No. Nobody, on a phone or on any other device, can mine Ether (ETH). Ethereum moved from proof of work to proof of stake in The Merge, which took place on 15 September 2022. Since then, ethereum.org says, "mining is no longer the means of producing valid blocks". New ETH goes to validators who stake it, not to anyone running hardware. An app that says your phone is "mining ETH" is doing one of three things. It is controlling mining that runs on remote servers, usually for a different coin. It is giving out rewards for activity and calling them mining. Or it is a scam.
What changed with The Merge
Under proof of work, miners competed with computing power to add blocks and collect rewards. Under proof of stake, validators lock up ETH as collateral and are chosen to propose and confirm blocks. ethereum.org estimates that the switch cut Ethereum's energy use by about 99.95%.
Ethereum Classic (ETC) is a separate chain that is still mined. The Ethereum Classic project describes a "long term commitment to Proof of Work", and its hashing algorithm is "almost identical to ETHash". That does not make it a phone coin. Mining it profitably takes dedicated hardware, not a smartphone processor.
What app stores allow
The two big app stores both ban mining on the phone itself:
- Apple App Store Review Guideline 3.1.5(ii): "Apps may not mine for cryptocurrencies unless the processing is performed off device (such as cloud-based mining)." Guideline 2.4.2 also says apps "may not run unrelated background processes, such as cryptocurrency mining," and should not "rapidly drain battery, generate excessive heat".
- Google Play: In July 2018 Google added the rule "We don't allow apps that mine cryptocurrency on devices", while still allowing apps that remotely manage mining. This wording comes from 2018 reporting. It was not checked against the current Play policy page.
So a "mining" app from an official store either works only as a remote control for a cloud contract, or it is not mining anything.
What "free phone mining" apps actually are
Cloud mining contracts
Your phone acts as a dashboard. You rent a share of hashrate in a data centre run by someone else, and payouts are usually in a proof-of-work coin such as Bitcoin, not ETH. A free tier is a small trial allocation set by the operator. Its value depends on the coin's price, network difficulty and the operator's fees. You have to trust the operator, because you usually cannot check that the hardware exists or that your share is calculated honestly.
Reward and engagement apps
Some apps hand out their own tokens for daily check-ins, referrals or watching ads, and call it "mining". No computation secures any blockchain. Whether the token can be withdrawn or sold depends entirely on the project.
Fake mining apps
These show a rising balance and a busy hashrate counter that are not tied to anything real. On 9 March 2023 the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) described a related scheme, involving fake play-to-earn games rather than mining apps. Victims "see fake rewards accumulating in the app". When they try to withdraw, they are told to pay "additional taxes or fees", and they still cannot get their money back after paying.
What is this phone "mining" app really doing?
Answer a few questions about an app that says it mines crypto on your phone, and see which of the article's categories it falls into and which warning signs it shows.
Does the app ask you to pay a fee, tax or other charge before you can withdraw your balance?
Does it ask for your seed phrase or private key, or ask you to connect your wallet to an app you don't know?
Does it guarantee profits or big returns?
Does it say your phone's own processor is mining ETH?
- Yes → This is not ETH mining
- No → next question
What does the app say it gives you?
- A share of rented hashrate in someone else's data centre → next question
- Its own tokens for daily check-ins, referrals or watching ads → A reward app, not mining
Does the operator say who runs it, where the hardware is and how payouts are calculated, and can you read the full terms before signing up?
The FBI and the FTC describe fake platforms that demand fees before withdrawal, guarantee returns or show fake rewards. No mining or rewards app needs your seed phrase. Do not pay, connect a wallet or share keys.
Nobody can mine ETH since The Merge on 15 September 2022, and the Apple and Google stores do not allow on-device mining. An app making this claim either breaks those rules or is not telling the truth.
Tokens handed out for activity do not secure any blockchain. Whether they can be withdrawn or sold depends entirely on the project.
Your phone is only a dashboard. Payouts are usually in a proof-of-work coin such as Bitcoin, not ETH, and depend on the coin's price, network difficulty and the operator's fees. You usually cannot check that the hardware exists.
This sorts an app into the article's categories only: it cannot verify any operator, estimate earnings or prove an app is safe, and it does not cover staking.
How to check an app before you use it
- A fee to withdraw is a stop sign. Both the FBI and the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) describe fake platforms where you can withdraw "only if you pay high fees", or not at all.
- Guaranteed returns. The FTC says: "Only scammers will guarantee profits or big returns."
- Seed phrase or private key requests. No mining or rewards app needs them. Anyone with your seed phrase controls your wallet.
- Requests to connect your wallet to an unknown app. The FBI has warned about fake apps that drain the wallets connected to them.
- On-device "mining" claims. If an app says your phone's processor is mining, it either breaks Apple's and Google's rules or is not telling the truth.
- Installs from links in chats or from APK files. Fake apps are spread this way, outside official store review.
- No named operator. A cloud mining operator should say who runs it, where the hardware is and how payouts are calculated. You should be able to read the full terms before signing up.
If you hold ETH: how staking works
Staking is what replaced mining on Ethereum. According to ethereum.org:
- Solo staking needs at least 32 ETH per validator, and one validator can hold up to 2,048 ETH. Rewards come straight from the protocol.
- Pooled and liquid staking accept smaller amounts. ethereum.org says "some projects require as little as 0.01 ETH". The risks are mostly counterparty and smart-contract execution risk.
- Penalties apply. Validators that go offline lose ETH, and those that break protocol rules can be slashed, which means larger penalties and removal from the network.
On 25 October 2026 the ethereum.org staking page showed a current APR of 2.5%, about 43.9 million ETH staked and 35% of all ETH staked. These figures change constantly. The page does not explain how the APR is calculated. Staking is not free, because you need ETH to start, and your ETH stays exposed to price moves while it is staked.
Bottom line
Mining ETH on a phone is not possible, for free or for money, and it has not been possible since 15 September 2022. A phone app can at most control a remote cloud contract that pays in another coin, or hand out its own reward tokens. The most important check is whether you can withdraw without paying anything first. This is general information, not financial advice.
Limitations: earnings from individual cloud mining and reward apps could not be checked independently and are not covered here.
