Google’s Santa Tracker is live as Christmas begins around the world. 5 fun ways to use it – CNET

Google's Santa Tracker is here.

As Christmas arrives around the world, Google has turned on its Santa tracker for following jolly Saint Nick as he delivers gifts across the globe.

The Santa tracker site has a real-time visual representation of Santa's path. Google also has a running counter for the number of gifts delivered and an update as to the next stop on Santa's journey. In a nod to a more sober reality, Kris Kringle is wearing a purple face mask to keep himself and others safe from COVID-19 (though he apparently already got adose of vaccine).

The site is similar to NORAD's Santa tracker, the long-running annual project of the North American Aerospace Defense Command.

Google's tracker doubles as a cute way to entertain kids with a handful of mini-games including one called Elf Gliderwhere, on a computer, you use a keyboard to serve as one of Santa's elves on a hang glider, pressing the space bar to drop presents into chimneys while avoiding obstacles.

1. EnterSantatracker.google.comon your mobile or desktop browser. Mobile users can tap to add Santa to their home screen.

There, now Santa's photo-ready.

2. You can passively see Santa's current location and explore the globe. If you get too far, tap the icon of the Santa hat to immediately snap back to the jolly one on his sleigh.

3. Click or tap the "hamburger" menu of three horizontal lines in the upper left corner of your screen to interact with Santa and his friends in different ways. For example, you can make Santa presentable for a selfie and get in a snowball fight.

4. Keep the sound on to hear festive music and elf laughter as Santa cuts his path around the globe, or click or tap the mute button if you prefer to enjoy Father Christmas in silence.

5. Keep scrolling down to play winter and Christmas-related games with animated elves. Google's website says the site will remain live through December.

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Google's Santa Tracker is live as Christmas begins around the world. 5 fun ways to use it - CNET