The moment we’ve all been waiting for has arrived: it’s time for Ny Breaking’s annual Santa Tracker! We’re going to keep an eye on St. Nick’s whereabouts while he delivers all the supplies best tech gifts this christmasfollowed by the two most popular trackers; NORAD and Google.
Kris Kringle’s annual jaunt around the world is practically a sporting event these days, with the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) Santa Tracker historically being the primary source for tracking Santa’s whereabouts. Nowadays, however, thanks to the internet and smartphones, there are plenty of options to follow along as he delivers gifts at lightning-fast speeds.
We like to think we’re the best way to stay informed, and will share global holiday traditions, holiday entertainment recommendations, and even some hot last-minute tech bargains to keep you entertained.
In keeping with 2024’s ongoing “AI everywhere” theme, we also asked Firefly AI to create some images of the big man himself and the elves at home as they prepare for some serious gift-giving. They are only slightly cursed.
What is a Santa tracker?
Santa tracking is a beloved tradition that’s becoming increasingly common around the world, but it all started with a happy accident in 1955. According to NORAD, a Sears catalog accidentally gave the phone number to Colorado’s Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD) Center Springs printed instead of a Santa Claus. hotline and began receiving calls from children hoping to speak to Klaus himself.
Seeing an opportunity for a bit of festive fun (and some positive PR), CONAD began publishing press releases about Santa’s whereabouts every year, handing the reins to NORAD after its founding in 1958. In 2004, Google released its own Santa Tracker, which was a very different experience, but still just as fun.
Fast forward to today and there are a number of ways to find out what’s going on with Santa, but these two are the main ways to look out, in our expert advice.
Which is the best Santa tracker?
You have two main choices when it comes to following Santa: They offer several different ways to follow along, but which one is best depends on the experience you’re looking for.
The original way to follow Santa Claus, and according to some, the best. This website, run by the US military, combines gruff colonels presenting a video about Santa Claus with live, up-to-the-minute information about where the man in the big red suit is.
You can download the app on the App Store or Google Play Storeand from there you will be presented with a number of mini-games to play and you can follow the progress of the gift giving ceremony live.
It is quite basic compared to other trackers and lacks a lot of sophistication and website design. However, it’s also the most popular and has a heartwarming history behind it – as well as an army of volunteers ready to answer your call to find out where Santa is, and the strength of Verizon’s network in a now 22-year partnership .
NORAD has also added an AI chatbot called Radar to help you spot Santa, but if it bothers you, you can also call +1 (877) HI-NORAD.
A more recent addition to the Santa Tracker mix, Google’s Santa Tracker has been around since 2004 and combines the power of Google Maps with the smart knowledge of where Santa is.
How to play the Santa Claus games on mobile?
Every year when we publish this guide, people wonder how to play the games on mobile when the big “PLAY!” The button in the middle of the screen sometimes fails and only gives you random games or video anyway. Well, just go to the Santa tracker site in a mobile browser, click on the three lines in the top left corner and see all the games you can play. (Note: the ‘install’ option, which tells you to ‘Add to Home Screen’, does not work on iPhones).
While Google doesn’t have the same satellite tracking power as NORAD, you have to assume the search giant has made a deal with the North Pole to figure out where it is in real time using search and radar and lasers and… all that. . Don’t ask us to interpret the magic.
To support the Santa Tracker, there are a whole host of mini-games to play, as well as a website that encourages children to spend a month learning to code while encountering a winter wonderland.
There are some pro-Google tool moments in this Santa Tracker – the Quick Draw game is designed to teach you how to improve Google’s image recognition software, which feels a little strange – but it’s a beautifully designed site and perhaps the most visually accessible way to follow Santa Claus.
You can download the app via the Google Play Storebut in our view the mobile site is just as good and more accessible for iPhone users, and Google’s Santa Tracker also has the best and easiest to use desktop experience.