How does Secret Santa work?

Wishes runs Secret Santa with wishlists, so everyone knows what the person they drew would love.

Start a group

1. Go to wishes.app/secret-santa and tap Start a Secret Santa. You sign in with Apple or Google.
2. Give your group a name, like "Family Christmas". Add the gift exchange date and a budget if you like.
3. Tap Create group. You're in the group too, with a wishlist of your own.

In the season, the Secret Santa card on the Wishes app's home screen opens the same page.

Invite your group

Tap Share invite link and send it to everyone. Each person who joins gets their own wishlist for the exchange, ready to fill.

Draw names

When at least three people have joined, the organizer taps Draw names. Everyone then sees who they're Secret Santa for, and the wishlist of the person they drew. Nobody else sees who drew whom, the organizer included.

Names are drawn once. If someone needs to leave, the organizer can remove them before the draw.

Book a gift

Book a gift on the wishlist of the person you drew, the same way as any wishlist. The group hears that a gift was booked, never who booked it.

Just need names drawn, without accounts? The Secret Santa generator draws names on your phone or computer.