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As an avid Swagbucks user and fan, I had to test out one of its newest ventures: Swag IQ (now called Swagbucks Live). Swag IQ is a live trivia game like other trivia apps that help you make extra cash from your mobile device.
If you’ve ever used Swagbucks yourself, you know that it’s a legitimate reward site with tons of fun tasks that help you earn SBs, or Swagbucks’ version of points.
I learned about Swag IQ from one of the site’s paid emails and figured it was worth a shot to try. I’ve never been one to participate in similar live, play-to-win apps, but my love for Swagbucks won me over.
Table of Contents
What is Swag IQ (now called Swagbucks Live)?
Swag IQ is a live trivia app that has new games throughout the week for members to play for a chance to win money. The app comes from Swagbucks, which, if you are someone who looks for ways to earn money online, you’ve probably heard of before.
There are similar apps for iOS and Android devices, but this is a relatively new one that seems to be making waves and growing in popularity.
I’ve read a few conflicting reports about how often the app released new, live games. Some say it’s every weekday, while others mention that the app sometimes puts out two games in one day.
Since signing up, I’ve played live games on a Sunday at 8 PM, Monday at 7 PM and 8 PM, and Tuesday at 8 PM. From what I can tell, there are consistent games through the week with random bonus games available when Swag IQ feels like hosting them.
About the Parent Company, Swagbucks
Swagbucks is the creator of this app and one of my favorite places on the web to make extra money. I’ve used it for years now and it continues to be my go-to Get-Paid-To site. You can complete small tasks on the site, like watch videos, play games, take surveys, and shop online for cash back, to earn SBs.
I can say, from experience, that Swagbucks is a legitimate site that pays. Once you have enough SBs for the prize you want, you can redeem them and get most gift cards delivered electronically within two or three business days. I typically cash out for PayPal and receive my reward within two days, max.
Who Can Use Swag IQ (Swagbucks Live)?
To use the Swag IQ app, you’ll need to be a member of Swagbucks already, or sign up for it before entering a game. To sign up, go to Swagbucks, register, and fill out your profile. Once you’re a member, you can download the app and log in with your Swagbucks account information.
Since the app runs off your Swagbucks login, members will need to meet the requirements of a Swagbucks membership. Swagbucks requires its members to be at least 13 years old and live in one of the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, India, France, Germany.
Is the App Safe for Teens?
Swag IQ is generally safe for teens. The questions won’t be risqué and instead focus mostly on pop culture, trending news, and general trivia. It’s a good idea for concerned parents to try out the app for themselves before they let their teens join, just to make sure they approve of the type of questions Swag IQ asks.
Although young teens can join Swagbucks and play Swag IQ with parental permission, they may not be able to answer a lot of the trivia questions, which are geared more toward young adults.
How Does Swag IQ Get the Money to Pay Members?
Swag IQ gets paid similarly to how Swagbucks gets paid: through sponsorships and advertisers. Swagbucks partners with other companies to bring its members things like paid offers, videos, and cash back shopping.
Since the company advertises its products or services through the website, Swagbucks makes money from them and passes some of that cash to its members.
Swag IQ gets sponsorships through brands who want to contribute to the grand prize for each live trivia game. Companies can sign up to be a sponsor, choose how much they want to contribute, and then their brand name will be displayed to game participants as a sponsor. They get their name out there and you get a chance to win part of the pot!
Pros and Cons of Swag IQ (now, Swagbucks Live)
Not sure if you want to jump in and start using Swag IQ yet? Here are some of the pros and cons to weigh:
Pros of Swag IQ (Swagbucks Live)
- Minimal possibility for cheating with only 10 seconds to answer each question
- Grand prizes are usually equal to $1,000 or more
- Host gives instructions before each game so new players won’t feel left out
- Bonus “flash” games occasionally pop up through the week
- You can use your SBs to rejoin a game for a second chance to win
- Chance of a higher grand prize if players invite enough new members between games
Cons of Swag IQ (Swagbucks Live)
- App lags for a lot of members, making it difficult to answer questions on time
- You’ll need to answer all ten questions to win a share of the grand prize
- Pays in SBs instead of cash
- Pot is split among winning members, so you won’t usually get a lot of SBs from each game
- Questions can be tough
How to Play Swag IQ (Swagbucks Live)
After using Swag IQ for a few days, I’ve got a feel for how it works and it’s relatively straightforward. Here’s what you need to know to get you off to the right start:
Dates and Times for Swag IQ (Swagbucks Live) Games
I haven’t seen anything on the Swagbucks site or Swag IQ app that gives a definite schedule for live games. I’ve had the app installed for about a week and have actively played for a few days, though.
