If you want to know Santa Claus’ whereabouts on his journey of delivering gifts to everyone this Christmas, thank Google and your iPhone. The process is simpler than you thought, and you can track Santa in just a few simple taps.
Google Santa Tracker
Using Google Santa Tracker, you can track Santa on his mythical journey from the North Pole to every kid’s house in the world, delivering gifts. Simply open the Google Maps app on your iPhone or iPad and search for “Santa Claus.” The app will then display his location and provide you with an option to “visit” that location.
Tapping on the visit icon will provide you with more information about Santa’s journey, like the total distance traveled, the number of gifts he has delivered until now, his next stop, and more.
If you don’t have Google Maps installed, you can still track Santa’s location by visiting the Google Santa Tracker website here. You can use the website to see Santa’s ETA, number of gifts delivered, and next stop. You can also visit the Local Guides page for the indicated next stop. Besides this, Google also offers many games you can indulge in while you wait for Santa to drop your present off.
Google first started tracking Santa in 2004. Initially, the company used its own Google Earth platform to display Santa’s location. From 2007 to 2011, though, the company worked closely with NORAD. However, in 2012, Google tracked Santa on its own as NORAD started working with Microsoft.
NORAD Santa Tracker
If you don’t like Google’s Santa Tracker and prefer something developed by the Government instead, you can use another popular Santa tracking app: NORAD Tracks Santa. The app was created by the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD). It is available for both iPhones and iPad. You can also visit the Norad Santa website on Safari on your iPad or iPhone to track Santa’s journey.
NORAD started tracking the location of Santa Claus thanks to a mistake. In 1955, a Sears store accidentally printed the wrong number to call Santa — the number was that of CONAD, NORAD’s predecessor. The CONAD went with this narrative and provided Santa’s location to everyone who called them. Since then, NORAD has continued to track Santa every year.
Did you find these Santa trackers helpful? Tell us in the comments!
