I Earned $5 Just by Counting How Many Times I Blinked 👀💵

Have you ever thought your blinks—those tiny, almost invisible actions—could make you money? Neither did I, until I came across a bizarre app that literally rewards you for counting how many times you blink.

At first, I couldn’t believe it. Getting paid to do something as natural as blinking sounded like a scam, or at least like a joke gone too far. But curiosity (and the promise of a few extra dollars) made me try it—and yes, I ended up earning $5 just by doing something I already do about 15,000 times a day without even noticing.

Here’s the full story of my weirdest side hustle yet.

How I Found Out About the Blink App

It started when a friend shared a meme: “Imagine getting paid for blinking—boom, instant millionaire!”

I laughed, but a few comments underneath mentioned an actual app experimenting with eye-tracking and micro-habits. The concept was simple: you open the app, give it access to your camera, and it starts detecting every blink you make. Depending on how many you log, you earn small rewards.

The app wasn’t just for fun—it was designed to gather data for health research, specifically related to eye strain, screen fatigue, and wellness monitoring. But to encourage people to use it consistently, they gamified blinking.

And that’s how I found myself staring at my phone, blinking on purpose to see if I could make money.

The First Test: Blinking for Dollars

The first time I tried it, I thought it wouldn’t work. The app told me:

👉 “Complete one session: count at least 200 blinks in 15 minutes.”

I sat down, phone propped up, and just started blinking. At first it felt silly—forcing myself to blink slower, then faster, just to see how the counter reacted.

• After 5 minutes, I had logged about 70 blinks.
• At 10 minutes, I was up to 150.
• By 15 minutes, the counter hit 220.

The app pinged me with confetti animations and a message: “Congratulations! You’ve earned $1.25.”

That was the moment I realized this ridiculous thing actually worked.

Why Would Anyone Pay You to Blink?

It sounds insane, but here’s the logic behind it:

1. Health Research 👩‍⚕️ – Scientists study blink patterns to detect eye dryness, fatigue, or even neurological issues.
2. Workplace Wellness 💻 – Offices want to know how screen time affects eye health.
3. Gamification 🎮 – The app adds fun, turning a natural reflex into a challenge.

By paying users small amounts, the app gathers huge amounts of real-world data that can be valuable for research institutions and wellness companies.

So, technically, you’re not just “getting paid to blink”—you’re participating in a data-gathering experiment.

Blink Challenges I Tried

To keep users entertained, the app introduced challenges. Some of the funniest ones I did:

• The Rapid Fire ⚡ – Blink as fast as you can for 30 seconds straight.
• The Staring Contest 👁️ – Don’t blink for as long as possible (ironically, you still get rewarded if the app catches your eventual blink).
• Balanced Blinking 🧘 – Try to blink exactly once every 10 seconds for 3 minutes.
• The “Sleepy Mode” 😴 – Close your eyes longer than usual blinks to simulate drowsiness.

Each challenge came with bonus payouts, badges, and even leaderboard rankings. Suddenly, blinking wasn’t just an unconscious act—it became a game.

How Much Can You Actually Make?

Let’s be real: this isn’t going to make anyone rich. But here’s my actual breakdown:

• First day: $1.25 for 200 blinks.
• Second day: $1.75 for completing two challenges.
• Third day: $2.00 for hitting a 500-blink streak.

👉 Total: $5 in three days.

Not bad for something I was already doing anyway. It’s coffee money, not rent money—but it felt like free cash for nothing.

The Weird Side Effects

Doing this taught me a few things I didn’t expect:

1. Awareness of Blinking – I became hyper-aware of my eyes, realizing how little I blink while staring at screens.
2. Eye Health Check – The app reminded me to take breaks, preventing dryness and strain.
3. Silly Fun – Turning a reflex into a game gave me small daily laughs.

But there were also downsides:

• Staring at the counter made me blink unnaturally, which felt weird.
• I became competitive with myself about blinking (yes, that’s a sentence I never thought I’d say).

Could This Be the Future of Micro-Side Hustles?

We’ve already seen apps that pay people to walk, sleep, or even whisper to mirrors. Blinking is just another step in this trend of turning ordinary actions into gamified rewards.

In the future, we might see:

• Apps that pay you for yawning (to study fatigue).
• Apps that reward sneezes (to track seasonal allergies).
• Apps that count laughs (to measure happiness levels).

It’s weird, but it makes sense in a world where data is valuable.

Tips If You Want to Try Blink-Earning

If you’re curious, here are some practical tips from my experience:

1. Good Lighting – The app uses your phone camera; dim lighting messes up detection.
2. Stay Natural – Don’t overthink your blinking pace.
3. Take Breaks – Ironically, too much staring just to blink can dry your eyes.
4. Use It as a Reminder – Let the app nudge you to care for your eyes during long workdays.
5. Don’t Expect Big Money – Treat it like a fun bonus, not income.

The Funniest Moment

At one point, I explained the concept to a friend. She laughed so hard and said: “Wait, you’re literally making money every time your body forgets to moisturize your eyeballs?”

And honestly… yes. That’s exactly what I was doing.

✅ Sources

• American Academy of Ophthalmology – Why We Blink and Why It Matters
  https://www.aao.org/eye-health/tips-prevention/why-we-blink
• Healthline – The Benefits of Blinking and Eye Health
  https://www.healthline.com/health/benefits-of-blinking
• Wired – Gamification and the Future of Everyday Tasks
  https://www.wired.com/story/gamification-daily-life/

💬 My experience was strange but fun. I earned $5 by just blinking—and you? Would you try it? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Written by the author, Fatima Al-Hajri 👩🏻‍💻