By Felix Wright — Software Engineer & Developer, Wheel of Names Last updated: June 2026 · 11 min read
Table of Contents
Video Tutorial: How to Use Wheel of Name:
Which Method Should You Use? (Decision Guide)
Before the step-by-step instructions, here is the fastest way to find the right method for your situation:
| Your situation | Best method |
|---|---|
| You want to use the same wheel again next session on the same device | Browser localStorage (automatic — nothing required) |
| You want a permanent backup that won’t disappear if you clear browser data | Save as .wheel file |
| You want to use the wheel on multiple devices or a different computer | .wheel file (transfer via USB, email, or cloud storage) |
| You want someone else to spin your wheel without editing it | Share link |
| You want one-tap access from your phone or desktop | Install as PWA app |
| You want to share to social media directly | Social share buttons |
Read the section that matches your need. You don’t need to read every section.
Method 1: Browser LocalStorage (Automatic — No Action Required)
This is what happens by default every time you use Wheel of Names.
When you type names into the wheel and close the tab, your list is automatically saved to your browser’s localStorage — a sandboxed storage area on your own device. The next time you open the site in the same browser on the same device, your list is exactly where you left it.
What localStorage stores automatically:
- All names and entries currently on the wheel
- Color theme and visual customization
- Sound settings
- Spin duration preferences
What localStorage does NOT guarantee:
- Survival across browsers (Chrome localStorage ≠ Firefox localStorage)
- Survival if you use Private/Incognito mode (localStorage is wiped on tab close in private mode)
- Survival if you clear your browser cache or browsing data
- Access from a different device or computer
The critical mistake teachers and event hosts make: Assuming localStorage is a reliable backup. It is not. If you clear your browser history, use a different browser, or move to a different computer, your wheel is gone. For any wheel you’ve spent time building, always follow up with Method 2 (saving a .wheel file).
Method 2: Save as a .wheel File (Permanent Local Backup)
This is the most reliable way to preserve a wheel you’ll use repeatedly — for teachers storing class rosters, event organizers reusing the same prize wheel, or anyone who has spent time customizing a wheel they don’t want to lose.
What a .wheel File Contains
A .wheel file is a plain text file encoded in JSON format. It stores:
- Every name and entry on the wheel
- All color settings per segment
- Sound effects and music selection
- Custom images (embedded directly in the file as base64 data if uploaded from your device; referenced by name if from the built-in gallery)
- Spin animation settings
- Winner popup message customization
- Any weighting applied to entries
When you reload this file, the wheel is restored exactly — visually and functionally identical to when you saved it. Nothing is lost.
How to Save Your Wheel as a .wheel File
Step 1: Build your wheel on wheelofnames.name — add names, set colors, configure sounds, upload images if needed.
Step 2: Click the Menu button (top-right area of the interface).
Step 3: Select “Save Wheel to File” from the dropdown. You may find this under “Cast, save and share” depending on your browser.
Step 4: Your browser downloads a file named something like MyWheel.wheel. Move it to a folder you’ll remember — your Documents folder, a dedicated “Wheels” folder, or your Desktop.
Step 5 (recommended): Rename the file descriptively before saving. Class-5B-Roster-2025.wheel is easier to find in 6 months than wheel_1748293847.wheel.
Important note about images: If you uploaded images from your own device (not from the built-in gallery), those images are embedded directly inside the .wheel file. The file will be larger, but it is fully self-contained — the wheel restores completely even if the original image files are deleted from your device. Gallery images are referenced by name only, so they require an internet connection when loading.
How to Load a Saved .wheel File
Step 1: Go to wheelofnames.name.
Step 2: Click Menu → “Load Wheel from File”.
Step 3: A file picker opens. Navigate to your saved .wheel file, select it, and click Open.
Step 4: The wheel loads instantly — all names, colors, sounds, and images exactly as you saved them.
You can now spin, edit, or re-save (for example, after adding new students to a class roster).
Moving a .wheel File Between Devices
A .wheel file works on any device that can access wheelofnames.name. Transfer the file using:
- Email to yourself — attach and send; open on any device
- USB flash drive — load on classroom computer, library computer, or school device
- Cloud storage (Google Drive, Dropbox, iCloud Drive) — upload once, download anywhere
- AirDrop (Apple devices) — instant transfer between iPhone, iPad, and Mac
This makes the .wheel file the most portable option for teachers who work across multiple classroom computers, or event organizers who build wheels on their laptop and run them on a venue screen.
