About
Mentalism Magic is a lightweight, free, and open-source iPhone app developed by Valerio Volpe that lets anyone perform a convincing mentalism trick with no prior magic experience required. The premise is simple but surprisingly effective: you hand your phone to a friend and ask them to mentally select one word from a set of ten presented on screen. Without touching or looking at the phone, you correctly identify the chosen word every time — leaving your audience baffled. The app leverages a clever encoding method embedded in the word presentation to communicate the selected word to the performer. Five different word categories (each containing 40 words) keep the trick fresh across multiple performances. A built-in tutorial explains the underlying method so performers can learn and practice at their own pace, while a dedicated practice mode lets you sharpen your skills before showing the trick to others. Available in English and Italian, the app is designed for iPhone but also runs on iPad and Apple Silicon Macs. It is completely free with no ads or in-app purchases, and the full source code is available on GitHub. Note that some users have reported compatibility issues with newer iOS versions, so functionality may vary depending on your device's OS. Ideal for hobbyist magicians, party entertainment, or anyone looking to impress friends with a quick, repeatable mind-reading effect.
Key Features
- Word-Guessing Magic Trick: Presents a set of 10 words and lets you identify the one your friend secretly chose, every time, without looking at the phone.
- Five Word Categories: Includes 5 themed categories with 40 words each (200 words total), keeping performances varied and replayable.
- Built-in Tutorial & Practice Mode: Explains how the trick method works and provides a practice mode so you can learn and rehearse before performing.
- Bilingual Support: Available in English and Italian, with an open invitation to the community to help translate into additional languages.
- Free & Open Source: Completely free with no ads or in-app purchases; source code is publicly available on GitHub.
Use Cases
- Performing a quick, repeatable mind-reading trick at parties or social gatherings to entertain friends and family.
- Hobbyist magicians looking for a simple, beginner-friendly mentalism effect to add to their repertoire.
- Educators or teachers using a fun word-trick to engage students and spark curiosity about logic and encoding.
- Open-source enthusiasts and iOS developers studying the source code as a simple, real-world Swift app example.
- Bilingual users in English- and Italian-speaking communities looking for a shared interactive entertainment app.
Pros
- Completely Free, No Ads: The app costs nothing and contains no advertising or paywalled content, making it accessible to everyone.
- Easy to Learn and Perform: The built-in guide and practice mode mean even total beginners can master the trick quickly and impress friends right away.
- Open Source: Full source code is available on GitHub, allowing developers and enthusiasts to inspect, fork, or contribute to the project.
Cons
- iOS Compatibility Issues: Multiple users report the app stopped functioning after iOS 18.2.1, and it has not received an update since May 2020.
- Single Trick Only: The app performs exactly one type of mentalism trick; there is no variety in the method or illusion style.
- No Privacy Policy Details: The developer has not submitted privacy practice details to Apple, which may concern privacy-conscious users.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does the Mentalism Magic trick actually work?
The app uses a clever word-encoding method embedded in how the words are displayed on screen. The performer learns to read a hidden signal in the layout, allowing them to know which word the friend selected without seeing the phone.
Is Mentalism Magic really free?
Yes — the app is completely free with no in-app purchases, no subscriptions, and no ads. It is also open source, with code available on GitHub.
What iOS version is required?
The app requires iOS 13.1 or later. However, user reviews indicate it may not function correctly on iOS 18.2.1 and above, as no update has been released since 2020.
Does it work on iPad or Mac?
The app is designed for iPhone but is also compatible with iPad and Mac computers with Apple M1 chips or later (requires macOS 11.0+).
What word categories are included?
The app features five word categories, each containing 40 words, for a total of 200 possible words. Categories cover a range of topics to keep the trick fresh across multiple performances.
