The frame
A candy-cane scanner for any face
Hold the phone up, fit the face in the striped frame, and press Scan. Grandparents are the best subjects.
Christmas scanner for families
Naughty or nice? There is only one way to find out.
Type a name and press Scan. The app does the same trick with a camera: a candy-cane frame, a sweep of red light, and a verdict on a ribbon. It is entirely make-believe, and it never fails to get a gasp.
A small one-time purchase on iPhone. The checker on this page is on the house.
Who are we scanning?
Official small print: the elves make the number up. Nothing you type leaves this page.
On this site
Three things for the run-up to Christmas
The app
One trick, done properly
Start, then Scan. That is the entire manual.
The verdict
A number on a ribbon
Sixty-four percent nice. Ninety-one. The ribbon unrolls and the room reacts. That reaction is the whole product.
Again
Scan again, and again
There is no limit and no waiting. Line up the cousins.
Make-believe
Nothing is measured
It is a party trick. No face is analysed and no score means anything, which is exactly why it is fun.
Questions parents ask
Before Christmas Eve
How does the scanner know?
It does not. Naughty or Nice is make-believe: the app shows a festive scanning animation and then announces a number for fun. No face is analysed and nothing is measured, stored or sent anywhere.
Will it tell my child they are naughty?
The verdict on this website always lands on the nice side, some only just. The app gives a playful percentage too. If a low number would upset a small child, scan a grown-up first and let them be the one who needs to improve.
Does the app cost anything?
Yes. It is a small one-time purchase on the App Store. The list checker and the certificate on this website cost nothing to use.
What ages is it for?
It is rated 4+, and the two buttons are easy enough for a small child. It is best as a family game with a grown-up holding the phone.
Somebody in your house needs scanning.
A small one-time purchase on iPhone. Works on every relative.