# Santa's Secret Service — user reviews > 59 indexed App Store user reviews of Santa's Secret Service by David Hsieh, rated 4.00/5 from 53 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/santas-secret-service/id946781328/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/santas-secret-service/id946781328.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 32 · 4★ 5 · 3★ 6 · 2★ 2 · 1★ 8 ## What do users think of Santa's Secret Service? Overall sentiment: mixed **Pros** - 👍 Easy to use - 🚀 Efficient for organizing - 📧 Emails sent successfully - 🌟 Great for large groups (with upgrade) - 💡 Cute theme/interface - 💰 Worth the small upgrade fee - ✅ Works as intended - 🤝 Good customer service - 🔄 Reliable for years **Cons** - ⚠️ Free version limited to 4 people - 💸 Unexpected payment required - 📧 Emails not sending - 🐛 Duplicate assignments - 🚫 Cannot add from contacts - 🤷 No confirmation of email receipt - 🔄 Reshuffles participants on resend - 🤔 Basic functionality for paid version **Commonly reported bugs** - Emails don't send - Not one person got the email - Froze and unexpectedly asked for upgrade - Every email added came back with an error message - Sent the same name to two different people - Paid for it and still couldn't add any extra people - Doesn't work as it should (incorrect assignments) - App doesn't work after upgrade - Glitchy - Doesn't work and paid for it - Can only add 4 people or it tries to charge you - The app gave the same name to two people **Most requested features** - Allow editing previous year emails - Increase limitations on agents (e.g., prevent siblings from getting each other) - Option to make sure couples don't get each other - Ability to add rules like not getting spouse/partner - Option to select who someone should or should not buy for - Ability to force a pairing - Access to master list if emails are spammed/lost - Text message option - Create a wish list - Add restrictions for who gets whom - Ability to exclude certain targets from being selected by certain agents ## Newest reviews (11 of 59) ### 3/5 — Does what it needs to *2023-11-18* I’ve used the app for years and it’s done the job. I wish that it had a better way to pull in previous year emails when someone is being taken off the list. It allows me to edit the previous year emails, but not delete or add. ### 3/5 — Restrict combinations *2020-12-05, version 2.0.3* The app is good but it would be helpful If you could increase the limitations on some agents so they are not able to get more than one other people. Useful with siblings in a Kris Kringle when you don’t want the same family to get each other. ### 4/5 — Couples...... *2017-12-18* Really good app, just wish there was a way to make sure couples didn’t get each other. **Developer response:** Hello! Just wanted to let you know that from version 2.0 you may now set exchange restrictions! ### 3/5 — Good app just need more features *2017-11-22, version 1.2.2* The app works well. great way to get everyone to participate without the hassle of pulling your name out. Would love to be able to add rules like not getting spouse/ partner. ### 4/5 — Nearly there *2017-11-21, version 1.2.2* This app is good - it looks really nice, it’s easy to use and the secret agent theming is fabulous. It nearly does everything I want except it needs an option to select who someone should or should not buy for as it’s something I need when I organise this for between my siblings. So it’s nearly there but doesn’t quite fit my needs just yet. ### 5/5 — Love this app *2016-12-07, version 1.2.2* This app is great! My friends really loved receiving their special KK targets and I didn't have to draw names out of a hat! Nobody knows who everyone else has and it was quick and easy to use. I upgraded to send to more people and I don't regret it. I can't wait for my Christmas party now! Also the app support is great and they responded within an hour or so of submitting my question. ### 4/5 — Best available SS app *2016-12-03, version 1.2.2* Great customer support. Improving app all the time. Simple process, email communication - great for family living interstate - no need to be together to "draw from a hat" and no chance of getting yourself, aesthetic and easy to understand emailed nominations. ### 5/5 — Nicely Done! *2016-11-29* The app downloaded with no problem, and was very easy to set up and use. I had my first group done within 10 minutes. The interface is logically ordered and intuitive. I also liked the presentation to recipients. One option that might be helpful to add is the ability to force a pairing. For example, my son found a great gift for my mom earlier in the year, and I wanted to be sure he was paired with her. As it turned out, the random generator paired him with her, so luckily it worked out. Really nice app! ### 5/5 — Premium version *2016-11-26* Our family has been doing secret Santa between our 5 siblings for years. Now that we're all spread out this app really helped. I purchased the elite version to allow me to use more than 4 people. You can add your name in the settings so that the email includes your name as the organizer, and in the settings you can also make sure you're included in every group you make. There is a pop up that confirmed the email was sent. There is a field for "gift value limit" or any other message you'd like to send. The email is in a great format. I really like it. ### 5/5 — Fantastic *2016-11-08* Totally worth 99cents to coordinate Secret Santa this Christmas with my siblings