• by Sarah Mahoney  @mahoney_sarah, December 9, 2015

Sure, your kids can track Santa through the famous NORAD tracker (and yes, there’s an app for that.) But Lowe’s thinks your family might also benefit from more detailed elf-ly intel, and has linked a new Santa Tracker app to its Iris by Lowe’s connected home products. (A video created by the in-house team explains how it works.)

The company developed the app based on motion sensors placed in strategic places throughout the home, including the chimney, and near the milk-and-cookies location. The free app provides evidence of the big guy’s presence in your home, and shows how he moves through the house.

The Mooresville, N.C.-based retailer says the app -- which is free for existing next-generation Iris customers -- provides proof that Santa’s real, using smart home technology. (Those who use first-generation Iris or who aren’t Iris customers can get a free version of the app for iOS and Android.)

Users are guided through a series of prompts, selecting the spot where reindeer are most likely to land, which entrance he is most likely to use, and what he’s apt to do once he’s gained access (Fill stockings? Eat cookies?). The app, which syncs to physical Iris devices in the house, confirms that the Santa sensors are working, and on the morning of the 25th, confirms how he moved around the house. It also includes a camera, meant to catch St. Nick on film. 

A spokesperson for the brand says it will spread the word about the app via social media and PR efforts. “Smart homes shouldn’t just be smart – they should be fun and make life more enjoyable,” it says in its release. “By dedicating a little of our after-hours time to integrate Iris’ real and virtual technologies this season, we’re hoping to enhance each family’s holiday experience and play a magical part in creating lasting memories.”