As the cryptocurrency industry develops, mining in 2019-2020 attracts more and more people. But most of them are stopped by the fact that mining requires the purchase of mining equipment. The complexity of mining popular cryptocurrencies is growing every day, and even with a single video card or a good processor, getting the coveted token becomes problematic.
In the wake of the trend, developers of applications for mobile phones decided to connect to mining. This idea is really attractive, because almost every person has a smartphone, and to mine cryptocurrency on it, you do not need to buy expensive equipment. But there are pitfalls in this.
In this article we will tell you what mining is on the phone, how much you can earn and how to use such applications for Android and iPhone.
- What Cryptocurrencies Can I Mine on a Smartphone
- Mining On the Phone. Talk About the Costs
- How to Start Mining on a Smartphone
- TOP 5 Most Popular Mining Applications on the Phone
- Profitability of Mining on the Phone
- Mining on the Phone: Advantages and Disadvantages
- Is it Worth it to Mine on the Phone
What Cryptocurrencies Can I Mine on a Smartphone
In fact, mining on the phone is the same as classic mining. The user shares his computing power with the server to support the operation of the blockchain. And the more it gives, the more it receives.
However, you need to understand that even if a good card for mining does not give much profit from mining popular coins, such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, and so on, then the mobile phone’s capacities are not enough to mine them. That is why it is better to choose altcoins for mining from a phone, the network complexity of which is still not so high.
Of course, you can try to mine such coins on your smartphone, but in this case you should join the mining pools. Although the reward will be less, the probability of generating a new block is much higher. As for solo mining, on a smartphone this is possible only with not the most popular coins.
And if you are mining on a smartphone, then for the most part, coins using the CryptoNote algorithm, such as Bytecoin cryptocurrency, or various tokens based on the Scrypt algorithm, such as Dogecoin, are suitable for this. These coins, although they are not on the top, but are kept by ear, and their blockchain network is not too busy for mining on the phone.
Mining On the Phone. Talk About the Costs
Naturally, the more expensive and more powerful the smartphone, the greater the hash rate its processor can give. But before starting production, you should calculate the costs of:
- Electricity. You will have to charge the gadget much more often than with everyday use;
- Internet payment. It’s worth mentioning right away that mobile Internet will not work – it’s better to use a WiFi connection;
- App purchase. Most of them are free, but paid versions have more advanced functionality and lack of advertising, on which blockchain developers earn money;
- Repairs. Due to continuous operation, the smartphone will overheat, because it is not designed for such loads. The lack of a cooling system, as in the farms of video cards, makes itself felt. Therefore, you need to be prepared for breakdowns when mining on a smartphone.
How to Start Mining on a Smartphone
Fortunately for beginners, most applications do not require any serious configuration. All the user needs to do is download the application and run it on the phone. In some cases, joining a mining pool is required.
The most popular applications for mining on a smartphone can be found in PlayMarket and AppStore. Most of them are suitable for both Android and iPhone. Since mining on a smartphone is just starting to develop, programs based on new algorithms are gradually coming out, which expands the possibilities of obtaining different coins.
Note that before downloading the application to your phone, you should read the reviews and make sure of safety. There are dozens of similar programs on the network, but really proven ones. Therefore, to catch the virus is quite easy, and then the phone will start mining not for you, but for someone else, not to mention the fact that phishing programs for mining on the phone can harm your personal data.
It is worth adding that proven applications raise questions from antivirus programs. The reason for this is banner advertising, on which, as mentioned above, developers earn money.
TOP 5 Most Popular Mining Applications on the Phone
Minergate
One of the most popular applications for mobile mining on Android and iPhone. The main plus of the program is that it is also a mining pool. That is, after downloading it, you don’t need to worry about choosing a pool - all the settings are already registered.
This is a multi-currency application in which for mining on a smartphone are available: Bitcoin, Litecoin, Ethereum, Bitcoin Gold, Monero, Ethereum Classic, Bytecoin, Monero Classic, FantomCoin, Zcash, DASH and others.
