How to Earn Money by Reviewing Apps on Your Phone

1. Introduction

Most importantly, app reviewing is a flexible and laid-back job. You choose what you want to review, when you want to review it, and there are no deadlines to meet. You can do this during your free time and make it a primary or secondary source of income.

Reviewing apps on your phone has its many benefits. The first and most obvious benefit is the extra money you'd make from doing something you already do. The average payment for reviewing an app is between $1 and $10, and it takes about 15 minutes to actually review the app. Simply use the money you make to purchase the app or the in-app purchases, and you'd virtually never be spending your own money. If you're one who constantly looks for improvement and change, app reviewing is also a great way to influence app development. Most developers pay close attention to the feedback they receive, and this can affect their decision in making updates or even new apps. Your feedback could potentially help prevent a bad app from going viral, or spark new ideas for better apps. Think of app reviewing as a small voice in a big industry.

If you've ever used an app and thought, "I could make a better app than this," or "This app is terrible," you should consider reviewing apps on your phone. Not only is this a convenient way to make some extra spending money, but it's a satisfying job for consumers who are looking for improvements in the app market. There are many benefits to reviewing apps on your phone, and with the necessary requirements and dedication, app reviewing can be a rather profitable method of earning cash.

1.1 Benefits of Reviewing Apps

The final benefit is the sense of satisfaction and personal gain from earning money. When you receive a check or cash from simply testing an application and providing honest feedback, you'll feel as if you've turned the tables and gotten money from the developer! This is a great feeling, and the only thing better than this is being owed money from a lawsuit.

Another great benefit is the insight you get into application development and design. Many of these applications are original creations from independent software developers. Since the application market is quite saturated, there are small developers out there who wish to profit from their work and are seeking a few dollars a day to a few hundred dollars a month. By reviewing their application and providing feedback, you provide valuable information to their product so that they can improve it and increase chances of success. Your opinion can make a significant difference, and these app developers are the guys who are likely to be your campaign sponsors!

A rather obvious advantage to reviewing applications is the extra money it provides. Reviewing applications generally takes about 15 minutes each, and since you will be downloading them to your smartphone, you can do it anywhere. If you rode the bus to school or work, waiting for class/work to start, standing in line, etc., you can use these times to download and review applications while earning money. This is much better than working at a minimum wage job since you won't have to waste time (and gas) commuting to and from work and can work varied hours throughout the day. Remember, the goal of this is to maximize the time and money earned, so work efficiently and not harder than you need to.

1.2 Requirements for App Reviewers

Apple doesn't usually publish the minimum requirement for a particular job, especially the Tester position for its Apple product, including iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad. But based on the available information from some Apple's job vacancies or job seekers who have attended a job interview, it is possible for us to know the requirements. Although this information might not be 100% accurate, but at least it can be used as a reference for those who are interested in applying for this job.
There are 2 kinds of Tester positions for Apple's product: Hardware Tester and Software Tester. Usually the apps or games that we download from iTunes, we can see the developers have stated the device compatibility. If you want to be a Hardware Tester, then you must have a device according to what will be tested. For example, a game application that is compatible for iPad only, then you must have an iPad device to test it. In other words, you must have one of Apple's product devices whether it's an iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad or MacBooks. This way also applies for a Software Tester, but perhaps you can use an iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad of your friend. But the advantage is you already have a MacBook because you can contribute to also test the Mac software.

2. Finding App Reviewing Opportunities

There are websites that offer a platform between app developers looking for reviews and app reviewers looking to make money. These websites allow developers to post campaigns that tell app reviewers what will be required of them. Postings often involve an exchange of a free app along with payment for your review. These websites also allow app reviewers to submit their own proposals to apps that may be in need of reviews. In most cases, payment is done via PayPal.

There are actually many websites out there that offer a platform for business between developers looking for reviews and people willing to review applications for pay. Below is a breakdown of some of the most popular review websites. Take note that many of these websites place more emphasis on iPhone application review jobs; however, there are still Android review jobs to be found.

