(Also posted on my new project, Irregular View)
For some time I've been interested in seeing how I could make money via smartphone apps. I am however, too busy for Uber, Instacart, Taskrabbit etc., so I somehow find myself checking out apps that let you do surveys. There are quite a few out there, so I picked some of the most popular ones based on search results. All the apps I reviewed were iOS apps, so your millage on Android may vary. I used these apps for a couple of months and found out that yes, you actually can make money from them, but don't quit your day job, and the effort is not worth the payout. You're probably better off here on Steemit!
Apps reviewed
I took a look at the following apps...
Quick Thoughts
By far the best. This app offered lots of opportunities to earn money. I received survey notifications daily, typically qualifying for surveys which lasted anywhere from 5 to 20 minutes. Payouts are usually around a dollar. One bonus was that even if you didn't qualify you were still credited $.10 for even trying, which was nice. None of the other apps I tried offered this. I have earned the most so far in the brief period that I have been trying out the surveys. Unfortunately I can't cash out yet because you have to earn $10 in order to cash out which is given in the form of an iTunes gift card. Nevertheless I've seen the most earnings from this particular app.
This app was pretty well laid out with a clear interface. The main take on this app was to complete surveys for points which you could redeem for prize drawings such as gift cards, so no direct cash payments from this one, for the most part. If you gather enough points you can redeem them for gift cards but you have to collect a many of them (3000) for a $1 card. I have yet to win anything in over a month. The surveys seem to be triggered by location and when you reach a location you are asked if you went to a certain store there. Adding in the fact that I'm not actually earning anything, the constant asking for this info gets creepy after awhile.
1Q
The best thing about 1Q is that their surveys are literally one question! Also, payouts are immediate, straight to your PayPal account as soon as you answer the question. I've earned about $1.75 so far. Big money, I know, but at least this one pays! Questions, however are few and far between. In the time I reviewed the app I only received four questions. Questions earn between .25 and .50 per question. The infrequency is the biggest drawback to this app.
Rewardable
If you want variety, Rewardable is the way to go. There are many different ways to earn with this app, including surveys, watching videos, downloading apps, even doing tasks. You are rewarded through "acorns." You collect these acorns to redeem for real money. From my calculations, it looks like 20 acorns=one cent. While there is variety, it seems to take a lot of effort to gather those acorns. I don't have the time for it, but if you have free time, maybe this is for you. You really should look for a more efficient side hustle though.
Others to Consider
Harris Poll. The Harris Corporation which is known for a conducting polls, just launched a mobile app that allows you to earn what are referred to as HI Points.I didn't get to spend enough time with this one but it looks promising considering it just came out and the company that it's attached to.