From my experience, it seems like there’s a new live game at the same time every weeknight, Monday through Friday. I’m in the Eastern time zone (EST), so it’s 8 PM for me.
Other bonus games pop up randomly too. You might see a game or two on the weekends and the app will notify you when it’s going to host a last-minute game about 5 or 10 minutes before it starts.
Types of Trivia Questions
I’ve had all different kinds of questions in the games I’ve played. They’re easy to understand and not off-the-wall, so you do have a chance of winning.
One example in a game I played: Which of the following is the name of a county in Texas (Answer choices: Box Butte, Scurry, Nuckolls).
However, they do get tougher as you go through the game!
Answering Questions
There are ten questions in each live game. Every question will have three multiple-choice answers. All you have to do to is click on one by touching your smartphone’s screen. You’ll have ten seconds to answer each question from the moment the host starts asking it and you’ll also see the question on your screen.
Wait until the time runs out and the host will let you know what answer most people chose and what response is correct. If you get it right, your answer will be highlighted in green and if you get it wrong, it will turn red. A wrong answer gets you eliminated.
You’ll earn SBs for each correct question, although it won’t be much. I’ve yet to make it to the final question for part of the grand prize, and the most SBs I’ve made from other questions was 16.
Rejoining the Game
Alternatively, you can choose to use a “Rejoin” to get back in the game for a second chance to win the grand prize.
You can invite friends to get some free Rejoins from the app, but if you don’t have a free one available, you’ll need to use a few SBs (your Swagbucks points) to get back in. The number of SBs you’ll pay depends on how far into the game you are, but I haven’t had to pay more than 9 SBs so far.
The catch? You can only use one Rejoin per game. If you answer a question incorrectly after joining, you’ll be eliminated but you can still keep answering questions to earn a few SBs.
Sweetening the Prize Pot
Swag IQ offers players a chance to boost the grand prize by referring friends to the app, which it refers to as “Sweetening the Prize Pot.” To do this, Swag IQ will need to gain at least 100 new members in between games, so even if 100 members referred one friend each, you could get a bigger grand prize available at the next game.
Earning the Grand Prize
The only way to grab the grand prize is to answer all ten questions correctly using, at most, your one Rejoin. Most games I’ve played have had a grand prize of $1,000 worth of equivalent SBs.
Everyone who plays is eligible to win, but everyone who makes it to the last question will have to split the pot with the other winners.
What you get depends on how many people played and made it to the end and how much the prize is. I’ve also seen the grand prize increase randomly throughout the game (although I’m not sure why).
Submitting Trivia Questions
You can submit your own trivia questions via the app. This can be a fun way for members to get involved in the games, and you may even see your question in an upcoming game, guaranteeing that you get at least one question right!
To do this, click on the question mark in the top left of the app and then click on “Submit trivia questions.” You’ll need to enter a brief question, three multiple-choice answers, and a source link where you got the information from so that Swagbucks can verify it.
Swag IQ (Swagbucks Live) Grand Prize and Payments
Swag IQ pays only in SBs, or Swagbucks form of points. From the chat section of the app that goes on before and during the games, it seems like a lot of people aren’t aware of this if they’re new to the game and they expect the grand prize to pay in cash.
Here’s what you should know about Swag IQ payments to avoid any confusion about the game:
How Much Can You Make from Swag IQ (Swagbucks Live)?
How much you earn from Swag IQ depends on how good you are with trivia! Random facts aren’t my strong suit, so I’ve walked away with a grand total of 30 SBs from the games I’ve played. However, I’ve seen plenty of winners make it to the end for a share of the grand prize.
From my first three games, these were the results for the winners:
- Game 1: Grand prize of $1155 (115,500 SBs) and 18 winners who won 6416 SBs each ($64!)
- Game 2: Grand prize of $500 (50,000 SBs) and 121 winners who won 413 SBs each ($4)
- Game 3: Grand prize of $1000 (100,000 SBs) and 63 winners who won 1587 SBs each ($15)
Every game will vary significantly in how much you can potentially earn. One game I played had just over 12,000 players, while another went over 26,000, which influenced how many people had to share the pot at the end. I’d be happy with any of these winnings, though.
