THERE’S a special trick to bring a bit of Christmas magic right to your doorbell for FREE.
And all it requires is a bit of AI and a Ring doorbell screenshot.
Of course, Santa is far too clever to be really caught out by video doorbells and technology, but it’s a good bit of fun all the same.
There are loads of options around on TikTok but these largely rely on paid apps.
Instead, there’s a much easier and clever way to do it for free.
Google’s Gemini AI service is able to generate images and videos – these are limited to the paid Google AI Pro.
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However, you can get a free trial for one month, which is perfect for this little trick.
Firstly, you need to take a screenshot from your Ring doorbell.
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It looks best if you get it at night looking dark but daytime is just as good too.
Now, sign up to Google AI Pro from this link.
You will be charged from next month unless you cancel before, so be sure to end the subscription after if you don’t wish to pay.
Now, download the Google Gemini app on your phone – it works on iPhone or Android.
Tap the + plus button in the bottom left corner, select Gallery, tick your Ring doorbell photo and then the Done button.
Now, in the Ask Gemini box you need to type how you want the video to appear.
You need to be very specific with AI so the more detail the better.
It’s important to note that you only get a limited number of free video creation credits too, so don’t waste them.
For my first one, I wrote “add Santa walking around”.
But I should have added a bit more detail like “a realistic santa” or I could get him to say “ho ho ho”.
I would also say “ensure it’s all in black and white” if you’re doing a nighttime video, just in case.
It then takes up to two minutes to generate the video.
Results can vary, and it will depend on factors like the clarity of the video and if there are any other moving objects which can make it trickier.
Now you can show the kids that Santa did indeed come to their house.
