all from your phone.
💡 Pro Tip: Most VAs charge $20–$50/hour. It’s one of the best side hustles for organized people with strong communication skills.
🔗 Affiliate Marketing
Make Money Promoting What You Love.
Affiliate marketing is a large part of my passive income strategy. And it can be part of yours, too. This is digital word-of-mouth — and it pays. You share a product or service using a special link. When someone clicks and buys? You earn a commission.
No big following needed. You can post in a niche Facebook group, write a quick Medium article, or make it visual in Pinterest.
💡Pro Tip: Affiliate income stacks well with other hustles like blogging or YouTube. But you don’t need to be an influencer to start, just a valid opinion and an affiliate link.
🎨 Sell Digital Products
Create Once, Sell Forever.
Templates, eBooks, trackers—you name it. Design once and sell forever, no shipping or inventory needed.
💡 Pro Tip: Use Canva to design your product. Start simple. Solve a specific problem. Watch it sell.
🎓 Create an Online Course
Teach Once, Earn on Repeat.
I got really good at one skill—teaching. From teaching to tutoring and now financial coaching, mastering one skill opened countless doors for me. If you’ve mastered something — budgeting, branding, basic Spanish — you can teach it. Online courses let you package your knowledge, upload it once, and earn over and over.
💡 Pro Tip: Record with your phone, upload from the app, and you’re in business.
📸 Sell Stock Photos or Videos
Turn Your Camera Roll Into Your Payroll.
Everyday photos are in demand — coffee cups, nature, city life, flat lays, etc. You don’t need a DSLR. If your phone takes sharp pics, you’re set. Upload your content to stock sites and get paid every time someone downloads it.
💡 Pro Tip: Batch your uploads. The more you post, the more potential passive income.
🛍️ Earn Cashback and Rewards
Get Paid for Shopping Like You Already Do.
This is the side hustle for people who hate side hustles. You shop, scan a receipt, and earn points, cashback, or gift cards — often on things you were going to buy anyway.
💡 Pro Tip: Stack apps for maximum payout. Some users get 10–20% back weekly.
🔍 Want to save instead of earn?
Check out Honey or The Krazy Coupon Lady for promo codes, stacked deals, and cashback combos. Great for extreme savers or retail resellers.
💬 Get Paid to Test & Review
Share Your Opinions, Get Paid.
Brands need feedback — and they’re willing to pay for it. You’ll review websites, apps, or products. Some tasks ask you to speak your thoughts out loud, others are simple surveys. All from your phone.
💡 Pro Tip: Won’t make you rich, but it’s easy money for downtime moments.
🔁 Bonus Hustle: Product Flipping
Buy Low, Sell High.
Find a deal, flip it, and pocket the profit. You can spot clearance or thrift store steals (I ♥️ Thrift Stores) and resell them on eBay or Facebook Marketplace — all from your phone.
💡Pro Tip: Start with stuff around your house. Then reinvest profits into your flipping game.
💥 Your Side Hustle Is Already in Your Pocket
No office. No inventory. No excuses. You don’t need to be an influencer, designer, or MBA grad. You just need your phone and a decision to start.
Whether you’ve got 15 minutes before bed or a few hours on the weekend, this list is your launchpad.
Your phone isn’t just a scroll machine — it’s a paycheck.
✅ Want to learn more? Download my eBook today
✅ Take advantage of my FREE Financial Freedom Faster eBook
Phone. Hustle. Income.
—Steve
Disclaimer:
The following article is strictly the opinion of the author and is not to be considered financial/investment advice. CTL Community LLC and the author of this article do not claim to be a registered financial advisor (RIA) or financial advisor. Please visit our terms of service and privacy policy before reading this article. "Call to Leap may earn affiliate commissions from the links mentioned. Call to Leap is part of an affiliate network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites such as ImpactRadius, CardRatings, MyBankTracker, and more."
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