The program has a simple and intuitive interface. To start mining on the phone, you just need to register – you only need an email address. The application also offers various usage settings. For example, limit the use of resources when the battery is low or block mining in the absence of Wi-Fi.
ARM Miner Mining on Android
One of the first such applications on the market, but only available on Android. Unlike Minergate, it does not have a binding to the pool, which means that you have to look for it yourself. But there is a plus in this – you can connect to a pool with large capacities, which means that the probability of a reward is higher. Another option is solo mining on the phone.
The interface also does not raise questions. After opening, three tabs appear in front of the user – mining, rating and settings. The program is free, but for 69 rubles you can purchase a version without ads.
ARM Miner supports cryptocurrency mining using the Scrypt algorithm – Litecoin, DogeCoin, ProsperCoin, CashCoin, MonaCoin, MoonCoin and others.
NeoNeonMiner
An application suitable only for Android devices. For mining on Android, 18 algorithms are immediately available. When setting up the same way as with ARM Miner, you will have to select a pool or mine solo on a smartphone.
It differs from the above application only in a less convenient interface. The user has three tabs available - mining, settings and useful information. Antivirus programs respond poorly to NeoNeonMiner due to banner ads, and you won’t be able to disable it in any way.
Some people react negatively to this application, because compared to other devices, they often overheat. At the same time, the program gives a hash rate lower than its competitors.
Electroneum for Mining on iPhone and Android
This program is available for download on Android and iPhone. At the same time, the application for the extraction of the cryptocurrency of the same name – Electroneum (ETN) is calculated. According to CoinMarketCap, this coin takes 110th place in the rating.
The application is convenient to use. In the settings you can add a pool or mine solo. The referral system is also supported – by inviting a friend, the user will receive 5% of the coins he has obtained.
To start mining on Android and iPhone, you also need to register on the Electroneum website. To do this, you need an email address and a phone number. After that, to start mining, you just need to click on the “Start mining” button.
Profitability of Mining on the Phone
Frankly speaking, mining on smartphones is not the most profitable business. When testing on an average MediaTek MT 6737 processor, for example, when mining Bytecoin, the hash rate was at 9 H / s. That is, it is possible to get only 2 coins per day.
On Scrypt, the same processor produces about 2.5 - 3.2 Kh / s, which is also not too much. At the same time, the smartphone works at maximum loads, which is bad for its performance. It starts to freeze, and the program just crashes.
Using a smartphone under such loads is simply unprofitable. Top cryptocurrencies such as BTC, ETH and LTC simply cannot be earned. Whereas on not the most popular ones, like Bytecoin, earnings are scanty.
Mining on the Phone: Advantages and Disadvantages
Pros of mining on a smartphone:
- You can get acquainted with the mining process, since it is not much different from mining cryptocurrency on a GPU or CPU;
- Large selection of algorithms;
- No need to buy expensive equipment;
- Ease of use of applications.
Cons of cryptocurrency mining on the phone:
- Lack of profit, as such;
- Killing a smartphone. Gadgets are simply not adapted to the load 24/7;
- If the device is used for mining, it will not be able to perform other tasks;
- High risk of catching a virus.
Is it Worth it to Mine on the Phone
Based on the foregoing, it is not possible to seriously mine cryptocurrency on a smartphone. Even having an excellent device with a good processor, constant overheating of the device when mining on a smartphone will lead to breakdown. And, unlike mining on the GPU, it is unlikely to recapture the cost of the gadget.
Therefore, it is not worthwhile to take mining on a smartphone as a source of even passive income. Perhaps, someday, a smartphone will be invented specifically for cryptocurrency mining with a good cooling system and so on. But while there is no such device – cryptocurrency mining on the phone can be tried solely to familiarize yourself with the process, no more.
We recommend you to watch a video on YouTube about mining on Android:
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