Google Santa Tracker

**Google Santa Tracker** is a website developed by Google and Upperquad for help with the 2012 redesign. The site launched in 2004 as a simple way to track Santa, similar to the existing NORAD Santa tracker.

## History

In 2004, the project began as a small initiative. A Google employee saw what NORAD was doing, but they decided to make it better by allowing users to visualize Santa's exact location on Christmas Eve. That same year, they acquired mapping company Keyhole for an undisclosed amount. They then launched Keyhole Santa Radar, and since it was paid, it had a very small audience. They also hosted everything on a single server, which caused immense strain on them on Christmas Eve.

#### "That night, about 25,000 people kept tabs on Santa and, needless to say, wreaked some havoc on our servers!"

*The "Tracking Santa: the backstory" post on Google's old blog*

The following year, in 2005, Keyhole Earth Viewer became Google Earth. With the new rebranding, the service became free, and thus Santa Tracker's popularity peaked, and on that Christmas Eve, the amount of people tracking Santa peaked from 25,000 to 250,000. Everything remained the same the following years, apart from Google partnering with NORAD for the next five years in 2007, and the tracker automatically appearing on the Chrome homepage.

In 2012 and 2014, Upperquad helped redesign the tracker, adding Santa's iconic appearance to the tracker, and new music was also composed for it. This was also the year where minigames and the village playground were added.

In 2014, if you visited the Santa Tracker site on Christmas Eve, the site would automatically bring you to the tracker instead of the village. It also brought a redesign to the tracker, giving it a more Material Design-esque feel to it that Google was aiming for at the time.

In 2015, the tracker got updated once more, and new music was also added. It also added four new minigames - Code Boogie, Present Drop, Translations, and Traditions. The code for Santa Tracker also became open-source on GitHub, allowing users to download it as an APK if their device ran Android 4.0 or higher.

In 2018, Elf Maker got added to the site. In Google Maps, you can see Santa's location by enabling location sharing, and they also added new Gboard stickers.

2019 brought a complete overhaul of the village home page. Games are no longer houses and are categorized by genre. You can also see a full list of minigames in one place by clicking on the new hamburger menu button. They also added the new Snowbox minigame. On Google Assistant, users also gained the ability to "call" Santa, or ask the Assistant for a holiday joke. They also posted NPBC programming on Twitter during 2019.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Santa and Mrs. Claus wore masks on the loading screen and on the site's favicon. This was removed in 2022.

## Activities

The Google Santa Tracker has evolved over the years to offer an array of features and interactive experiences. Here are some key elements:

1. Santa's Dashboard: On Christmas Eve, users can access Santa's Dashboard, which displays his current location, the number of gifts delivered, and the estimated time of arrival at different destinations. The dashboard is updated in real-time using Google Maps technology.
2. Countdown to Christmas: The Google Santa Tracker includes a countdown timer that builds excitement by tracking the days, hours, and minutes until Santa's departure on Christmas Eve.
3. Santa's Village: Prior to Christmas Eve, the Google Santa Tracker presents a virtual Santa's Village. It includes a collection of fun games, interactive activities, and educational resources for children to explore. Users can learn about different holiday traditions, play games, and create festive artwork.
4. Educational Content: The Google Santa Tracker offers educational content related to holiday traditions, geography, and various cultures around the world. This content is designed to be informative and engaging, providing valuable learning opportunities for users of all ages.

## Availability

Google Santa Tracker is accessible through its official website, and can also be downloaded as a mobile application for Android devices. The platform is typically locked until February-March, and reopens until the end of Christmas Day, offering an enchanting experience for users of all ages.

1. ↑ https://googlepress.blogspot.com/2004/10/google-acquires-keyhole-corp.html
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 https://googleblog.blogspot.com/2008/12/tracking-santa-backstory.html
3. ↑ https://youtu.be/Nqb3ZcUXiZE?t=79
4. ↑ https://analytics.googleblog.com/2008/12/norads-santa-tracking-website.html
5. ↑ https://youtu.be/Nqb3ZcUXiZE?t=97
6. ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/BXOmpNpBvD2/
7. ↑ https://youtu.be/Nqb3ZcUXiZE?t=208
8. ↑ https://blog.google/products/maps/tis-season-santa-tracker/
9. ↑ https://developers.googleblog.com/2015/04/ho-ho-ho-googles-santa-tracker-is-now.html
10. ↑ https://blog.google/products/maps/live-north-pole-whats-new-santas-village/
11. ↑ https://blog.google/technology/families/live-from-the-north-pole-its-santas-village/