Let’s face it, we are always on our phones. For some of us, you would think it was glued to our hands. In fact, there’s a good chance that you are reading this article from your phone right now. But even though hundreds of websites, games, and tools are out there, we seem to stick to the same five or six apps. After a while, Facebook and Instagram can get boring. Want to put some fun back into your screen time? Here are seven not-so-common fun ways to pass the time on your phone. Some of them even generate a little cash.
Online Surveys For Cash
Taking paid online surveys is an excellent way to pass the time on your phone. Spending time taking surveys for money is not only enjoyable, but it’s a great way to boost your budget. Many people even make it a lucrative side hustle.
There are dozens of paid online survey websites and apps, but which are the best? Unfortunately, not all online surveys for cash are legitimate, and some of them barely pay anything. Our favorite is Branded Surveys. On Trustpilot, the site has approximately 69,000 ratings and a great rating. For a survey site, that’s a pretty big deal. In addition to being a reliable website, Branded Surveys provides fantastic incentives and always has plenty of available surveys to make money. They also offer PayPal or Branded Pay, and you can swap your points for gift cards or cash.
Photography
The cameras on smartphones just keep getting better. Add to that the vast amount of editing apps, and you have the tools needed for some great photography. From landscapes to close-up objects, taking photos is a fun way to pass the time on your phone. Editing apps like PhotoDirector and Pixlr allow you to tweak your photos and make them look amazing.
Once you get the hang of phone photography, you can even get paid to take pictures! Apps like Foap or Shutterstock let you upload your photos to a marketplace. You could get paid between five dollars to $100 per photo. If you don’t want to sell your photos but still want feedback on them, Flickr is a great website where users can leave comments and likes.
Alternative Social Media
One of the most popular ways to pass the time on your phone is on social media. It’s an excellent way to interact with friends and stay in tune with the human world. After a while, though, scrolling through people’s political opinions and photos of their dinners gets boring.
There are dozens of social media websites that dance to a different beat. Harm reduction websites like Bluelight.org or MAPS are fantastic places to pass the time on your phone if you are interested in pharmacology and supplements. Ask.fm is an interesting question-and-answer website where users submit their questions as well as answer others. If you love music and want to chat with other people about it, MySpace is still alive and kicking. Today, it focuses on music and filled the gap left when Spotify took away its social features. There are social media sites for practically any interest you might have. So change up your game and have a look around. You’ll probably even meet some fun new friends.
Journal / Write A Memoir
Journaling is a therapeutic way to pass the time on your phone. Daily reflections allow you to express yourself and give you something to look back on later. Some apps, like Journey, even let you attach photos and videos to your entries. From dream journals to gratitude journals, you could find this pastime very rewarding.
If you find that you love your new journaling hobby, put your entries together into a memoir. MemLife is an excellent app designed to turn your journaling into memoirs. If you need help coming up with ideas on what to write about, Storyworth sends you weekly story prompts. You can even go the extra mile and write your biography with apps like The Life Writer.
Help Others
Helping others is a fulfilling and rewarding way to pass the time on your phone. You can help others with technical questions, emotional support, recipes, and more from your phone.
Kindly is an excellent app for anyone in need of a caring voice or just someone to listen to. You can give emotional support in an anonymous social network of caring people. The app divides issues by subject matter and connects people for 20-minute chats. You can also use the app if you need some caring attention too.
If you want to help others by sharing your expertise, Snapguide is a great way to do it. It’s a multimedia tool that makes it simple to create how-to lessons. You can blend images, video, and text to create easy-to-follow instructions in virtually any area of knowledge. Users can find your guide and let it walk them through their issue. From recipes to car repair, helping others from your phone with this app is fun and easy.
Create Art
Creating art is a fantastic way to pass the time on your phone. You don’t need a craft kit, easel, or paints to express yourself. Instead, digital art applications allow you to produce your next masterpiece whenever and wherever you choose. There are several digital art applications available for both iPhone and Android that will enable you to sketch, draw, or paint.
Sketchbook is a beautiful and easy app for novice or experienced digital doodlers. It has all of the functionality you would expect from a professional-grade program. FireAlpaca is a completely free app that allows you to sketch easily. If you aren’t into drawing, apps like Pigment offer adult coloring pages. You could also pass the time on your phone creating art by playing with your photos in Photoshop.
Play Brain Games
Want to pass the time on your phone while getting smarter? Playing brain games will keep you occupied and give your mind a workout. Studies show that staying mentally active can help prevent Alzheimer’s and cognitive decline. Playing brain games is probably the most distracting activity on our list too. That means it can help you take your mind off stressful things or even physical pain.
Brain game apps are not in short supply. There are dozens of them available, and many of them are free. Luminosity, Elevate, A Clockwork Brain, and Mensa Brain Training are all great apps to exercise your brain. You could also find websites that let you play sudoku, crossword puzzles, or word finds.
Closing Thoughts
From making money with paid online surveys to staying sharp with brain games, there are many fun ways to pass the time on your phone. We hope this list gave you a few new ideas so that next time you are stuck in a waiting room or on a long car ride, you have a great way to pass the time.
