Arrow Spinner

This arrow spinner spins an arrow online and stops it in a random direction. Lay your phone in the middle of the table to see who the arrow points at, or put your own choices, a range of numbers, compass directions, yes or no, or the 16 Twister moves around the arrow. It is fair, it works in any browser with no sign-up, and nothing you type leaves your device.

How to Use the Arrow Spinner

1. Choose what the arrow points at. People, My choices, Numbers, Directions, Yes / No or Twister.
2. Set it up. Type one choice per line, set the numbers from and to, add seat marks around the edge, or switch between 4 and 8 directions.
3. Spin. Tap the arrow or press Spin. It turns several times, slows down and stops.
4. Read the result. It appears in large type under the spinner and in the list of last spins. Turn on No repeats if everyone should get a turn first.

Arrow Spinner Games and Ideas

Using an Arrow Spinner for Probability

A spinner is the classic way to teach probability, because the chance of each result is simply its share of the circle. With four equal slices each one has a theoretical probability of 1/4, or 25%. Make one slice twice as wide (Red *2) and it takes 2/5 of the circle, or 40%.

Open Probability experiment and spin 10, 100 or 1,000 times in one go. The table compares how often each slice came up (experimental probability) with its theoretical probability. With 10 spins the two are often far apart; with 1,000 they are usually within a few percentage points, which is the law of large numbers at work.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the arrow spinner really random?

Yes. Before the arrow starts moving, the stopping angle is drawn with your browser's cryptographic random number generator, so every point on the circle is equally likely and each slice wins in proportion to its size. The animation only shows the result; nothing about how you tap changes it.

Can I use it to play spin the bottle?

Yes. Choose People, press Full screen and lay the phone flat in the middle of the circle of players. Tap the arrow and it stops pointing at someone. Pair it with a truth or dare list for the classic party game.

How do I use it as a Twister spinner?

Choose Twister. The disc has the same 16 spaces as the board-game spinner: left hand, right hand, left foot and right foot, each with red, blue, yellow and green. Spin and read the move, such as Right foot on blue.

Can I make some choices more likely than others?

Yes. In My choices, add *2 or *3 after a line, for example Pizza *2, and that slice becomes two or three times as wide, so it is two or three times as likely to be picked.

How do I stop the same result from coming up twice?

Turn on No repeats. Every slice that has been picked is greyed out and skipped until all of them have had a turn, then a new round starts. It is the fair way to choose who goes next in class.

How can I use the spinner for a probability lesson?

Set up the spinner, open Probability experiment and spin 10, 100 or 1,000 times at once. The table shows how many times each slice came up, the experimental probability, the theoretical probability and the difference, so students can see the results get closer as the number of spins grows.

Which way is north in the directions spinner?

North is the top of the screen. Hold the phone with its top edge facing the way you are looking, or line it up with a map, and the arrow shows the direction to go.

Does it work on a phone without signing up?

Yes. It works in the browser of any phone, tablet or computer with no app and no account. Your settings are remembered on your device, and Copy link to this spinner lets you send the same spinner to someone else.