Ask the magic ball online
Got a yes-or-no question on your mind? Ask this online magic ball. Think of your question, tap the ball, and watch it shake. A moment later, an answer floats up in the round window. It takes a few seconds, it is free, and it works in the browser on any phone, tablet or computer, with no app to install.
This is an original online fortune ball, inspired by the classic toy. The 20 answers were written for this site, with a light and playful voice. It is made for fun: for parties, sleepovers, family game night, classrooms, or just a quick laugh when you can't make up your mind.
How to use the magic ball
- Think of a question. Keep it in your head, or type it in if you like. Either way works.
- Ask. Tap the ball, press Ask, or hit the Space bar.
- Read your answer. The ball shakes, then the answer floats up in its round window.
Want to show it to a group? Use the full screen button in the header. Sound effects can be turned off with the Sound button in the bottom bar, and the round button at the bottom right changes the page color.
How to ask good questions
The ball answers yes, no or something in between, so it works best with questions that can be answered that way. A few tips:
- Ask a yes-or-no question. “Will we play outside today?” works. “What should I have for lunch?” does not.
- Keep it simple. One question at a time. “Should I paint my room blue?” is better than “Should I paint my room blue or green or maybe just leave it?”
- Say it out loud. Half the fun is the drama. Ask in your most serious voice, then shake things up.
- Take turns. In a group, let each person ask one question before anyone asks again.
- Make it a game. Before each shake, everyone guesses whether the answer will be a yes, a no or a maybe.
Question ideas
- Will today be a good day?
- Should we have pancakes this weekend?
- Will my team win the next game?
- Should I start a new hobby this month?
- Is my dog secretly the boss of this house?
The odds behind the answers
Over time, every answer is equally likely. The ball picks one of its 20 answers using your browser's cryptographic random generator (crypto.getRandomValues), the same kind of source used for security. The ball has no memory of your last question, only of its last answer, so it never gives the same answer twice in a row.
| Kind of answer | How many | Chance |
|---|---|---|
| Yes (like “Green light”) | 10 of 20 | 50% |
| Maybe (like “Time will tell”) | 5 of 20 | 25% |
| No (like “Red light”) | 5 of 20 | 25% |
So the ball leans a little toward the positive side: about half of all answers are some kind of yes. You never get the exact same answer twice in a row: each new shake picks from the other 19 answers.
A little history of the fortune ball
The classic toy that inspired this page, sold as the Magic 8 Ball (a trademark of Mattel), is generally said to date from the mid-20th century and to have come out of Ohio. It is a liquid-filled ball with a small floating shape inside that carries the answers. When you turn the ball over, one answer drifts up to a little window. It has been a party favorite for decades, and many people remember asking it questions as kids.
This online version keeps the spirit (shake, wait, read) with its own set of answers and a few things a plastic ball can't do, like full screen mode for a whole room.
For fun, not advice
The answers are random. The ball does not know the future, and it does not know you. Enjoy it for small questions, games and laughs, and make real decisions about health, money, school or relationships with real information and people you trust.
Want another way to get an answer? Try the yes or no generator for a plain answer with a history, draw a card with yes or no tarot, or let chance decide with flip a coin.