Switch to spin the wheel from browser tabs

Abstract wheel with spokes and an umber pointer wedge on wheel-ink paper.
Spoke-pointer mark: a local wheel disc with spokes and a top pointer for this install guide. Spoke Quill original spoke-pointer geometry for this install guide (not a DemoWheel product logo).

Browser picker tabs and decision wheel sites work until the tab closes, the ad overlay blocks the spin, or the school filter blocks the domain. A local spin the wheel client on Windows keeps titles and themes on disk. Prefer DemoWheel_release_v1.zip from GradXL49/DemoWheel tag v1.0, extract Demo Wheel.exe, then rebuild your title list in Settings.

Home: spin the wheel. Comparison: vs picker wheel sites.

What transfers and what does not

There is no automatic import from web pickers into Demo Wheel. Copy titles from your old list into Settings → Titles. Expect to delete-and-add rather than edit in place. The app will not let you delete the last remaining title, which prevents empty-wheel crashes.

Colors, segment counts, and background images also start fresh unless you recreate them. Themes you save locally can be copied later via the themes and images folders.

Titles walkthrough: custom titles. Themes: settings and themes.

Install the Windows zip first

Complete the extract before you abandon the browser tab. Prove one spin offline. Keep the browser bookmark for a week as a fallback if SmartScreen still blocks the exe. Windows install: install on Windows. Safe path: download safely.

No winget id was found; do not invent one during the switch. Soft parks stay parked for macOS and Linux.

Classroom and stream habits

Write the new folder path on the run-of-show notes. If you previously spun in a browser for a livestream, test the local window maximized once before going live. README maximize behaviour comes from the PyQt main window showMaximized call in source.

First run: first run. First hour: installed.

When to keep the browser anyway

Keep the browser when you cannot install executables, when you need a phone-only spin, or when IT blocks unsigned tools. Local Demo Wheel wins when you need offline spins, custom themes on disk, and a GPL-3.0 binary you can name on a ticket.

Decision-wheel-only sites and raffle-focused tools stay out of scope here. Adjacent skip list remains in research notes so the cluster does not cannibalize those phrases.

Switch checklist

  • Download DemoWheel_release_v1.zip from official Releases.
  • Extract and launch Demo Wheel.exe once.
  • Re-enter titles from the old browser list.
  • Save a theme after colors look right.
  • Bookmark Releases; retire mystery download portals.

Releases map: releases. GitHub: on GitHub. Update later: update and uninstall. Safety: is it safe.

If teammates still prefer a web picker for quick hallway decisions, label that door clearly so nobody “fixes” a blocked local exe by grabbing Softonic. Two labeled doors beat one confused download folder.

Portable USB copies should wait until the first machine proves a spin. Copy the whole release_v1 tree, including themes and images, when you move to another Windows desk. Portable guide: portable folder.

Offline expectations after the switch: offline use. Computer setup: set up on this computer.

Browser ads and trackers stay on the old tabs; the local exe does not remove the need to trust the zip you downloaded from GitHub. Prefer the named v1.0 asset every time you reimage.

Spin the wheel desk checklist

Keep spin the wheel installs boring: named zip, full extract, one proven SPIN, Releases bookmark. Soft parks for macOS and Linux stay parked because upstream ships Windows only and no winget or brew id was found on the research date.

  • Prefer DemoWheel_release_v1.zip from tag v1.0.
  • Extract so Demo Wheel.exe sits under release_v1.
  • Quote paths that include the space in Demo Wheel.exe.
  • Refuse Softonic mirrors that only rank for spin the wheel.
  • Write the folder path beside the OS version on the ticket.

Home pillar: spin the wheel. Windows install: install on Windows. Zip extract: zip extract. First hour: installed. Safety: is it safe.

When Releases publish a newer tag, re-check the live asset list before you teach an old zip name for spin the wheel. Live GitHub lists win over memorised footnotes.

Adjacent phrases such as wheel spinner, decision wheel, picker wheel, random picker, name picker, and raffle wheel stay out of scope. Keep those searches on their own doors so spin the wheel notes do not collide with sibling intent.

Club machines should receive the same documented extract. After every reimage, download again from GitHub Releases rather than restoring unknown Desktop shortcuts. Offline spins still need that first honest fetch. Travel USBs should copy the whole release_v1 tree only after one local spin the wheel session works.

Producer notes should list titles beside the Settings Apply warning. Classroom notes should pin DemoWheel_release_v1.zip beside the OS version. Family notes should keep the Releases bookmark labeled for spin the wheel instead of burying it in chat history.