Method 3: Share the Winner Result (From the Popup After Spinning)
After the wheel stops and a winner is announced, a result popup appears on screen showing the winning name. Inside that popup there is a Share icon — this is a separate, dedicated sharing feature that works very differently from sharing the whole wheel.
What this feature does: It lets you share only the winner’s result — not your full name list, not the wheel configuration, not any other entries. The recipient sees a clean result card showing who won, nothing more.
How to Share a Winner Result
Step 1: Spin the wheel on wheelofnames.name as normal.
Step 2: When the wheel stops, the winner popup appears on screen with the winning name displayed prominently.
Step 3: Inside the popup, tap or click the Share icon.
Step 4: Choose how to send it — via messaging app, social platform, or copy the link. The result is shared instantly.
Why This Is the Right Way to Share Results — Not the Wheel Link
This is an important distinction that most users miss:
| Share wheel link | Share winner from popup | |
|---|---|---|
| What the recipient sees | Full wheel with all names visible | Only the winner’s name |
| Privacy of other entries | ⚠️ All names exposed | ✅ Other names stay private |
| Can recipient spin again? | ✅ Yes | ❌ No — result only |
| Best use | Letting others run the wheel | Announcing a winner |
| Risk of privacy issues | Higher (full list visible) | None |
Two Practical Benefits
1. Privacy protection. When you spin a wheel with employee names, student names, or raffle entrants, the full list may be sensitive. Sharing the winner from the popup means the recipient sees only the winning name — the rest of the list stays private on your device. No other participant’s name is exposed.
2. Word-of-mouth discovery. When a friend or family member receives a winner result card from wheelofnames.name, they see the tool in action. The result card naturally introduces them to the wheel — many recipients tap through to try the tool themselves. It is the most organic way to share the experience without any sales pitch.
When to Use Each Method
- Running a class raffle and announcing the winner to parents via WhatsApp? → Use Share from popup. They see the winner only.
- Hosting a livestream giveaway and want viewers to try the wheel themselves? → Share the wheel link so they can spin.
- Office team draw — HR wants a record of the result but the full employee list is confidential? → Share from popup sends only the outcome.
- Family game night — want to show grandma who won the prize draw? → Share from popup, one tap, done.
The link is read-and-spin access only. Your original wheel and your account data are never exposed.
Who Should See the Link?
Share links are not password-protected. Anyone who has the URL can access the wheel. For most use cases — classrooms, events, giveaways — this is fine. If your wheel contains sensitive information (full student names combined with other identifiers, for example), consider using first names or initials only rather than full names. See the full safety and privacy guide for data handling best practices.
Method 4: Share to Social Media (Facebook, Reddit, X/Twitter)
Wheel of Names includes direct share buttons for the major platforms. These generate a post with a link to your wheel so followers can spin it.
Step 1: Click Share → select the Facebook button. Step 2: A Facebook share dialog opens (you’ll be prompted to log in if not already). A preview of your wheel link appears automatically. Step 3: Add your message, tag people or a group, and post.
Best for: class groups, family group chats, community organization pages, or local event announcements.
Step 1: Click Share → select Reddit. Step 2: A new tab opens with Reddit’s submission page, pre-filled with your wheel link. Step 3: Choose the subreddit (community), write a title and optional comment, and submit.
Best for: sharing creative wheel setups with teaching communities (r/Teachers, r/ESL), trivia and game communities, or seeking feedback on a wheel configuration.
X (formerly Twitter)
Step 1: Click Share → select X or Twitter. Step 2: A tweet draft opens with your wheel link and a short description. Step 3: Add hashtags (e.g., #ESL, #ClassroomTools, #Giveaway), mention relevant accounts, and post.
Best for: livestreamers announcing a spin giveaway, teachers sharing classroom activity ideas, or marketers promoting a brand wheel event.
Method 5: Install as a PWA App (One-Tap Access — Fastest Method)
If you use Wheel of Names frequently, installing it as a Progressive Web App (PWA) gives you app-like access with a single tap — no app store, no download, no browser navigation required every time.