who all live out of state. It's quick and very simple, I'd recommend this app to anyone hoping to set one up. ### 5/5 — Really easy and completely random *2016-11-03* It was simple and efficient and it send out the perfect secret Santa randomness that I needed ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — Emails don’t send *2022-12-11, version 2.0.3* All a bit pointless. Ended up having to just look at the list and text people individually because the emails didn’t send ### 1/5 — Not one person *2019-12-19* I have used this app before and nothing like this has ever happened. Not one person got the email ### 1/5 — Does not work!!! *2016-12-30* This app did not work for me even though I purchased it. Every email I added came back with an error message that those emails were not valid when in fact they were. Even my own email that I used daily was kicked back. So, I couldn't have our secret Santa by way of this app. I hoped that it worked but it did not. I do not like paying for something that doesn't provide the service it says it does. Buyer beware, it may not work for you either. I do want my money back as it, the app did not do what it said it would. Who needs more stress during the holidays??? ### 1/5 — Horrible app! *2016-12-19* It sent the same name to two different people, therefore it wasn't accurate in the emails. ### 1/5 — Don't bother with this app *2016-12-06, version 1.2.2* Great app unless you have more than 4 people in your secret santa group (which I would say would be everyone who would even need an app like this). Don't bother with it. ### 1/5 — Free version only allows you to have four ppl max *2016-12-02* Free version only allows you to have four ppl max ### 1/5 — Unhappy *2016-11-27, version 1.2.2* Unhappy ### 1/5 — 4 is your limit *2016-11-11, version 1.2.2* It's the season of giving! This app is taking, you have to pay for a list longer than 4... deleted and replaced ### 1/5 — Don't use!!! *2016-10-31, version 1.2.2* Paid for it and still Couldn't add any extra people!! Annoyingly didn't read the reviews beforehand but hopefully you see this and don't get it!! ### 1/5 — Doesn't work as it should. *2015-12-26, version 1.2.2* Used this app for a Secret Santa, obviously with it being 'secret' no one knew who was buying for whom. On Christmas day when gifts were opened 1 person got 3 gifts, another 2 people got 2 gifts each and 3 people didn't get any gifts at all. There is no way of finding out as an admin, who is buying for whom. I paid for the app as I had over 20 people in the group. It obviously doesn't work properly. Not really fair that some people didn't get a gift when they had bought for others. ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — Customer service *2021-12-02* I cannot say enough about the developer of this app. I reached out to him with a problem and he responded quickly and resolved my issue. ### 5/5 — Excellent app *2019-12-22* Every year we make little pieces of paper with names on it. Everyone looses it and it is an absolute mess. This worked like a charm. Only feedback is that I wish I knew before that the email identifies the secret Santa by name so parents can receive the emails for their kids. Easy pezy. Love it!!!! ### 5/5 — Froze and unexpectedly asked for upgrade *2019-12-16* Editing my review bc we used it this year and it worked perfectly. Thank you! **Developer response:** Hello Maddie! Just wanted to let you know what version 2.0 now was rewritten from scratch. It performs better, it doesn’t have the previous versions bugs and now you may set exchange restrictions! ### 5/5 — App works great. *2019-12-15, version 2.0.3* I’ve been using this app for the last 3 years for family exchange. Works amazing. Love the new interface. ### 5/5 — Great App! *2019-12-01* This app has helped our family do an ornament exchange for years! It is very helpful especially when a wrong email address as been entered, they help remedy the situation immediately! ### 5/5 — Super easy! *2018-11-27* Great app! Totally worth the .99 Super easy to use! ### 5/5 — Really great app! *2018-11-05, version 1.2.2* I don’t normally write reviews of apps or anything but this was a really awesome app for sorting out our secret Santa’s. We normally do it by paper out of a hat but this time everyone couldn’t get together so I looked for other means and found this app! Such an easy way to get your ‘target’ and the reply I got for when I had an issue with a person not receiving their email (because the person’s email had higher security I guess) was amazing! Thank youu! ### 5/5 — Best app ever *2018-10-14, version 1.2.2* Best way for me to organise a Secret Santa without knowing how has how. I bought the app so I am able to have 50 recipients into one Secret Santa. I believe this is the best way to do Secret Santa. We have been sed it quite a bit over the last few years. ### 5/5 — Awesome! *2016-12-19* You have to pay like .99 cents to have more than 4 people but it's worth it rather than trying to meet up with a big group of people with different work schedules. Everyone in the group received an email of who they got so at this point it worked exactly as needed! ### 5/5 — Worth it *2016-12-08* I was skeptical about paying 99 cents to add more participants but it put everybody in the mood with that cute email! Loved it!!! I recommend it! Now we don't have to all meet up just to draw a name. Super easy, fast and convenient! Merry Christmas y'all!!! --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-31.*