Ask people what three things they can’t leave home without and chances are, a good number will reply cell phones as among them.
Be it for business or personal use, cell phones have admittedly become indispensable at this day and age. So much so that everywhere you look, you’re sure to find someone clutching a phone or flicking a finger on the screen.
One study shows that adults in the US spend three hours and 35 minutes on the average using their cell phones. They either consume online content, do social networking, look for fun games to play when they are bored, or call and text.
What if I tell you that it is possible to spend that much time on your phone AND earn money at the same time? The best part of it is that all you need to do is send out text messages and you can do that in the comforts of your own home!
Can’t imagine how it works? Here’s how.
How do I make money from sending messages?
I’m going to start with the best option for earning money from your texts. It’s from an app known as Blabber, which tops the list of apps that allow you to make money by sending SMS (short message service) or text messages and MMS (multimedia messaging service) messages.
How Does Blabber Work?
A free messaging app, Blabber replaces your phone’s default messaging app. Just download it from App Store or Google Play, sign up, and invite people to your contacts list to install and start using the app, too. That way, you can start sending text messages to each other. If you’re an Apple fan, it’s like playing games on iMessage.
Now, the big question is: can you imagine yourself sending 15,000--yes, fifteen thousand--text messages to people in your contacts list? No? What if I tell you that by sending 15,000 messages (which is like talking excessively or blabbering, hence the name of the app), you stand to earn $15? Still not interested?
The fact that you’ve read this far tells me you are. Let me convince you a bit more by saying that it is straightforward to have Blabber in your phone--it’s available on App Store and Google Play.
So what else do you need to do to get that $15?
While texting, ads will appear on your phone on occasion. If you might ask, it is from these ads that Blabber gets the money to pay you. All you have to do now is spare a few minutes and watch the ads.
How Do I Get Paid?
First, you need to have a PayPal account. That’s where Blabber sends payments to users who manage to send at least 15,000 messages. It doesn’t matter how long it takes you to send 15,000 messages, but I figured the faster you reach the target, the better your chances are of earning extra money.
What’s Good About Blabber?
There are many reasons why Blabber is the favored make-money messenger app, hence the four-star rating on Google Play.
First, you get your money the moment you cash out from PayPal. No waiting needed.
Second, you don’t have to worry about extra charges--no fees on the app itself and no other charges for sending the messages other than your service provider’s data and text rates. Third, you can still enjoy the same messaging features as when Blabber wasn’t installed in your phone yet. Lastly, it’s safe so whatever information you share won’t be accessed by a third party.
What’s The Downside To Using Blabber?
Here’s the thing--text messages received are not part of the 15,000. Only the ones you send are considered.
You also have to make sure that you and your recipient are active in the chat for the messages to count, as you can no longer send text messages after sending three consecutive messages that have not been responded to yet. Only when you’ve received a reply can you send text messages again. This is Blabber’s way of ensuring that users don’t send multiple messages in a short period to make fast money.
You might also find the ads annoying. They appear in between texts so it could get quite distracting. These ads also tend to make the sending of text messages slower than your usual messaging service app, especially if you’re using an old unit.
Other Ways to Earn by Messaging
If you don’t find Blabber too appealing, below five other apps for you to try. Check each one out and find out which one you think works for you.
1Q
1Q or 1 question is an app that pays you by answering survey questions through messaging. The questions are part of market research efforts of specific brands, which send requests to 1Q to survey its users.
A notification pops up every time a new question is available for users to answer. The user taps on the new question, selects the answer from among the choices provided, then submits it. Every answer could earn you between $0.25 and $0.50, which is sent directly to your PayPal.
1Q is available to both iOS and Android users.
63336
AQA (Any Question Answered) 63336, now known as 63336, is a UK-based question and answer text service that answers just about any question you have in mind.
What happens is your question gets sent to the company’s “pool of experts,” who will answer or research for answers to your question. The answer/s will be sent to you through text.
To earn money, look out for competition-related messages that will qualify you to join and give you a chance to win prizes. Names of winning users will be announced on 63336’s website, on Facebook, and Twitter.
The thing with this app is you have to be at least 16 years old to join. You will also have to pay £3.00 for every question asked.
Drizzle SMS
Drizzle SMS is very much like Blabber, albeit not as popular.
Install the app in your phone and watch banner ads as they appear while you’re exchanging text messages with other Drizzle SMS users.
Just by using Drizzle SMS, you will already earn Drops. There's no need to click on the ads. The other good thing about Drizzle SMS is that Drops can be converted into cash, PayPal, Amazon Gift cards, etc. If you’re feeling charitable, you may also choose to donate these Drops to specific causes.
Drizzle SMS also has cool features like quick reply, customization, muting and scheduling of messages, full emoji keyboard, and search and conversation image viewer.
KGB
KGBKGB, a human-powered mobile service search, is another site that lets you earn by sending text messages.
With KGBKGB though, you, being a “special agent,” need to be able to know about certain things or be able to provide accurate answers to questions ranging from the location of the train station closest to you or what the average lifespan of a dolphin is. By being a KGBKGB agent, you’re extending assistance to people through your mobile phone.
Each response you give is worth 10 cents.
To be a KGBKGB agent, you must be at least 18 years old, and lives in and is eligible for work in the US. Your work schedule is flexible, but you have to remain active every 30 days.
Conclusion: Is Making Money Sending Messages For You?
If you’re the type who enjoys chatting up friends for long periods, might as well earn from it. It’s not much, but it could help you out.
I suggest trying out the highly recommended and better-paying app first--Blabber. Then, if you’re still up for it, try the other apps as well and then decide which app suits you best. After all, what is important is you enjoy what you’re doing. The money, as they say, is just a bonus.
Have you tried any of these apps?
Drop a comment below for your experiences.