Ever wanted to call Santa Claus? Well, this Christmas and with the magic of Google, you can.
Technically speaking, Google Assistant has been integrated with the "call Santa" function, allowing devices such as the Google Home Mini or Pixel 2 to connect you and your kids to St. Nick.
'OK Google, Call Santa'
It's pretty straightforward. Just tell Assistant, "OK Google, call Santa," and you'll be in touch with the big guy in the North Pole.
As for how the conversations will go, Santa will ask some questions and even sing along to some Christmas songs he and presumably a band of elves are playing.
Shh, Don't Tell The Kids
In all seriousness, the person you're talking to on the other end of the line isn't the real Santa — surprise, surprise. It's more or less the same AI as Assistant, but it's tailored to fit the persona of the jolly old man of the holiday.
The function is similar to the games, stories, and activities that the virtual helper learned back in October, but this time around, it's themed after Christmas with St. Nick as the center of attraction.
While it does work with Google Home devices, it doesn't exactly work on every Assistant-powered device out there. For instance, some Android phones have been reported to be incompatible with the "call Santa" feature, not to mention that rollouts like this are typically restricted by region, meaning it won't arrive to places where Christmas isn't celebrated.
Another Way To Reach Santa
Picture this: You don't have a Google smart home, and your smartphone isn't capable of calling Santa. How the heck are you supposed to ask him for that iPhone X or Galaxy Note 8 you've always wanted this Christmas?
For one, you can turn to Amazon's Alexa.
There's a new upcoming Alexa skill from iHeartRadio that'll let you contact Santa, and it's expected to be available starting on Dec. 1 until the end of 2017. When it's live, just say, "Alexa, talk to Santa," and the jolly big guy will ask you some questions and play you a song.
Now before you get your hopes up, no, you can't really ask Santa for that smartphone of your dreams.
It's also worth mentioning that Google really gets in on the Christmas spirit, putting up the Santa Tracker. In other words, the "call Santa" feature and the Santa Tracker are among the things that can help make the magic of the holiday even better for you and your children.
