FAQ & Troubleshooting

Wheel of Names Not Working? Common Fixes

Start with the quick checklist below: most reports trace back to JavaScript being blocked or a stuck service-worker cache, not a real bug.

Key takeaways

JavaScript is required. The wheel is a canvas-based app, not a static page, so it won't render at all with scripts blocked.
If you installed the app to your home screen or use it often, a stuck old service-worker version is a real, specific cause of "acting weird after an update," not just generic cache gunk.
If entries themselves seem to be missing rather than the wheel failing to load, that's usually a saving/storage issue, not a "not working" issue. See the dedicated guide instead.

Quick checklist

Most "not working" reports trace back to JavaScript being blocked or a stuck service-worker cache, not a real bug. Work through this list first:

Refresh the page. Resolves a surprising share of one-off glitches, especially after a deploy.
Confirm JavaScript is enabled. The wheel renders on an HTML canvas and needs client-side JavaScript to work at all. It isn't a static page that degrades gracefully without it. Privacy-hardened browsers/extensions that block scripts by default will break it entirely, not just partially.
Try a different browser. If it works in one browser but not another, the cause is browser-specific (an old version, or an extension), not the site.
Temporarily disable extensions, especially ad blockers or script blockers, and retest.
Force-clear the service worker if you've used the site before. See the dedicated section below: this is a specific, known cause, not a guess.

If you previously installed the app (PWA) or use it often

This app uses a service worker to cache the app shell for offline use. That's normally invisible, but it has one specific failure mode.

After a new version ships, a browser that's had the site open for a while can keep running the old cached version instead of picking up the update automatically.

Normally, a small "New version available" banner appears and reloading via that banner fixes it. If you don't see that banner and something feels off, force it manually:

Open your browser's DevTools → Application tab → Service Workers.
Find the entry for this site and click Unregister.
Hard-reload the page (or just close and reopen it).

Common specific issues

The wheel won't spin when clicked. Refresh first.

If it persists, confirm JavaScript is enabled: this is the single most common root cause of a wheel that loads visually but doesn't respond to clicks.

Entries aren't showing up on the wheel. Check for stray blank lines or invisible characters in a pasted list.

Pastes from some spreadsheet software carry formatting that can interfere with parsing.

Also confirm you're not over the 500-entry cap; entries beyond that are trimmed rather than shown.

Sound isn't playing. Check your browser's site-specific sound/autoplay permissions: some browsers mute audio by default until you've interacted with the page.

If you've used the site before, the first spin online caches the tick/fanfare sounds for offline use afterward.

A half-cached state after a flaky connection can occasionally cause silent spins until you reload.

A shared wheel link won't load. Confirm the link is copied in full and hasn't been altered.

If a specific shared wheel is missing, it may have been removed through the site's moderation process rather than a loading bug.

The page loads slowly or looks broken. Usually connection speed, not the tool. Retry after a few minutes.

If it's consistently broken across a refresh, a different browser, and a stable connection, treat it as a real issue rather than continuing to retry.

When to reach out for help

If you've worked through the checklist (refresh, JavaScript enabled, different browser, service worker unregistered if you're a repeat user, stable connection) and it's still broken, that's worth reporting.

Use the site's feedback form or contact page rather than continuing to troubleshoot alone.

Frequently asked questions

Does this happen more on mobile than desktop?

Mobile browsers can be more sensitive to outdated OS-level browser versions and extensions, so updating your mobile browser app is worth trying first if issues are mobile-specific.

Could my school or work network be blocking something?

Yes. Networks that block certain scripts or domains can break a JavaScript-dependent tool like this one, without anything being wrong with the tool itself.

Test on a different network (e.g., mobile data) to rule this out.

Is there a status page to check if the whole site is down?

There's no dedicated public status page; a full outage affects everyone at once.

An individual "not working" report is far more often local (browser, extension, network, or a stale service worker), so work through the checklist above first.

Reviewed by the Wheel of Names team · About us

Sources

Back to Wheel of Names

Key takeaways

JavaScript is required. The wheel is a canvas-based app, not a static page, so it won't render at all with scripts blocked.

If you installed the app to your home screen or use it often, a stuck old service-worker version is a real, specific cause of "acting weird after an update," not just generic cache gunk.

If entries themselves seem to be missing rather than the wheel failing to load, that's usually a saving/storage issue, not a "not working" issue. See the dedicated guide instead.

Quick checklist

Most "not working" reports trace back to JavaScript being blocked or a stuck service-worker cache, not a real bug. Work through this list first:

Refresh the page. Resolves a surprising share of one-off glitches, especially after a deploy.

Confirm JavaScript is enabled. The wheel renders on an HTML canvas and needs client-side JavaScript to work at all. It isn't a static page that degrades gracefully without it. Privacy-hardened browsers/extensions that block scripts by default will break it entirely, not just partially.

Try a different browser. If it works in one browser but not another, the cause is browser-specific (an old version, or an extension), not the site.

Temporarily disable extensions, especially ad blockers or script blockers, and retest.

Force-clear the service worker if you've used the site before. See the dedicated section below: this is a specific, known cause, not a guess.

If you previously installed the app (PWA) or use it often

This app uses a service worker to cache the app shell for offline use. That's normally invisible, but it has one specific failure mode.

After a new version ships, a browser that's had the site open for a while can keep running the old cached version instead of picking up the update automatically.

Normally, a small "New version available" banner appears and reloading via that banner fixes it. If you don't see that banner and something feels off, force it manually:

Open your browser's DevTools → Application tab → Service Workers.

Find the entry for this site and click Unregister.

Hard-reload the page (or just close and reopen it).