Some independent developers, as well as companies, are willing to pay individuals for reviews of their apps. Often, these sorts of jobs can be found on freelancing websites or on various websites specifically created for people who want to review apps for money. Honest testers feature both Android and iPhone application testing jobs. Job posts are broken down to a per hour or per test basis. These postings will display the type of phone needed to perform the test and, in some cases, the developer may send you the app to be tested.

2.1 App Reviewing Websites

App reviewing sites tend to be the easiest and fastest way to make money. Most app reviewing sites pay around $1-15 per app review. The range in money is determined by the app review site. To make money reviewing apps on app reviewing websites, you must first create an account. When creating an account, it is important to fill out your demographics, for if it does not match the target audience most sites will not give you an app to review. After making an account, you will have access to a list of apps to download and review. Once you complete a review, the app reviewing site will either pay you directly through PayPal or other forms of online money transfer, or the app reviewing site will have a reward system or contest where you can have the chance to win more money. An example of a reward system or contest is writing X amount of app reviews within a given time frame, and then entering a drawing where the winner receives a prize of some sort. Most of the time the prize is money. Most app reviewing sites have certain rules and regulations when it comes to reviewing and they will ask you to review more higher quality apps over time. This means you must provide insightful and helpful reviews in order to get a better paying app to review. A list of some app reviewing sites: UserTesting, Ferpection, Enroll.

2.2 Mobile App Testing Platforms

Mobile app testing platforms are another potentially more lucrative way to earn money by reviewing apps. These platforms, also known as "Usability testing services," will send you a test to complete. The test will require that you record a video of the screen of your device and also your voice giving your thoughts out loud about the app you are testing. This is known as a "video/speaking review." These tests can take anywhere from 5 minutes to 30+ and can pay anywhere from $2 to $15 per test via PayPal. Money is not the only benefit of these platforms; they offer a large amount of programming experience, and dedicated testers may move up to a higher paying app or software testing job.
You will be assigned tests based upon your demographic information such as age, gender, location, language, and internet usage. Your tests may not be very frequent, but a lot of these tests can be completed in a day. These platforms are difficult to get into, but Testbirds and uTest are great platforms that offer mobile app testing jobs.

2.3 Social Media Groups and Forums

Utilize the search functions in both the social media groups and the forums to find app reviewing opportunities. It is recommended to use short generic search queries such as "app review" and browse through the results. Using the advanced search in some cases can also be helpful by filtering the search results to show only the latest posts containing your search query. This will also be a time saver as you won't need to manually look through the posts to see if the app reviewing opportunity is outdated.

As for forums, sometimes app developers will directly post in the forums looking for an app review. There are also job boards within some forums that might have someone looking for an app review. Similar to social media groups, let them know you are willing to review their app and provide them a link to your website or blog.

Social media groups and forums are useful platforms for finding app reviewing opportunities. An app developer with a genuinely developed app visits social media groups to promote their application. Many times they are looking for someone to provide a review of their app. This can be a perfect opportunity. Let them know you are willing to review their app and point out your website or blog. Generally, they are very grateful and more than happy for you to write an unbiased review.

3. Tips for Writing Effective App Reviews

The key to writing an effective review is not only understanding the app, but also understanding what you need to convey in your review. This can be facilitated by a clear "take home message", stated at the beginning of your review. This will guide both you and the reader and will ultimately help to make a more focused and purposeful review. Following, you should evaluate every aspect of the app, always with the question in mind: "How does this affect the user?" This will help to consistently steer the review back on course if you find you are getting lost in descriptive detail. Always value the reader's time; this is of premium importance in the fast-paced consumer world. People need to make quick, informed decisions on whether or not to invest time and money in a particular app. Having thoroughly evaluated the app and with a clear understanding of the message you want to convey, you are ready to begin writing your review.

