Phone Beer
Simulator

Your phone behaves like a pint of beer. Tilt it to swirl, tip it past the rim to pour, shake it at your own peril.

How it works

A beer simulator that turns your phone into a pint

Some people call it iBeer, others a Virtual Beer, and a few insist on Beer Glass Simulator. The idea is always the same: your phone becomes the glass, and the beer inside sloshes, pours and spills exactly like the real thing the moment you tilt it.

The Pranx troll tipping a phone full of beer into his mouth, with the beer pouring out of the screen
Pour, tilt and gulp your virtual beer!
  • 0%alcohol
  • 2motion sensors
  • 100%pixel pilsner
  • ∞free refills

It also makes a brilliant Beer Prank. Hand the phone to a friend, let them tilt it, and watch how long it takes them to work out whether they are holding a Fake Pint or genuine Beer Magic. Bottoms Up!

Will it work on my phone

Device and browser support

If your phone has a gyroscope, your Phone Pint is ready to pour. That's pretty much every smartphone released in the last ten years. The only exception worth mentioning is that Apple only lets websites access motion sensors in its own browser: Safari. And you'll need to grant permission the first time.

  • iPhone and iPad

    Open the prank in Safari🧭. The first time you visit, it will ask for permission to access motion and orientation sensors. Just tap Allow.

    Full motion, permission needed

  • Android

    On Android, open the page in Chrome and your Pocket Beer is poured. Samsung Internet and Firefox work as well. No permission prompt is usually needed.

    Full motion, no prompt

  • Laptop and desktop

    Desktop computers don't have motion sensors, so the simulator switches to mouse controls instead. Pouring, foam and bubbles all work the same.

    Mouse fallback

How to drink it

Three fun things to try

  1. 01

    Swirl it around

    Slowly tilt your phone from side to side and watch the beer slosh around the glass. The waves bounce off the edges and gradually settle down. That lazy swirl is what sells the Phone Beer illusion.

  2. 02

    Pour yourself a drink

    Tip the phone far enough and the beer starts flowing out over the rim. As it pours, the level inside the glass starts dropping, followed by a gulping sound. Your Digital Pint really does run out.

  3. 03

    Shake it and make a mess

    Give your phone a good shake to whip up a thick layer of foam and send beer flying over the edge. Keep going and the bubbles fade, the beer goes flat. Messiest Beer Trick of the lot.

Under the hood

How the beer knows which way is down

The simulator relies on two sensors built into your phone. The accelerometer tells it which direction gravity is pulling, while the gyroscope measures how the phone is rotating. Using the DeviceMotion API, your mobile browser makes the beer react naturally every time you move your phone.

Not every phone reports accelerometer data the same way, and browsers don't always agree either. Instead of relying on the device type, the simulator calibrates itself when it starts. It works in most Android browsers but only in Safari on Apple devices. The good news is that this is their default browser and it comes preinstalled on every iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

  • 45calibration samples
  • 9.81m/s² = one g
  • 4screen orientations
  • 0apps to install

The beer itself is made up of 96 connected liquid columns, each one responding to gravity and friction against its neighbours, creating realistic waves. The amount of beer always stays accurate too. There is no looping video and no Brew Trick hiding behind it, just maths running sixty times a second.

Fun facts

Why this beer beats the real thing

  • 0.0%Alcohol. This Fake Beer is fine before work, during class or whenever you like. Nobody's driving home from this one.
  • 0Calories, carbs or hangovers. Feel free to have another... and another.
  • ∞Unlimited refills. Double-tap the screen and it is Beer Time again, with a brand-new foamy head.
  • 1Guaranteed burp when you finish the glass. Just make sure your sound is turned on.
  • 3sThat's about how long it takes to pour a perfect Pocket Pint. Probably faster than your local pub.
  • 100%Spill-proof. Shake this Pretend Beer as much as you want. The only thing getting messy is your screen.

Questions

Frequently asked

Do I need to install an app?

Nope. Unlike iBeer and other similar apps this runs right in your browser. Just open the page, tap "Pour me one". No app, no download, no account required, because your BeerPhone is simply a web page.

Why doesn't the beer move on my iPhone?

Apple only lets websites use the motion sensors in Safari. Open the page in Safari instead of Chrome, Facebook or another in-app browser, and allow when Safari asks for motion and orientation access.

Which phones and browsers work?

Almost any smartphone with a gyroscope should work. On iPhone and iPad, use Safari. On Android, Chrome is recommended, although any other modern web browser should work. On desktop, your mouse controls the glass instead.

How do I refill the glass?

Just double-tap the screen and a fresh pint appears, complete with pouring sound effects and a new foamy head. Refills are unlimited, so you can Beerify the same phone all evening.

More from Pranx

More pranks you'll love

Had fun with this bit of Magic Beer? Once your friends have fallen for the "Drink Your Phone" challenge there are plenty more ways to catch them out. Try one of these next.

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