TikTok screentime to cash programs: What they really are, what you should know

You're scrolling through your TikTok For You page, watching videos, when suddenly a pop-up appears on your smartphone screen.

"Congratulations! You have been selected for our Screentime To Cash program," reads the prompt, which looks a lot like a TikTok notification.

These types of ads suggest that TikTok users can get paid to watch videos; however, even though it looks like an official TikTok message, it's not.

There is no legitimate TikTok program called "Screentime to Cash" — or anything similar — the company confirmed in a statement to Mashable. TikTok does have an official monetization program for eligible creators who upload content and meet certain requirements. But TikTok definitely does not have a program that pays viewers to watch videos or scroll through the app.

A TikTok spokesperson also told Mashable that they have since removed the ads and connected accounts.

"We've removed content and accounts for violating our policies against deceptive practices and misleading content," TikTok told us. "TikTok prohibits fraudulent activity in both advertising and user-generated content, and we continuously remove such content and accounts as they're detected or reported."

So, why is this message on your screen then?

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Behind the TikTok "Screentime to Cash" pop-up messages

Third-party entities are running ads on TikTok that are designed to look like official messaging from the platform, according to a Mashable investigation. Typically, these ads promote Get-Paid-To apps, or GPT apps.

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These apps advertise themselves as ways that users can make money by playing games, watching videos, or filling out forms and surveys. The Get-Paid-To app-makers may act as affiliates for other third-party companies, which pay the app maker for signups or downloads of their product. In turn, these GPT app companies share their affiliate earnings with their users as they complete qualifying tasks. These types of apps may also share user data with third parties, a common app monetization strategy. When a user completes a certain number of tasks, such as taking surveys or downloading games, and reaches a payment threshold, they can request their payout.

Mashable found numerous TikTok users posting screenshots of the "Screentime to Cash" advertisements on social media platforms like Reddit; users said those ads directed them to third-party apps such as Playful Rewards or QuickRewardz.

Mashable reached out to both Playful Rewards and QuickRewardz, and a Playful Rewards spokesperson told Mashable that the ads "are not being run directly by Playful Rewards and may be coming from a third-party advertising source."

As for QuickRewardz, it appears the app has since been removed from the Google Play store, although it's unclear when the app was taken down. It's also unclear if the app was pulled by Google or the developer. Mashable reached out to the company behind the app, Team Rewardz, and we'll update this piece if we hear back.

These types of apps and advertisements make up a vast web of affiliate networks and third parties. This can make it difficult for social media platforms to crack down on misleading ads, leaving them playing whack-a-mole as new accounts and ads pop up, literally, as detailed in a 2024 Forrester research report.

Do get-paid-to apps actually pay?

There are some legitimate companies that pay small amounts of money for completing marketing surveys or other tasks. However, on sites such as Trustpilot, some frustrated reviewers describe GPT apps as scams. Many of these users report that after qualifying for a cash payout, their account was mysteriously suspended, typically for some type of alleged policy violation, and so they were never able to claim the promised rewards.

On the TrustPilot page for Playful Rewards, one reviewer wrote: "They're a scam. I recently accumulated enough coins to cash out $60, and then promptly got my account permanently locked. When I asked their customer support, they claimed it was because I progressed too fast on a game."

Always remember the golden rule when evaluating programs like this: If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Likewise, just because you see an ad on a social media site like TikTok, YouTube, or Facebook, that does not mean the company behind the ad is legit. Internal Meta documents reviewed by Reuters stated that Facebook showed users 15 billion scam ads every day, and Mashable has reported on sketchy YouTube ads using AI and celebrity deepfakes.

TikTok users should also be skeptical of apps that use misleading advertisements that imply they have a formal relationship with TikTok or other companies. Always proceed with caution when you are asked to hand over any private personal information during the signup process. You should also check the fine print, as these app-based rewards programs may contain terms that allow the company to resell your information or place you on robocall lists, according to a 2023 suit by the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission.

The bottom line: TikTok says these "screentime to cash" programs are in no way endorsed by TikTok.

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