I see a lot of cons in app earning:
1) Really I don't believe that people like to install apps, to cut their app RAM. Most people use only profi apps like FB, Filemanager, Video Player and other important apps. If you create wallpaper app I doubt if anybody wants to install this. Because without Java coding you only will be able to create wallpaper app or something like this. And you can only do that by appbuilders like Admobo, Appygen if you not java coder.
You are probably right that a crapton of people only use "the big few" trusted apps. But reality is, world has 7billion+ people, and a big chunk of those have mobile phones. Every day, new people come into the market. Many of these people are 'new to tech' and to them just seeing an 'app store' is like going into the Chocolate Factory and dancing around with 10,000 different candies to taste and try out.
You also have to realize the average user (remember, we're not talking about guys like you and me who are very intelligent and experienced with tech.) isn't that security conscious nor clever. They have big trust into Google Play Store and their beloved Apple, and if they don't like something they just uninstall (some users don't even understand how to do that!). It is very low risk for them to try random apps, even if they look shit, because its low risk for them.
Fact is, you see the numbers. Apps and games DO get downloaded. Maybe they quickly get uninstalled, maybe the users use it cause they don't know any better. THAT is the window you have to make a few cents -- between the install and the uninstall. Make a penny per user, and you've succeeded
2) to have a lot of installs you must have 200 such stupid useless apps. You must have 200 different codes, or you must change 200 times your code, so I think it impossible to change source of code 200 times.
3) 200 apps it is 200 original descriptions of these apps. If your English is not native it will be difficult. Also, you must have like 500 original pictures to pass Google rules. And 200 promo videos of your apps.
Indeed, its not some braindead click-a-button-and-get-rich system, it takes work, writing, photo editing, reverse engineering, and financial investment. You won't be submitting 200 apps overnight (usually). But you spread your risk across multiple accounts, play it smart, and day by day build your empire. Some projects will fall due to banning, some due to shitty apps nobody wants, but you keep going. Some will become money printers for a while.
For whitehat websites you gotta write 100's of longass articles, and your website might get banned from the engines and your income wiped out randomly even though you did "nothing wrong". For IG and other spammy type routes, you gotta constantly bot and pray you don't wake up the next day with your accounts permabanned and months of slow growth and investment down the toilet. Youtube you put in hundreds of hours of video editing and creation and research, interacting with your userbase etc... and the tube can cut your views, stop showing you, and prevent your subs from getting notifications "just because".
4) About Google ban. It is look like if you get banned your dev account you must create new dev accounts and new adsense account. It will be difficult to withdraw cash from new adsense account. Because you have old bank visa card, which was used in previous adsense account.
5) and if you get banned you must create new 200 apps with changed codes, with new 500 pics and new 200 descriptions of apps.
I agree with you here -- dev accounts and ad accounts (and if you're creating them yourself, the costs of business registration and banking \ new credit cards, rental addresses and phone numbers, etc..) is IMO the biggest annoyance and roadblock to this. sweeside seems to have this sorted in his own way, I guess buying accounts and whatever other clever methods he has in place to ensure getting paid. Not easy -- but dude, look at what his daily earnings are -- if you can pull it off, its absolutely worth it.
6) you must have always installs it require doing updates of your apps very often, so users will start use app again and see ads.
But my main point nobody uses these stupid apps. Many people use only few popular apps+ browsers on their mobile phones.
Nah you don't have to update, depends how you're playing it. If you're going a long term whitehat route, yes -- but then you're not likely to be doing volume either, cause WH means no stealing source code, you gotta put mad hours (or funds) into developing the apps. Let me state my opinion on this: This is totally different than what OP is doing, and is dangerous, because you have a hell of a lot more invested, and more to lose when they ban your one legit source of income, and it doesn't scale easily.
I totally see where you're coming from dude, this stuff isn't easy, there are roadblocks and its not "safe". But what else should you do?
- Media buying and arbitrage type stuff, absolutely, but that also carries risk and requires tons of capital and dealing with high limit accounts (and account replacement).
- The manual work ewhoring? Earning cents from popup ads? Sweating in your sleep because IG might ban your entire account network tomorrow? Porn uploading (deal with banned accounts here too)?
Virtually everything is either depending on Google, FB, IG, Reddit, Twitter, PP, eBay, Amazon in some way or another... you're at their mercy. Accounts get banned, websites get delisted, money gets frozen, limits get imposed, "ID verification" gets requested. This shit is totally fucked up, there is always something.
Fully whitehat SaaS products, or huge website networks, or B2B services -- different world so I won't go into those. But they bring on other annoyances like providing support, dealing with people face to face, and usually very long development and growth phases before a reasonable income is established.
Everything is viable, of course. There are big players in all of these niches and methods, but far far more who barely earn cents. If you ask me, this app reskinning stuff has a higher probability of earning at least some DOLLARS per day within a shorter timeframe. To me, that is a winner.
@dkv023, What would you suggest as an alternative?
