Never guess a gift. Never miss a birthday.

Why HintDrop exists

Honestly? We were just like you. Sick of guessing presents, screenshotting things we liked, and losing links across five different group chats. Birthdays crept up, someone always bought the same thing as someone else, and the one thing we actually wanted got buried in a chat from March.

So we made HintDrop: one place for the things you'd love, the dates that matter, and the people you buy for. No more screenshots. No more links lost across five group chats.

What you can do with HintDrop

• 🎁 Drop a hint from anywhere. Tap Share in any shop app or website and choose HintDrop, or click the browser extension on a laptop. The name and picture come with it, from any shop.
• 🗂️ Every store, all in one place. Keep lists for birthdays, weddings, Christmas or just because, public or private.
• 🎂 Never miss a birthday. Import birthdays from your calendar, type them in, or send one link so friends add their own. They land in your calendar with a nudge before each one.
• 🤫 No doubling up. Friends tap "Dibs" so nobody buys the same thing twice, and you never see who's buying.
• ♻️ Fewer unwanted gifts. Less guessing, less waste: people get you what you'd actually use, so less ends up in a drawer or the bin.
• 🤝 Chip in together. Plan a bigger present with a few people instead of several small ones. Payment is sorted between you; HintDrop never holds money.
• 🎅 Free Secret Santa. Draw names in a minute, with a wishlist for everyone so nobody has to guess.
• 🛍️ Stuck for ideas? Browse gift guides and a shop built around people and occasions.

How it works

HintDrop is free on iPhone, Android and the web, with browser extensions for Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari.

1. Sign up and drop your first hint from any shop.
2. Add your people: import birthdays, or invite them to HintDrop.
3. When a birthday comes up, you already know what they'd love, and they know what you would.

You craft the moment, we remember the details.

Fewer unwanted gifts

What. HintDrop helps people give presents that actually get used. When someone buys from your list, they're buying something you asked for, so fewer gifts end up in a drawer, regifted or in the bin. It's one of the reasons we built HintDrop, not the only one.

Why it matters. In a 2024 Censuswide survey of 2,000 UK adults for Finder, 58% said they had been given a Christmas present they didn't want, worth about £1.27 billion in total. Estimates of how many unwanted gifts are thrown away range from 1 in 20 to 1 in 5, and every one of them still cost the money, materials, packaging and delivery behind it. The most reliable way to cut that waste isn't better recycling. It's buying fewer things people don't want in the first place.

Is asking less thoughtful? No. Research by Francesca Gino and Francis Flynn found people appreciate gifts they asked for more than surprises, and see them as more thoughtful. The most thoughtful gift is the one they actually want.

How HintDrop helps.

• Hints come from any shop, including small makers and second hand, so the list reflects what someone really wants, not what one store sells.
• "Dibs" stops two people buying the same thing.
• Chipping in turns several small presents into one thing someone will use.
• Secret Santa with wishlists means each person gets one present they want instead of a pile of novelty socks.

When. All year round: birthdays, weddings, new babies and housewarmings as much as Christmas, which is simply when the problem is biggest.

What we don't claim. We don't measure carbon and we won't pretend HintDrop saves the planet. It just makes it easier to give the right thing. The numbers above, with sources, are in our guide to unwanted Christmas gifts.

Private by design

• Private lists and private hints stay with you. They can't be shared and never show on your profile.
• Your birthday only shows to people in your Circle. Everyone else just sees your star sign.
• Your email address is never shown to other people.
• We never sell your data. See our privacy policy for exactly what we store and why.

When it started

HintDrop started in 2026, built independently in the UK. It is run by HintDrop LTD, and we're adding to it every week based on what people tell us.

Contact

Questions, feedback, or partnership enquiries can be sent to hello@hintdrop.app. Brands can find out more on our For brands page.