Secret Santa FAQ
Short answers to the questions people ask most. The guides go into more detail.
The app
Is Secret Santa Twist free?
Yes. There are no fees, no ads and no paid features.
Do I need to install anything?
No. It's a website that works in the browser on your phone or computer. Open the invite link and sign in.
How do I sign in?
With your Google account. It's the only way to sign in, so there's no new password to remember.
What's the twist?
Each edition can have its own rules instead of just a wishlist. Right now you can play Classic Secret Santa, Your Challenge (a few adjectives and a function for your Santa) and Santa by Colour (the whole gift in one colour). More twists are coming in later seasons.
Groups and invites
How do people join?
An admin shares the group's invite link, usually in a group chat. Anyone with the link can sign in with Google and join. The app doesn't send invitation e-mails.
How many people do we need?
At least three people have to take part before the draw can run.
Can we use the same group next year?
Yes. A group stays from one year to the next, with its members and its "never draw each other" pairs. Each year you create a new event in it.
Can a group have more than one organiser?
Yes. Whoever creates the group is its first admin, and can make other members admins too.
The draw
Can the organiser see who drew whom?
No. Nobody in the group can see the pairs before the reveal, admins included. Each Santa sees only their own person, and the reveal needs the approval of a majority of the people taking part, so an admin can't reveal it alone.
Can we stop couples from drawing each other?
Yes. In the group settings, admins can list pairs who must never draw each other. It works both ways and every year.
Can we avoid getting the same person as last year?
Yes. Tick "Avoid last year's pairs" when you create the event.
What if someone hasn't filled in their part?
The draw waits for everyone. An admin can send a reminder e-mail from the app, or remove the person from the event.
What if someone drops out after the draw?
After the draw nobody can join or leave the event, so the pairs stay as they are. Usually the organiser or a volunteer covers the missing gift. If you'd rather start over, an admin can delete the event and create a new one with a fresh draw.
Budgets, gifts and the reveal
Which currency can we use?
Any. The organiser sets a budget range with a three-letter currency code, such as EUR, RON or GBP.
Does the app handle payments or deliveries?
No. The app runs the invites, the draw and the reveal. Buying and handing over the gifts is up to each Santa.
How does the reveal work?
At the party an admin starts the reveal, and everyone taking part is asked to approve it in the app. Once a majority have approved, or the number the admin set for the event, everyone in the group sees who was whose Santa, with what was drawn and what people asked for. No single person, admin included, can reveal the draw alone.
Privacy
What does the app store about me?
Your name, e-mail address and photo from Google, the groups and events you take part in, and what you fill in for your Santa. The privacy policy has the details.
Will I get marketing e-mails?
No. The app only sends service e-mails: reminders when an organiser asks for them, a note that the draw is done, and a request to approve the reveal. None of them says who drew whom.
Read next
- How to organise a Secret SantaStep by step, from the guest list to the reveal at the party.
- How the online Secret Santa draw worksNobody sees the pairs, couples never draw each other, and no repeats from last year.
- Secret Santa rules and etiquetteBudgets, wishlists, keeping the secret, and what to do when someone drops out.
Run your Secret Santa here
It's free. Sign in with Google, create a group and share one link. The app does the draw and keeps it secret until the party.