3.1 Understanding the App's Purpose and Features

When you begin your review of an app, it's important to first identify the app's purpose and what function it is intended to carry out. For example, the popular game app Angry Birds, though some may not consider it a game, is a strategy app that involves physics and destructive behavior to solve a level. If the reviewer did not know the purpose of this game and wrote a review suggesting the game was flawed because there is no objective or way to win, the review would not be very effective. Often times it's best to take into consideration the intended audience of the app and maybe even ask the provider of the app what it was they were attempting to create. This type of information can be very useful to include in your review to let the user know of the information you were provided and what you took into account when forming your opinions. Finally, you'll want to evaluate whether or not the app was successful in meeting its intended purpose and how the app went about doing it.
Once you have a clear understanding of the purpose of the app, the next step is to evaluate the app's features. This can be done by simply comparing the features to what it is the app is supposed to do. Features are considered to be what the app is able to do, while a purpose is the reason for doing it. A feature is in fact an attribute of the app and could be anything from a search bar to a multi-platform support. When comparing features to the app's purpose it's important to look at what is necessary to carry out the purpose and see if the app has done it and done it effectively. Any extraneous features that do not contribute to the purpose can be deemed as unnecessary. This may all sound very similar to evaluating the purpose of the app, but the difference is that the purpose of the app is the overall goal while features are individual things the app does to try to accomplish the purpose.

3.2 Evaluating User Interface and User Experience

Ads and pop-ups are certainly an annoyance in almost any mobile application, but if a developer must include them, they are best implemented by an ad randomly placed within the application's menu generating revenue upon clicks, rather than disruptive pop-ups which can lead to accidental ad clicks and user frustration, often resulting in the deletion of the app.

Now the best way to review an app's UI will vary from app to app. A good guideline is to simulate to users who have not yet used the app, how to best navigate through and control said app. After doing this, provide information to the developer about what you attempted to do and how it may have resulted in confusion. Any observed bugs in the app's controls are also necessary to note.

Noting these points, think of how it makes you feel about using the control. At times there are games and applications with fantastic ideas behind them, hindered by the fact they don't really teach the controls to the user because the developer understands the concept they wish to convey. Providing a service to fix these issues for the development party can lead to further job opportunities, possibly working with that party in the future.

Evaluating the UI first, screen through the application and get a sense of what it is trying to present. Attempt to understand the app as a first-time user, and take note of the path you are guided through. Any good app will have a set goal at hand to accomplish; the path will teach you a lesson before reaching a point of learning what the app is truly about. Any deviations from this path can often be seen as confusing and detrimental to the learner.

The next step in evaluating an app is to look at its user interface (UI) and the experience (UX) it presents. It is crucial to differentiate the UI and UX of an app, as they are often confused for one another. UI is the way the information is presented to the user and the controls through which they can interact with the app. UX is the facilitation the user receives from said app and how they felt using it.

3.3 Providing Constructive Feedback

While some feedback may not be welcome, it is important to remain diplomatic and express your opinion in a respectful manner. It is important to avoid being overly critical and sounding like you are simply bashing the app, as this can discredit your review and label you as a bad reviewer. Always remember that your goal is to help the developers improve the app, and to inform potential users of a given app of what they can expect.

Check user reviews from people who have actually used the app. This can give a great indication of any flaws or problems that may exist. It also is a great way of seeing if there are any positive features to the app that you may have missed when evaluating it yourself. Consider all types of feedback you receive for the app, and take all opinions into consideration when writing the final review.

3.4 Writing Clear and Concise Reviews

When you have finished your review, give it to someone else to read, but only give them the first paragraph or so. After they have read it, ask them to summarize the app and compare this to your review. This is an effective way to test if your review is too wordy or lacks important information.

The easiest way to write concise app reviews is to follow some of the advice given above and use it to focus solely on what the user needs to know. Stick to the facts and remember to weigh the positives and negatives.

Decide what you wish to say before you start. If you start writing without making a plan first, you run a higher risk of including unnecessary details and getting sidetracked. Remember, a rambling review isn't a clear review.

