I first encountered the Freecash app after clicking on a sponsored TikTok video with doubtful claims. The commercial didn’t promote this app by identify, fairly it confirmed a younger lady expressing her pleasure about seemingly getting employed by TikTok at $35 an hour to look at movies on her “For You” web page.
After I tapped the hyperlink to “order now,” it despatched me to a web site with TikTok and Freecash logos, that includes a obtain hyperlink for the Freecash app. “Receives a commission to scroll,” learn the positioning. “Be part of hundreds incomes day by day by watching TikTok movies and cashing out immediately.”
Within the first month of 2026, Freecash has rocketed to recognition amongst US customers. This week it reached the quantity two place on Apple’s free iOS obtain charts, nestled between ChatGPT and Gemini. The bump in downloads coincides with a spree of adverts selling the Freecash app.
The app seems to make the most of the acquainted technique of providing rewards to customers who share their data or full on-line duties. As a baby, I keep in mind getting into my dad’s e-mail and deal with into some pop-ups for a free iTunes giftcard, which by no means shipped us the promised $20 in downloads and certain simply clogged his inbox with spam. (Please forgive me.)
Whereas Freecash does really pay out cash to customers, it isn’t for scrolling social media. The app’s enterprise mannequin is centered round getting new customers to play cell video games after which offering the gamers with financial rewards. These guarantees of direct funds to scroll aimlessly on TikTok sound too good to be true, as a result of they’re.
Ben Rathe, a spokesperson for TikTok, says the Freecash adverts violate TikTok’s guidelines barring monetary misrepresentation. Rathe says the adverts in query have been eliminated, after WIRED reached out, for what the corporate deemed as misleading advertising and marketing. The social media platform forbids adverts designed “to rip-off people out of cash or private information,” in keeping with TikTok’s promoting insurance policies.
The corporate behind Freecash claims that it didn’t straight produce the adverts that I encountered on TikTok. Slightly, the advertising and marketing was “generated by third-party affiliate companions,” says Elizaveta Shulyndina, a spokesperson for Freecash’s mother or father firm. “We’re reviewing exercise with related companions and tightening monitoring.”
Again on my TikTok feed, after I tapped on that first sponsored publish, the barrage of boosted movies selling Freecash grew incessant. A publish with over 150,000 likes confirmed a mother and her younger son touring to the shop collectively, as a result of she may purchase her “son no matter he needs now that I’m paid to look at TikTok.” Different sponsored movies confirmed extra individuals captivated with the amount of money they’re getting paid to scroll TikTok.
It’s not clear if the ladies and youngsters showing within the TikTok adverts are literally the individuals selling Freecash. Most of the adverts originated from TikTok accounts with minuscule followings or accounts with zero different publicly viewable movies.
After I lastly downloaded the app, fairly than instantly discovering methods to obtain some type of kickback for scrolling on TikTok, I used to be directed to obtain a number of cell video games, like Monopoly Go and Disney Solitaire.
Then, I used to be lastly given the choice to finish challenges in a restricted period of time to earn cash. The Monopoly Go challenges included money rewards starting from $0.01, for taking part in the sport for 2 minutes every day, to $123, for reaching degree 300 in lower than three months.
The corporate behind Freecash, known as Almedia, relies in Berlin. Almedia operates the Freecash app as an promoting platform that matches cell recreation builders with new customers who not solely set up the apps however may even spend cash.
