The toy that answers anything
Everyone has held one: you ask a question, turn the black ball over and wait for the blue triangle to float up with a verdict.
Here the ball sits on the screen. Type a question if you like, press the ball, and one of the twenty classic answers drifts up in the window: ten lean yes, five ask you to try again, five say no.
Switch to a plain yes-or-no ball when you want a straight answer, or write your own answers for a party.
How to ask the ball
A question and a shake.
Type your question, or just think of it.
Press the ball or the button; on many Android phones a real shake works too.
Read the answer that floats up in the window.
Ask again whenever you like; the last answers stay in the list beside it.
What the ball can do
The classic toy, with a few extras.
- The twenty traditional answers in your language
- A yes-or-no mode with even odds
- Your own answers, up to 40
- No answer twice in a row when there are more than two
- Shake to ask on many Android phones
- The last twenty questions and answers kept beside it
- Nothing sent anywhere: the question stays on this device
When people ask it
Light decisions and party fun.
A friend group settling who calls first.
A stream or a video with viewers' questions.
Breaking a tie on dinner or a film.
An icebreaker at a party or in class.
Kids playing fortune teller.
How the answer is chosen
Every answer in the set is equally likely, drawn with the browser's secure random generator. The classic ball therefore says yes half the time, no a quarter of the time and asks you to try again a quarter of the time.
With more than two answers, the ball skips the answer it just gave, the way a real die rarely shows the same face twice. In yes-or-no mode every shake is a fresh fifty-fifty.
Good to know
It is a game: the answers are random and know nothing about your question.
Shaking the phone needs motion access; iPhones ask for permission per site, so there you press the ball instead.
Tips
- Ask questions with a yes or no answer; "what" and "when" questions confuse the ball.
- For choosing between dishes or films, write them as your own answers.
- Read the answer aloud with drama; it is half the fun.
Questions about the magic 8 ball
Is the magic 8 ball really random?
Yes. Each answer in the set has the same chance, picked with the browser's secure random generator.
What are the classic answers?
Twenty: ten positive, such as "It is certain", five non-committal, such as "Ask again later", and five negative, such as "Very doubtful".
Can I use my own answers?
Yes. Choose "My own answers" and type up to 40, one per line.
Does it work by shaking the phone?
On many Android phones, yes. iPhones ask each site for motion access, so press the ball there.
Is my question saved?
Only in the list on this page while it is open; nothing is sent to us.
Is the 8-ball free?
Yes, free to ask as often as you like, with no account.