Santa Tracker live: how to track Santa Claus with Norad or Google
We’re back for another year of Santa Tracking, where we’ll bring you all the updates from the best Santa Trackers around the world – and this year we’ll be posting the live experience for you as well.
There are many ways to track Santa Claus these days thanks to the advent of the smartphone, so if you’re looking to know exactly when you’re going to receive your gifts, that’s what we’re here for.
The tradition began in 1955 when, according to legend, a child mistakenly called the Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD) Center in Colorado Springs after a printing error in a Sears catalog for a number to call to talk to Santa Claus. .
The US military realized this was a public relations dream and began issuing press releases every year on the whereabouts of Santa Claus, with comedic stories added as well – in the early years. 1980 a hotline was added to allow people to call to find out where it s.
Fast forward to today and there are a number of ways to find out what’s happening to Santa – and these are the main ones to watch out for.
Santa Claus Tracker: Norad vs. Google
You have two main choices when it comes to following Santa – both offer different ways to follow Jolly ol ‘St Nick, but it depends on what experience you are looking for.
Santa Claus Tracker Norad
The original way to follow Santa Claus and, some would say, the best. This website, run by the US military, merges gruff colonels presenting a video about Santa Claus with live, breaking news about the whereabouts of the man in the big red suit.
You can download the app from the App Store or the Google Play Store, and from there you’ll be presented with a number of mini-games to play as well as the ability to follow the progress of the giveaway live.
It’s a much more rudimentary experience than other trackers, lacks a lot of finishing and website design.
However, it’s also the most popular and it has the heartwarming story behind it – as well as an army of volunteers ready to answer your call to find out where Santa is located.
NORAD has also added an AI chatbot called Radar to help you spot Santa Claus too, if you can’t be bothered by all of these conversations, which is kinda lovely. But if that bothers you, then dialing +1 (877) HI-NORAD will do the trick as well.
Google Santa Tracker
How to play Santa Claus games on mobile
Every year when we publish this guide, we have people wondering how to play mobile games like the big “PLAY!” The button in the middle of the screen sometimes fails and will only give you a random game or video anyway. Well, just go to the Santa Tracker site on a mobile browser, click on the three lines in the top left corner, and see all the games you want to play. (Note: the “install” option, which tells you “Add to Home Screen” does not work on iPhones).
A newer addition to the Santa Claus tracking mix, Google’s Santa Tracker has been around since 2004, combining the power of Google Maps with expert knowledge of where Santa is located.
While Google doesn’t have the same satellite tracking power as NORAD, it has to be assumed that the search giant has made a deal with the North Pole to find out where it is in real time using search, the radar and lasers and … stuff. Don’t ask us to interpret the magic.
The Santa Tracker save includes a plethora of mini-games to play, plus a month-long website encouraging kids to learn to code as they encounter a winter wonderland.
There are pro-Google moments in this Santa Tracker – the Quick Draw game is designed to teach Google’s Image Recognition Tensor how to improve, which sounds a bit odd – but it’s a wonderfully designed site. and arguably the most visually accessible way to follow Santa Claus.
You can download the app from the Google Play Store, but in our eyes the mobile site is just as good and accessible for iPhone users, and Google’s Santa Tracker also offers the best easy-to-use desktop experience.