5 fun Google Home features to use this Christmas

You’ve put up your Christmas tree, decked the halls, mailed your Christmas cards and covered your house in lights. How could your home get even more festive? By using your Google Home ($80 at Walmart) speaker, of course. 

Google Assistant has several holiday-specific tricks you can use to celebrate Christmas. Here are our five favorite things you need to try before Dec. 25, plus a list of our favorite commands to ask Google Assistant this Christmas. 

Read more: Check out our 2021 Holiday Gift Guide here

Play Christmas tunes with Google Home

One of the most obvious things you can do with a Google Home this Christmas is play your favorite Christmas tunes. With a Google Home speaker, you can stream music using Google Play Music, YouTube Music, Spotify and Pandora.

Just say, “OK, Google, play Christmas music,” and it will begin playing generic Christmas tunes using your default music service. If you’d rather not hear the same ol’ songs on repeat, you can also create a playlist with Google Play Music, YouTube Music or Spotify, give it a unique title and ask to play that instead.

If you happen to have a Chromecast, you can throw that music over to your television, too. And if you’re using Google Play Music, you can turn on the fireplace visualizer to replace the typical album art.

Control your Christmas decorations with Google Home

Seeing as one of the main functions of a smart speaker is controlling your smart home, you can upgrade your Christmas decorations this year by making them smart. All you need is a few Google Home-compatible smart plugs and your typical strand lights. Then you can say things like, “OK, Google, turn on the Christmas lights” or, “Hey, Google, turn on the Christmas tree.”

Pro tip: A Google Home can handle two commands at once, so you could create a shortcut that plays Christmas music when you turn on the decorations for extra fun. 

Read more: Google Home tips: 32 cool things you need to try with Google Assistant

Track Santa with Google Home

Google has its own Santa tracker filled with games and other activities. But you can also keep track of Santa’s progress and whereabouts with a Google Home. All you have to say is, “OK, Google, track Santa” or, “OK, Google, where is Santa right now?”

Leading up to Christmas, Google will tell you what Santa is currently up to, such as sweeping up his workshop. Once Christmas Eve rolls around, you will be able to track Santa throughout the day.

Help Santa with Google Home

Not only can you track Santa’s whereabouts, you can even call him up with a Google Home. Just say, “OK, Google, call Santa.”

When you call Santa up, he’s preparing for a musical concert and you have to help him find the best way to play it by answering a series of questions.

Tell Santa what you want for Christmas with Google Home

When you talk to Santa, you typically tell him what you want for Christmas, and you can use a Google Home to do that, as well. Say, “OK, Google, talk to Santa’s hotline.”

This will connect you with the man in the red suit. Give him your name and tell him whether you’ve been naughty or nice this year. Then tell Santa what’s on your wish list for Christmas. Santa will then say he’s sending your list to his elves.

Bonus: Best things to ask Google Assistant this Christmas

Here’s a roundup of our favorite kid-friendly things to ask Google Assistant to spread some Christmas cheer:

• “OK, Google, tell me a Christmas joke.”
• “OK, Google, tell me a Christmas story.”
• “OK, Google, sing a Christmas song.”
• “OK, Google, what do elves eat for Christmas?”
• “OK, Google, do you like Christmas?”
• “OK, Google, do you want to build a snowman?”
• “OK, Google, is Santa Claus real?”
• “OK, Google, give me a Christmas memory.”
• “OK, Google, where is Mrs. Claus?”
• “OK, Google, what are the elves’ four main food groups?”
• “OK, Google, what are you doing this Christmas?”
• “OK, Google, what’s the best Christmas song?”
• “OK, Google, where does Santa live?”
• “OK, Google, do you think I’m nice?”
• “OK, Google, Merry Christmas, ya filthy animal.”
• “OK, Google, what’s new in the North Pole?”
• “OK, Google, interview a reindeer.”
• “OK, Google, give me a Christmas fact.”
• “OK, Google, give me a Christmas sound.”

Do you know of any more Google Home Christmas features or commands? Let us know in the comments.