While there are a few different ways to track Santa, one of the most popular and hailed as the “official tracker” comes courtesy of NORAD.
For those not aware, NORAD, which stands for the North American Aerospace Defence Command, is a military organisation that defends against threats from aircraft, missiles and space vehicles. In between tracking aeroplanes and the like, NORAD tracks Santa to make sure he’s on the right track.
Follow the steps below to see how to track Santa on his journey, so you can be ready to follow his trip across the globe.
What you’ll need:
- A smartphone with access to either the App Store or Play Store
- Wi-Fi or mobile network connection
The short version:
- Open either the iPhone App Store or Android’s Google Play Store
- Search for NORAD Tracks Santa Claus
- Download the NORAD Santa Tracker app
- Open the NORAD app
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Step 1.
Open either the iPhone App Store or Android’s Google Play Store
We’ll demonstrate using an iPhone, but the steps are the same for an Android smartphone. To start, open the App Store (on iPhone) or the Play Store (on Android).
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Step 2.
Tap Search
Tap the magnifying glass in the bottom right-hand corner of the App Store to bring up the Search bar. You will then need to tap on the search bar at the bottom to bring up the on-screen keyboard.
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Step 3.
Download the NORAD Tracks Santa Claus app
In the search bar, type in “Norad tracks Santa”. Then tap either the Get button or the cloud icon (the latter just means you’ve downloaded the app in the past.)
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Step 4.
Open the NORAD app
Once you open the NORAD app on Christmas Eve, you’ll be able to follow Santa on his journey around the world. In the meantime, you’ll see a live Santa Tracker countdown on the home screen.
Kids can also play games, learn more about NORAD and even listen to Christmas music on the app too.
Troubleshooting
Yes, you don’t have to download an app to track Santa. Visit www.noradsanta.org/en/ and you’ll be able to track Santa from Christmas Eve. Like the app, you can also play games, learn more about NORAD and more.
According to NORAD, Santa usually starts at the International Date Line in the Pacific Ocean, then heads west to the South Pacific, New Zealand and Australia. That means from Christmas Eve in the UK and the US, you’ll be able to keep an eye on Santa’s journey.
