How it works
- 1 Enter how many people are bringing a gift.
- 2 Tap “Start the draw”, then hand the phone to the first person.
- 3 Each person taps for their number, remembers it, taps “Hide and pass on”.
- 4 Play in number order: number 1 opens a gift first, then everyone after can open a new one or steal.
Why the number matters
In white elephant, going late is an advantage: you see every opened gift and can steal the best one. That’s why most groups give number 1 a final turn at the end to swap with anyone. The full rules, stealing limits and popular variations are in our white elephant rules guide.
Read the white elephant rules →Other ways to use it
- → Yankee swap, dirty Santa and Chinese gift exchange use the same numbered order.
- → Raffles and door prizes: draw one number at a time.
- → Who opens presents first on Christmas morning.
- → Turn order for board games and party games.
Questions
How do you pick numbers for white elephant? +
Everyone draws a number from 1 to the number of players, without repeats. With this generator one phone is passed around and each person taps to see only their own number.
Can two people get the same number? +
No. Each number from 1 to your total comes up exactly once.
What if someone arrives late? +
Easiest fix: give them the next number after the last one, so they go last. Or shuffle again before anyone has opened a gift.
Can I draw names instead of numbers? +
Yes. Switch to Names, type everyone in and you get the full turn order, or reveal it one person at a time.