FAQ
Questions and answers
How the test, scores, accounts and leaderboards work.
The test
- How does the test work?
- Tap Start and type the words shown. The 60-second clock starts on your first letter and the test ends by itself. You then see your words per minute, accuracy and errors.
- How is my WPM worked out?
- WPM is the number of correct characters you typed, divided by five, per minute. Wrong, extra and skipped characters earn nothing. How typing speed is measured
- Why did my accuracy drop when I fixed my mistake?
- Accuracy counts every key you pressed. A wrong key still counts as wrong after you correct it, so getting it right first time scores better than fixing it afterwards.
- Why doesn't autocorrect work in the test?
- The test asks your keyboard to switch off autocorrect and auto-capitalisation so the score measures your own typing. Pasting is blocked for the same reason. Your normal keyboard settings are not changed.
- What does pressing space do?
- Space moves you to the next word. If you leave a word unfinished, the missing letters count as errors, but the rest of the text stays lined up.
Official and practice scores
- What is an official score?
- A full 60-second test typed on a phone and saved to an account. Only official scores appear on leaderboards, set your personal best or create a challenge. What makes an official score
- Why is my desktop score only practice?
- Thumbster is a thumb typing competition. A physical keyboard is much faster than two thumbs, so desktop and tablet scores are saved as practice and never ranked.
- I'm on a phone but it says Practice Mode. Why?
- We could not confirm the device is a phone. The usual cause is the browser's 'request desktop site' option being switched on. Turn it off, reload the page and the test should show Official Thumbster Test.
- Can I turn a practice score into an official one?
- No. Take the test again on your phone to set an official score.
Accounts and signing in
- Do I need an account?
- No. You can take the test as often as you like without one. You need an account only to save scores, appear on leaderboards and send challenges.
- How do I sign in?
- Enter your email address and we send you a sign-in code. There is no password. A new address gets an account automatically, and you then choose a username.
- My sign-in code didn't work.
- Use the code from the most recent email only: asking for a new code cancels the earlier one. Enter the code instead of tapping the link, because the link uses up the same code. Codes also expire, so request a new one if some time has passed.
- I didn't get the email.
- Check your spam or junk folder and make sure the address was typed correctly. Wait a minute before asking again, since requests are limited to one a minute.
- How do I add a profile photo?
- On your profile, tap Add photo and pick a JPG, PNG or WebP image. It is cropped to a square and shown next to your username on leaderboards and challenge links. You can change or remove it at any time.
- Can I change my username or delete my account?
- Email hello@thumbster.ai from the address you sign in with and we will help. Contact us
Leaderboards
- How are the leaderboards ranked?
- Each player appears once, with their best official score for the period. Higher WPM ranks first, then higher accuracy, then whoever set the score earlier.
- When do Today, This Week and This Month reset?
- They follow UTC time: today from midnight, the week from Monday and the month from the 1st.
- How do I appear on a country or state board?
- Add your country, and your US state if you have one, on your profile. Both are optional, and you can change or remove them at any time.
- Why is the leaderboard empty?
- Nobody has saved an official score for that board and period yet. Take the test on your phone while signed in and it could be yours.
Challenges
- How do I challenge a friend?
- After an official score, tap Challenge a Friend on the results screen. You get a link showing your username and score. Anyone who opens it can try to beat you, with or without an account. Challenge ideas
- What can someone see from my challenge link?
- Your username, the score to beat and its accuracy. Nothing else about you or your account.
- Why does a challenge link say it isn't available?
- The link may have been mistyped or cut short, or the score behind it no longer counts.
Privacy
- What do you store about me?
- Your email address for sign-in, your username, your optional country and US state, your test results and a general device type for each result. We do not collect your age, gender or precise location, and we do not sell personal data. Privacy policy
- What can other people see?
- Your username, your best official scores and the country and state you chose to add. Your email address is never shown.