So you have been awarded a few projects related to writing detailed reviews for a few apps. In order to finish them quickly, you dump a lot of details and opinions. Let me tell you, this will confuse your readers and they will be unimpressed with your work.

4. Getting Paid for App Reviews

As mentioned in the last section, a majority of app review platforms compensate their users in the form of gift cards. However, there are platforms which offer payment in other forms. Some platforms offer cash payment to their reviewers. Alternatively, some offer payment in the form of free apps. Essentially they are reimbursing the time spent reviewing their app with the product itself. Users should identify what payment method they are most comfortable with. Some users would rather be compensated in a physical form whereas some are fine with being able to download a few paid apps for free. Special note to app developers: Offering alternative forms of payment for your app such as reviewing other developers' apps will attract more reviewers to your app. In a case study for the ReviewForDev platform (which no longer exists), it was found that a majority of users were reviewing apps just to accrue points that would enable them to receive reviews for their own app by other users. This was in an effort to save money by not having to pay cash for something they could get in return for a similar service, thus enabling a 1:1 payment ratio that would ultimately help them advertise their own app for free.

4.1 Payment Methods and Rates

Most earning platforms provide PayPal as their primary payment method, including testing apps and writing reviews. One common approach is to get directly paid weekly or monthly based on the total amount of reviews submitted. It is also typical that payment rates will be determined by the quality of the review, including if it was written well, if it provided helpful information, if it was a professional and honest opinion, and if it was updated in the case of a long-term app use. Payment can range from $2 for a simple and well-thought out review with the average payment being around $10 to an exceptional $15 or more for extended reviews that are well written. However, app developers and companies looking to have app market research done can also post app testing writing jobs with higher pay rates, such as $30 for two hours of an in-depth app analysis.

4.2 Avoiding Scams and Fraudulent Platforms

Although many professional, legitimate platforms exist for taking surveys or testing products, there are also scams that may seem legitimate, so it is vital to investigate if a platform is valid. A legitimate platform will have a positive reputation online, a professional website, customer service, and payout contingent on work done (usually paid surveys and usability testing). An illegitimate platform usually will not pay the participant for their work, or they will make excuses as to why the participant does not qualify for payment. At times, certain conditions are put in place to disqualify a participant from obtaining payment, such as taking a survey in a certain amount of time or not having completed the entire test. Data entry and taking surveys are also popular scams as it is easy to mass produce and the data entry can be farmed out to foreign countries for near free work. Usually, if the payout looks too good to be true and the work is simple, it is a scam.
Research should be done on whether a particular survey, app test, or site testing is a legitimate opportunity. Taking the job description/title/survey name and adding "scam" into a search engine is a quick way to determine whether the job is real and if other people have had negative experiences. If there are no reviews of the job, it is likely still a new platform and may not be worth the time to test. Many veteran survey takers have compiled lists of known legitimate survey and market research companies which is also a valuable resource.

4.3 Maximizing Earnings through Referrals and Bonuses

Referral and bonus programs are a good method of supplementing income from app review jobs. This is a system where a reviewer convinces somebody else to join the review program and is paid a small amount for each review the person does. This is similar to the reviewer's normal pay rate, often ranging from 50 cents to a dollar for each review the person referred does. It is advisable for reviewers to only attempt this if they are confident the person they are referring will be a good, reliable reviewer. Attempting to refer somebody who does not review to a high standard can create problems between the reviewer and the referral's employer, as many companies will use the reviewer's pay as a method of determining the referred person's suitability for the job.
Bonuses are a rarity in the app review field, as many companies looking to engage temporary employees to review their app will have no need to create extra incentive once the reviewer is already working, particularly if the payment rates are competitive. However, it is not unheard of for employees to be offered a bonus based on performance if the employer has a large quantity of apps or a large app with the potential for future work to be done. This could be a good opportunity for a reviewer who has done a particularly good job on a good app, looking to continue increasing income.