FAQ
Everything people ask about soom, from how to use it to whether the draw is fair.
Getting started
What is soom?
A free random picker for the undecided. 8 ways to draw plus a gift exchange. Type your own list or use a ready-made one, then pick, knock out, line up or split into teams.
Do I need an account or to pay?
Neither. Sign in only if you want to keep lists across devices.
How do I use it?
Pick a machine, add a list or choose a ready-made one, then press SOOM. Don't want to choose anything? Press Just pick for me on the first screen.
Does it work on a phone?
On any screen. Add it to your home screen from the browser menu and it opens full screen like an app.
Can I put it on a projector in class?
Yes. The machine fills the screen. On a computer, SPACE draws and R draws again.
Can I draw over and over?
Yes. With one answer, the result stays so you can draw again right away. Press Result when you want to copy or share. Long results go to the result page by themselves.
What keyboard shortcuts are there?
SPACE draw · ENTER result · R again · C copy · S share image · L send link · M sound · ESC back · scroll to change machine
Machines
Which machines are there?
Wheel, ball draw, flip board, receipt of fate, face-down cards, fortune sticks, scratch card and dice. They all use the same randomness and only reveal it differently. The gift exchange has its own steps.
Which machine suits what?
Wheel and fortune sticks for picking one. Ball draw does every mode. Flip board and receipt suit long lists. Face-down cards let you turn one over yourself. Dice give 1 to 6.
What happens to the wheel with more than 12 items?
The wheel writes up to 12 names. Past that the slices go blank and only the winner is named. Every item still has the same chance.
Is it still random if I pick the card myself?
Yes. Every card was shuffled before you turned one over, so each has the same chance. You just do the turning.
Do I have to scratch the whole card?
No. Scratch about 40% and the rest falls away, or press SOOM to have it scratched for you.
Can I shake my phone instead of pressing?
With fortune sticks and dice, yes. Tap the screen once so the browser allows it, then shake.
Can I turn off the sound or music?
Use the sound button at the top right to turn sound on or off and set the music level. On a computer, M works too.
Modes
What modes are there?
Pick, knock out, order and teams. Some machines do only some modes, and the data screen shows only the ones that work.
Can I draw several at once?
Up to 10 with the ball draw, flip board or receipt, with no repeats.
How does knock out work?
One round at a time until one is left. Set 1, 2, 3, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 per round, or Auto, which cuts the first round down to 12 and then one at a time.
What is order good for?
Presentation order, game turns or daily duties. It lines up everyone from a list of up to 1,000.
How many teams?
2 to 4. Anyone left over is spread one per team, so teams differ by at most one person.
How wide can the number range be?
Minimum and maximum up to minus or plus 1,000,000,000. Knock out, order and teams take a range of up to 1,000 numbers.
Lists
How many items can I add?
Up to 1,000, each up to 80 characters. One per line or separated by commas. Repeats are removed for you.
Which ready-made lists are there?
What to eat (savory, sweet), Where to go (in Bangkok, outside Bangkok, abroad), What to do (shows and films included), Should I, heads or tails, and numbers. Every answer comes with a dry remark.
Are the ready-made answers real?
Yes. Where to go uses real places like Khao Yai or ICONSIAM, What to do has popular shows and films, and we keep them up to date.
Can I save a list for next time?
Yes, with Save list on the data screen. Without signing in this browser keeps 3. Signed in, you can keep up to 1,000 and use them on any device.
Can I send a list for someone else to draw from?
Yes. Open My lists and tap the link icon on that list. Whoever opens the link gets the list ready to draw with the same machine, and can keep it. Links last a year from their last open.
Is it fair
Is the draw fair?
Yes. It uses the browser's cryptographic random number generator and removes modulo bias, so every option has exactly the same chance.
Does the animation affect the result?
No. The result is drawn the moment you press. What you see is the reveal. Pressing or shaking harder changes nothing.
Why can the same thing come up twice in a row?
A fair draw doesn't remember the last one. Five heads in a row has a 1 in 32 chance, which happens more often than it feels.
Can sponsors change the result?
No. A sponsor's answers may be in a ready-made list, with exactly the same chance as the rest. Discount codes appear only after the result is out.
Where can I read how it works in detail?
On the Is it fair page (soom.fans/en/fair), with the numbers and the actual code.
Privacy
Does soom keep my names?
No. Your list stays in your browser for next time. It's only sent to us if you share a short link, send a list link or save a list while signed in.
Do you count visitors?
Only if you agree. We use Google Analytics and never send what you type. Change your mind in the Privacy tab.
Can I delete my account or see my data?
Yes. Open the account menu to download your data, or delete the account and all saved lists at once.
Where is the full policy?
On the privacy page (soom.fans/en/privacy), under Thailand's Personal Data Protection Act.
Gift exchange
Can the organiser see who got whom?
No. The pairs are drawn in the database. The organiser only sees who has opened their link, and each person sees only the one they buy for.
Does everyone need an account?
Only the organiser signs in. Everyone else opens the group link or scans the QR and taps their name.
Do I send a link to each person?
No need. Post one link or show one QR. Each person taps their name and their phone keeps it. If someone taps the wrong name, the organiser can release it.
If someone taps the wrong name, do they see another person's pair?
No. Everyone can pick a name, but nobody can scratch until the organiser presses ready. Until then a wrong pick can be released and no secret leaks.
Can I keep couples or siblings from drawing each other?
Yes, as many pairs as you like. If you keep so many apart that a full draw is impossible, soom tells you before drawing.
How many people can join?
3 to 200 per draw. Names can include a staff or class number, and everyone finds their own from the group link.
Can I stop people picking someone else's name on purpose?
Yes. Give that name a secret code, like a birthday. Its owner types the code before picking. Five wrong tries lock the name for 15 minutes.
Someone can't come after we started. Now what?
The organiser withdraws that name. soom closes the gap, changing as few pairs as it can, and anyone whose pair changed gets a fresh card. Before the start, the whole list can be edited.
How long is the data kept?
It deletes itself 60 days after the exchange day, or 120 days after it was made if no day was set. The organiser can delete it any time.