Get paid for your unused internet connection

Bixberry is a bandwidth-sharing app, in the same category as EarnApp or Honeygain. According to the company, requests from artificial intelligence (AI) services – such as chatbots – pass through your connection when they look up fresh, local information on the web: prices, opening hours, news.

Why does it pay? AI models are trained once, and after that their knowledge is “frozen”. When an AI assistant is asked about today's prices, it has to check the live web – and from a data center the web looks different (different prices, different results) than from a real, local home connection. Bixberry sells this local access to its partner companies and pays part of the revenue to its users.

According to the company, it has more than 17 vetted AI partners, active users in 187 countries, and an average of about 3,000 requests per user per day.

What your earnings depend on

• Country: the rate depends on the country you registered in, because demand differs by country.
• Demand: requests only arrive when someone needs something from your region. During quiet periods the counter stops – according to the help center, this is normal.
• Connection quality: there are two rates, regular and double (Premium 2×) – see below.
• The amount of data does not matter: you are paid for time and requests, not for data used.

• One account can have up to 10 devices, and their earnings add up.
• Only one device earns per network (IP address). Two phones on the same home Wi-Fi do not earn twice as much: the second one pauses.
• Running several devices only makes sense on different networks – for example one on home Wi-Fi and another on mobile data, or at a family member's home.
• Sign in with the same account on every device, otherwise the earnings won't be combined.

• Minimum: $10 for the first payout, then $20 every time. The threshold applies to each payout: if you redeem only $10 out of $20, you have to reach $20 again for the rest. It's best to always withdraw your full balance.
• Payout options: PayPal, Revolut, Wise, Skrill and gift cards.
• Payouts arrive by email as a code, usually within a few minutes; if one goes into review, within a day at most.
• Fees: may differ by payout option; the app shows the exact amount before you redeem.
• Your payout email address must match the one you registered with.

• Your balance expires after 6 months of inactivity. An account counts as inactive if none of its devices has been online – just signing in doesn't count.
• Once you reach the payout threshold, redeem it within 24 months, or it may be written off.
• A balance below the threshold is lost if you delete your account.
• It doesn't work with most VPNs: it stops while a data-center VPN is active.

• Location access is required: it is used to determine your region and your rate. On iOS it asks for “Always” (“While Using the App” is not enough). According to the company, this is not personal tracking.
• Runs in the background: it runs continuously, so it shows up in your battery usage. According to the company, the consumption is modest, and lower on Wi-Fi than on mobile data.
• Android: it's worth turning off battery optimization for it, otherwise the system stops it and it earns less. You can also set it to run only while charging.
• iOS: don't swipe it away in the app switcher, or it stops.
• Data usage: small according to the company (web pages, prices, listings – not video), but keep it in mind on mobile data.

• It does not access your files, photos, messages, passwords or browsing history, and it does not use your camera or microphone.
• What it collects: account details (from your Google or Apple account, such as your email address), basic device and connection details, your earnings history and your location.
• Traffic is encrypted; the company says it complies with GDPR and CCPA.
• According to its Google Play data safety section, no data is shared with third parties, and you can request deletion of your data.

1. Run it on stable home Wi-Fi or a wired connection to get the double rate under 600 ms.
2. Run it on a device that is switched on most of the time – for example an old phone left on the charger.
3. Be online at least once every six months, and redeem once you reach the threshold, so nothing expires.
4. Run it as much as possible in your first 14 days (double rewards for requests).