The fastest way to install on any device:
Step 1: Open wheelofnames.name in your browser.
Step 2: Click the Advanced menu icon Show Image — this is the settings/hamburger menu on the wheel interface itself (not your browser menu).
Step 3: Select “Install App Wheel of Names” from the menu options.
Step 4: Confirm the installation prompt. The wheel installs immediately as a standalone app on your device.
That’s it — one path works across desktop and mobile. The installed app opens in its own window, loads faster than a browser tab, and is always one tap away from your home screen or taskbar.
Why use the in-app install instead of the browser install? The “Install App Wheel of Names” button inside the Advanced menu is the simplest and most reliable path across all devices and browsers. It triggers the standard PWA install prompt without requiring you to navigate browser menus, which vary significantly between Chrome, Edge, Safari, Firefox, and mobile browsers.
After installation:
- Desktop: An icon appears on your desktop and taskbar. Pin it for one-click access during lessons or events.
- Android: An icon appears on your home screen — tap it and the wheel opens full-screen.
- iPhone/iPad: The icon appears on your home screen, launching the wheel in full-screen mode via Safari.
Bonus for classroom use: Install the app on the classroom computer and pin the icon to the taskbar. At the start of each lesson, one click opens your wheel — no browser, no URL, no waiting.
iOS private browsing note: If you use Private Browsing on iPhone, localStorage is cleared when you close the tab. Your wheel entries disappear between sessions. Turn off Private Browsing for the wheel tab, or always save a .wheel file as backup rather than relying on localStorage alone.
Understanding Storage: localStorage vs .wheel File
This is the most commonly misunderstood aspect of saving on Wheel of Names. Here is a complete comparison:
| Feature | localStorage (Auto) | .wheel File |
|---|---|---|
| Setup required | None | None |
| Survives browser cache clear | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| Works in Private/Incognito mode | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| Accessible from another device | ❌ No | ✅ (transfer file) |
| Accessible offline | ❌ No | ❌ No |
| Multiple wheels stored | ❌ One at a time | ✅ Unlimited files |
| Shareable with others | ❌ No | ✅ Send the file |
| Privacy | Local only | Local only |
| Best for | Quick sessions | Regular reuse |
The practical recommendation: Use localStorage for casual day-to-day spinning. Use .wheel files for any wheel you’ve spent more than 5 minutes configuring — it is the only format that survives a cache clear, a browser switch, or a device change.
According to Google’s web.dev documentation on Progressive Web Apps and browser storage, localStorage data can be cleared by the browser under memory pressure conditions even without the user explicitly clearing it. This is another reason not to rely solely on localStorage for important wheel data.
Privacy and Security When Saving or Sharing
Your names stay on your device by default. When you save a .wheel file, it stores only on your local machine. When you use localStorage, it stores only in your browser’s sandboxed storage — not on Wheel of Names servers. No names or entries you type are transmitted anywhere unless you explicitly use a share link.
Share links transmit your wheel data to generate the URL. When you click Share, the wheel content is encoded into the URL or stored briefly on the server to generate a short link. The content is the entries and settings you chose to make public by sharing — not your account information, device data, or browsing history.
What to avoid putting in wheel entries:
- Full names combined with other identifiers (student ID + name + grade = personal data under FERPA/GDPR)
- Passwords or security codes (the wheel is not an encrypted vault)
- Financial information of any kind
For classroom use: Use first names or initials only. If a share link is being used in a public setting, be aware that anyone with the link can see all entries. See the complete privacy and safety guide for FERPA and GDPR compliance guidance.
Practical Scenarios: Which Method for Which Situation
Teacher — Daily Classroom Use
Recommended setup: Save a .wheel file for each class (ClassA.wheel, ClassB.wheel, etc.). Load the relevant file at the start of each lesson. If you work on multiple classroom computers, store the files on a USB drive or email them to yourself for easy access anywhere. Use the PWA install to put the wheel icon on each classroom computer’s taskbar.
Event Organizer — Raffle at a Live Event
Recommended setup: Build the prize wheel on your laptop before the event. Save as a .wheel file backup. On event day, load the .wheel file on the venue computer. Use the share link to display on a second screen if needed. Generate a new share link immediately before the event starts to ensure it reflects the final entry list.
