Free Personalized Phone Call From Santa: How It Works
A free personalized phone call from Santa is exactly what it sounds like. Your phone rings, your child answers, and Santa says their name out loud. He knows how old they are and what state they live in, and their photo sits right there on the call screen while he talks. You set it up in a free app in about two minutes, you choose the day and the time, and Santa handles the rest.
We have been making these calls at Package From Santa® for years, and the app that carries them has been downloaded more than a million times. This guide walks through how the call works, what Santa actually says, when to schedule it, and how to make sure the moment lands.
How does the free phone call from Santa work?
The call comes through the Personalized Call from Santa app on your own phone, so your child does not need a phone of their own. Here is the whole process, start to finish.
- Download the app. Search for Personalized Call from Santa on the App Store or Google Play, or use the buttons below. The app is free.
- Tell Santa about your child. Their first name, their age, where they live, and a photo for the call screen.
- Choose the message. There are more than 30 personalized calls to pick from, so the call fits the moment you have in mind.
- Pick the date and time. Christmas Eve while the cookies go out, a snow day morning, or any evening that could use a little magic.
- Hand your child the phone. Then step back and watch their face.
Get the free Personalized Call from Santa app
Full details on the free personalized phone call from Santa page.
What does Santa say on the call?
He starts with the thing that matters most: your child's name. Not "hello there, little one," but "Hello, Ava!" in Santa's own voice. Then he mentions the details you gave him, like how old they are and the state or country they live in, so the call sounds like it came from someone who has been paying attention all year.
From there it depends on the message you chose, and there are more than 30 to choose from. Some are pure Christmas cheer. Some let your child know that Santa has noticed them trying, which is the part they will repeat at dinner. Whichever you pick, the call ends the way a call from Santa should, with your child holding the phone a little too tightly and grinning at nothing.
Does Santa have a phone number?
Not one you can dial. The line at Santa's workshop is unlisted, which is probably wise for a man who gets more mail than anyone on Earth. Plenty of families search for "Santa's phone number" every December, and most of what turns up is a recorded hotline that plays the same message to everyone who calls it.
The personalized call turns that around. Instead of your child calling a number and hearing a recording, Santa calls your child, says their name, and knows things about them. Kids notice the difference right away. A recording is something you listen to, and a call with your name in it is something that happened to you.
A note from the founders
The name is the whole thing. We learned that in December 2005, when our son Chase opened a letter from Santa with another child's name on it. Carey made him a new letter that got every detail right, and we started Package From Santa® the following year. It is why every call Santa makes starts with your child's name, said the way you say it.
❤ Carey and Dale, Founders of Package From Santa®
When is the best time to schedule a Santa phone call?
Because you pick the date and time, the call can land wherever it will do the most good. These are the moments parents tell us about most.
| The moment | Why it works | A tip |
|---|---|---|
| Christmas Eve, just before bed | The cookies are out, the reindeer food is scattered, and then the phone rings. It is the last magical thing before sleep. | Schedule it for the pajama window, not the tired window. Twenty minutes before lights out is about right. |
| The day the Santa letter arrives | The letter says Santa knows them. A call the same evening proves it twice, in his own voice. | Let them read the letter first, then have Santa mention the same thing the letter did. |
| The first snow day | School is out, everyone is home, and the day already feels like a holiday. | Book it the night before, once you have seen the forecast. |
| A rough week | Hearing Santa say he has noticed them trying can reset a hard stretch better than any chart on the fridge. | Choose an encouraging message. Santa notices effort. |
| The night the tree goes up | The house smells like pine, the lights are on for the first time, and Santa calling to say he saw it from the sky makes the season official. | Record their reaction. You will want it later. |
Five tips so the moment lands
1. Set the scene first
Turn the TV off, gather anyone who wants to watch, and get the phone into your hand a minute early. The ring should be the loudest thing in the room.
2. Let them answer
Say "it's for you" and hand it over. Do not explain who it is. The two seconds between "hello" and Santa saying their name are the whole show.
3. Use the right details
Santa uses the name you enter, so enter the one they actually go by. A child who is "Alexander" on paper and "Xander" everywhere else will hear the difference.
4. Match the message to the child
A four year old wants pure wonder. A seven year old who has started hearing rumors at school wants proof, and a call that knows their age and their state is the kind of proof that holds up. Pick the message with that in mind.
5. Film the face, not the phone
Point the camera at your child. Nobody will rewatch the phone. Twenty years from now the thing you will want is the look on their face when Santa said their name.
After the call: the letter in the mailbox
The call is the sound of Santa, and a personalized letter from Santa is the thing they can hold. Together they do what neither can do alone: the phone rings tonight, and a real envelope from Santa's official address in North Pole, Alaska arrives in the mailbox with their name on it, written from the same details Santa mentioned on the call.
That is how most families use the two. The free call takes two minutes and is often the first Santa magic a family tries with us, and the letter package is the tradition it grows into. Every package also unlocks free bonuses through Magic Arthur, the app built by the same team, including another call from Santa you can schedule whenever you like. If you are choosing your first package, start with our guide to getting a personalized letter from Santa.
Here is what one family in Georgia told us about the moment the phone rings:
'It is always an exciting time when the box from Santa arrives!! Loves to put the reindeer food out and the whole world stops when the phone call from Santa comes in!!! She loves to hear Santa say her name and tell her she made the nice list!! This box really makes our Christmas more special!!'
- Donna P., Georgia - Verified Buyer
Frequently asked questions
How do you get a free phone call from Santa?
Download the free Personalized Call from Santa app from the App Store or Google Play, enter your child's first name, age, location and a photo, choose one of more than 30 messages, and pick the date and time. The call comes through the app on your phone at the time you chose.
Is the phone call from Santa really personalized?
Yes. Santa says your child's name out loud and mentions their age and the state or country they live in, and your child's photo appears on the call screen during the call.
Does my child need their own phone to get a call from Santa?
No. The call comes through the app on your own phone. When it rings, you simply hand the phone to your child.
Can I choose when Santa calls?
Yes. You pick the exact date and time when you set up the call, so it can arrive on Christmas Eve, on a snow day, on the night the tree goes up, or any evening you choose.
Is my child's information safe?
Yes. The details you enter are used only to personalize the call. They are kept secure and are never shared or sold.
Put what Santa said in writing
Santa knows their name on the call. A personalized letter package puts it in writing, mailed from Santa's official address in North Pole, Alaska, the way we have done for one family at a time since 2006.
Create their Santa letter →Backed by our 90-Day Money-Back Guarantee.
About the author
Co-Founder, Package From Santa®
Carey is a co-founder of Package From Santa® and a parent who has spent more than 20 years helping families create believable, personalized Christmas magic. Known around the North Pole as Elf Carey.
Related reading: Letters from Santa: the complete guide for parents, What to write in a letter from Santa and 15 Christmas Eve box ideas on the Package From Santa® blog.