All About SBs and How to Use Them
SBs are merely a different name for points like a lot of survey and reward sites use. Every 100 SBs equal $1. You can turn in your SBs for various rewards on Swagbucks, so anything you make with Swag IQ goes directly into your Swagbucks account to use for prizes on the site.
Swagbucks offers a wide range of gift cards for participants. I love cashing out with PayPal and Amazon because they both offer as little as $3 (300 SBs) rewards and they arrive quickly (I usually get either one in two or three business days).
You’ll see your total SBs on the Swag IQ app, so you’ll always know what you have available.
Inviting Friends for Rejoins & SBs
Not only can you refer friends to Swagbucks for extra SBs, but you can also refer them to the Swag IQ app and earn 10% of everything they win for life. If they’re one of the lucky ones that walk away with 1,000 SBs from a live game, you’ll get 100 deposited into your account!
Every time you invite a friend using your unique referral link, you’ll also get a free Rejoin to get back in the game, meaning that you won’t have to spend any SBs for a second chance to win the grand prize.
What People Say About Swag IQ (Swagbucks Live)
I’ve shared my thoughts and experience with Swag IQ, but you might still want to know what other players think. Here are some of the most common discussions I’ve seen in the in-game chat and in online discussion forums like Reddit.
Technical Issues
Several reviewers have run into issues with the app itself, like crashing during a live game or very slow connections that lag the game and make it almost impossible to answer questions on time. I haven’t yet had the app crash, but I’ve experienced lagging occasionally.
Swag IQ works fine for me sometimes and other times it’s so slow that questions take a while to pop up, the app lags when I click an answer, and the host isn’t visible or audible. I suppose it’s a mix of my internet, the game’s servers, and how many people are currently playing, so there’s not a lot players can do to solve the problem.
Problems with Time for Each Question
You only get ten seconds to answer a question, which isn’t long to start with. If you experience any of the previously mentioned lagging, though, you might only get two or three seconds to answer, which hardly gives you enough time to read the question. Several people, including myself, have experienced this and it is a significant drawback.
Payments Sometimes Pend for a Long Time
This is an issue I haven’t yet had, but some users say that their winning SBs sometimes pend for a while in their accounts. Mine stay there for a couple of days but I also haven’t won the grand prize, so it’s possible that people experiencing this issue won more SBs than I have.
If you’re familiar with Swagbucks already, you know that this happens with some activities anyway, like cash back shopping. Those SBs can take about a month to clear in your account. I’ve come to expect it so it’s not a big deal for me, but it might be for you.
Fun Mix of Questions
From my time using the app, I’ve seen a wide range of questions asked, which makes it really fun. It seems like most users agree with me because several positive reviews about Swag IQ mention how interesting the questions are. Some games are all about trivia, whereas others focus on questions that Swagbucks asks in its surveys and players get to answer how they think most respondents answered.
The questions focus on things anyone can know but are still challenging enough to weed people out through the game. It’s just enough balance to keep things interesting.
Worth It…If You Win the Grand Prize
Is Swag IQ worth it? From my research, it seems that most players would say yes, but only if they were able to grab some of the grand prize pot at least once or twice. I’ve seen several people in the in-game chat complain that it’s not worth their time if they don’t win.
I’d respectfully disagree. I think the game is fun on its own, but unlike other trivia apps that are just for fun, you at least have a shot of winning SBs that you can convert to gift cards or PayPal cash.
Is Swag IQ a Legitimate Way to Earn Money?
Yes, Swag IQ is legit. Although I haven’t won the grand prize, I have won SBs from each game I’ve played and they’ve gone into my Swagbucks account without an issue. If you read through Swag IQ reviews, you’ll see plenty that mention winning SBs and a piece of the jackpot.
Spend a little time checking out the in-game chat and you’ll also see people talking about what they’ve won!
How to Sign Up for Swag IQ (Swagbucks Live)
To sign up for Swag IQ, you’ll need to first sign up for Swagbucks. You can do this by heading to Swagbucks.com and registering or by downloading the app from the App Store or Google Play and signing up by clicking the link in the app.
Enter your account information on the Swag IQ home screen and you’re ready to play when a new game starts!
Final Thoughts
Swag IQ is a fun bonus if you’re already a member of Swagbucks or plan to participate actively once you sign up. Even if you never win a share of the pot, you still have chances to earn SBs for every question you answer correctly with this fun trivia game.
Download the app, try out a live game, and let us know what you think in a comment below!