Livestreamer — Subscriber Giveaway
Recommended setup: Build the subscriber name wheel. Share via link and display using screen share in your streaming software. After the event, if you want to archive the exact wheel used (for transparency), save the .wheel file and keep it. Use the PWA install on your streaming PC for quick access between streams.
Teacher — Sharing Vocabulary Wheel with Students
Recommended setup: Build the topic wheel. Generate a share link. Post the link in Google Classroom, a class website, or Notion. Students open the link on their own devices and can spin during independent practice. The link is read-only — students cannot edit your original wheel.
Family — Weekend Game Night
Recommended setup: For a one-off use, localStorage is fine — just build, spin, close. If it’s a recurring game (weekly trivia, chore wheel), save a .wheel file so you don’t rebuild from scratch each time.
Frequently Asked Questions
If I share my wheel link, can the recipient edit my wheel?
No. Share link recipients can spin the wheel and clone it to their own session, but they cannot alter your original wheel. Your version remains unchanged regardless of what they do with the link.
Why did my wheel disappear after I cleared my browser history?
Clearing browser history also wipes localStorage, which is where Wheel of Names stores your wheel data automatically. Always save important wheels as .wheel files — this is the only format that survives a cache clear. Going forward: save the .wheel file immediately after building any wheel you want to keep.
Can I save more than one wheel?
Yes, but not within localStorage — that only keeps your most recent wheel. For multiple wheels, save each as a separate .wheel file with a descriptive name (e.g., Friday-Raffle.wheel, Class-6A.wheel). You can have as many .wheel files as you want, stored anywhere on your device.
Can I use my .wheel file on a Chromebook, tablet, or school computer?
Yes, as long as the device can access wheelofnames.name in a browser and can handle the file transfer. For Chromebooks with restricted download permissions, email the .wheel file to yourself and open the attachment to load it directly.
Does sharing a link expose my Google account or personal information?
No. The share link contains only the wheel’s entries and settings — the information you explicitly chose to put on the wheel. It does not expose your Google account, your IP address, your device, or any browsing history.
My shared wheel link is showing an old version. How do I update it?
Share links are snapshots of the wheel at the moment you clicked “Share.” To share an updated version, edit your wheel and click Share again to generate a new link. The old link will continue showing the old version permanently — it does not update automatically.
Can I password-protect a share link?
Not natively in Wheel of Names. If you need restricted access to a wheel, the alternative is to share the .wheel file directly with specific people rather than generating a public share link. This gives you full control over who receives the file.
What happens to my wheel if I use Private/Incognito mode?
In Private/Incognito mode, localStorage is cleared when you close the tab. This means your wheel entries disappear at the end of each session. To use Wheel of Names in private mode and keep your data, always save a .wheel file before closing the tab. The .wheel file is stored on your device — it is not affected by Private mode settings.
Quick Reference Cheat Sheet
| I want to… | Method | Steps |
|---|---|---|
| Back up my wheel permanently | .wheel file | Menu → Save Wheel to File |
| Restore a saved wheel | .wheel file | Menu → Load Wheel from File |
| Use my wheel on another computer | .wheel file + transfer | Save file → email/USB → Load on new device |
| Let someone else spin my wheel | Share link | Share → Copy Link → Send |
| Post to Facebook/Reddit/X | Social share | Share → Select platform |
| One-tap access from phone or desktop | PWA install | Advanced menu (icon |||) → Install App Wheel of Names |
Explore More Guides
→ Is a Name Spinning Wheel Safe to Use? (Privacy & Security Review)
→ Is There an App That Shuffles Names? 7 Tools Tested & Ranked
→ Spin Wheel Giveaway Guide: Rare Grand, Many Small Wins Strategy
→ Wheel of Names for Minute Speaking in the Classroom
→ Can You Cheat on Wheel of Names and Win Every Time?
read more: Discussion on the Wheel of Names
About the Author Felix Wright is an independent software engineer and the developer behind Wheel of Names. He writes technical guides about the tool’s features based on direct knowledge of how they are built and how users interact with them across classrooms, events, and live streams.
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Last Updated on June 25, 2026 by Felix