Free app to monetise your network connection
Honeygain is a free Android app that pays you for sharing your unused Internet bandwidth, whether that's Wi-Fi or mobile data. Sounds great, doesn't it? But can it really be that simple?
On the surface, it looks like an amazing opportunity. However, dig a little deeper, and you'll find that there are, inevitably, some compromises to be made. By installing the Honeygain app, you're giving access to detailed personal and financial information. Unfortunately, you're not explicitly told who will have access to that information. If you're comfortable with this scenario, then Swagbucks is another contender to be one of the best apps to make money online.
How much can I earn?
Honeygain gives you credits for every kilobyte of data that you share. Once you've earned enough credits, you can convert them to cash, which is paid through PayPal.
How can I increase my earnings?
Honeygain has what could be described as a referral scheme. If you introduce friends and acquaintances, you will be rewarded with 10% of their daily earnings.
You could also maximise the amount of data you share by installing the Honeygain app on multiple devices that are all connected to the Internet. You can use desktop and mobile devices, and it works on both Wi-Fi and mobile data.
Data collection
Yes, there is data collection. There are one or two caveats. After all, you're being given a passive earning opportunity.
The first thing you need to do is read the Honeygain privacy policy. It's very clear about the data it obtains from you using the app. As well as more generic marketing-oriented information, it may also use very personal details such as your date of birth, address, credit card data and lots more. This is definitely something you should consider because Honeygain doesn't explicitly state how your data will be used.
While it's easy to get excited about earning money from the bandwidth you're not using, most ISPs have fair usage policies. Therefore, if you’re using huge amounts of data, it may raise a red flag with your service provider.
Monetise content
Unfortunately, even without security concerns, the payment amounts promised simply don't make economic sense. Add security issues to that, and Honeygain becomes a scheme that should be avoided. If you want to make money by simply sharing your Internet without making your device and your data vulnerable, then shop around and always read the small print.