How to do a gender reveal online when the family can't be there

Make a digital scratch-off card that hides “It's a girl!” or “It's a boy!”, get everyone on a video call and have them scratch it at the same time. Each person opens it in the browser on their phone, with no app, and you watch every face as the color shows up. You can make it for free in a couple of minutes.

By bemypresent · Updated

The example

How the example starts: An envelope for Nana and Pop, a scratch-off card that turns pink and reveals “It's a girl!”, the due date, a question about her middle name and a letter from Sam and Olivia.
An envelope for Nana and Pop, a scratch-off card that turns pink and reveals “It's a girl!”, the due date, a question about her middle name and a letter from Sam and Olivia.
See the example

You can change all of it before you send it. Free, no sign-up.

How to do a virtual gender reveal on a video call

  1. Start from the example on this page, pick boy or girl and add the due date. The color of the reveal changes with your answer.
  2. Write the line on the envelope. “Scratch together on the call” keeps anyone from opening it early.
  3. Add a short letter and, if you want, a question at the end with a Yes and a No.
  4. Publish it by confirming your email with a 6-digit code.
  5. Start the call, send the link and count down. Everyone scratches at once, and you see who screams first.

The link preview says “Nana and Pop, scratch to find out,” not the answer, so it's safe to send a few minutes early.

A pregnant woman holding a Bengal cat sits on a yellow couch next to her partner, who has a laptop open
Photo: Vlada Karpovich (Pexels)

Online gender reveal ideas for family far away

  • One link per family member

    With the Pro plan ($9.99, one payment per gift), the same card goes to up to 30 people and each one gets their own link, with their name. Grandparents, aunts and your college roommate can all scratch on the same call.

  • When half the family is asleep

    If your in-laws are eight hours ahead, a live call isn't going to happen for everyone. Send the link with “Scratch when you wake up and call us,” and get their reaction in the morning. If they answer the question at the end, the reply reaches you by email.

  • Keep it closed until the day

    With Premium ($19.99), the link stays locked until the date you pick. You can send it to everyone on Friday and have nobody see the color before Sunday's call.

  • Ask them something after the reveal

    A final question gives the card a second moment: “Will you help us pick her middle name?” or “Will you be there when he's born?” They tap Yes or No, and you get the answer.

Ideas that don't need a link

  • Cut the cake on Zoom

    The simplest virtual gender reveal in the pregnancy forums: everyone on the call, you cut a cake with pink or blue inside. It works best when the family is happy to just watch.

  • A box with colored paper

    Mail a small box filled with pink or blue shredded paper and a card with the baby's name, if you've picked one. Ask them to open it on the call. It needs the mail to arrive on time.

  • Tell the grandparents first, privately

    Some couples call their parents before the big reveal so they get their own moment. Then the online reveal is for everyone else, and Nana can play along.

A pair of knitted baby booties, one pink and one blue, on a wooden bench
Photo: congerdesign (Pixabay)

What to write on a digital gender reveal

You've been guessing since the first ultrasound. Scratch it and see who wins the family bet.
For the whole family
Dad, you said you'd be happy either way. Now's your chance to prove it.
For your dad
You're the first person I'd call about this, and you're 1,500 miles away. So scratch it and then call me.
For your best friend

Before you send it

On the Free plan, the card goes to one person and opens once, within 24 hours of publishing. Whoever opens it can save it to keep. Don't drop that link in the family group chat: only the first person to open it would see it. For everyone on the call, it's Pro. If you're also announcing the pregnancy from far away, there are ideas in long distance pregnancy announcement.

How to make it with bemypresent

  1. Pick how it opens

    A birthday, an anniversary, Christmas, a memory album or a box with a surprise inside.

  2. Make it yours

    Add the names, your photos and a message. You see it exactly as they will, and it saves as you type.

  3. Publish it

    Confirm your email with a code, no passwords. We send you the link and its QR code, and you'll find it in your account on any device.

  4. Share it

    By text, on WhatsApp or with the QR code printed inside a card. They open it on their phone, no app needed.

Frequently asked questions

How do you do a gender reveal virtually?

Get the family on a video call, send them a digital scratch-off card and have everyone scratch at the same time. The color and “It's a girl!” or “It's a boy!” show up under the scratch-off.

Is there a free online gender reveal?

Yes. On the Free plan you can make it and send it to one person, and it opens once within 24 hours of publishing. To send it to several people, each with their own link, it's Pro ($9.99).

Do they need an app or an account?

No. It opens in the browser on their phone or computer.

Will they see the answer before they scratch?

No. The link preview shows their name and “scratch to find out,” and the envelope only shows the line you write.

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