DIAL SANTA · Family guides

How to call Santa on your iPhone

A quiet corner, one good question, and a grown-up nearby. Here’s how to get ready for your family’s first live AI Santa conversation with Dial Santa.

First, choose the kind of call

A Santa hotline, a prerecorded message, an appointment with a human performer and a live AI video call are different experiences. Dial Santa is a live AI conversation: your child speaks and the character responds in the moment. It happens inside the iPhone app, not by dialing a telephone number or using Apple FaceTime.

What you need

• An iPhone running iOS 17 or later and a reliable internet connection.
• A parent or guardian to create the account, choose purchases and stay with the child.
• Access to the parent’s email for sign-in verification.
• Purchased call minutes and permission to use the microphone.

1. Download Dial Santa

Use the official Dial Santa App Store listing. Downloading the app is free. Calls require minutes bought inside the app through Apple; downloading alone does not start a subscription.

2. Set up the parent account

Follow the email verification steps in the app and read the linked privacy policy and terms. A parent handles setup. The app’s parental gate protects purchases and settings, but it does not replace adult supervision during a conversation.

3. Add a few personal touches

Enter a first name. You can also add a wish or a good deed, such as helping a sibling or learning something new. You do not need to write a script. Share only details you are comfortable having processed for the call; avoid a home address, school name or sensitive family information.

4. Choose your minutes and character

US minute packs are 5 minutes for US$2.99, 12 for US$5.99 and 30 for US$15.99. Local App Store prices may vary. Minutes never expire, and there is no subscription. Santa is included; Mrs. Claus and Comet each require a separate US$0.99 character unlock in the US, plus purchased call minutes.

Santa and Mrs. Claus calls can last up to six minutes each; Comet calls can last up to three. Your available balance can make the call shorter. Minutes are metered by the connected second, so unused time stays in your account.

5. Start the conversation together

Find a quiet spot, turn up the volume, and allow the microphone when the app asks. Choose the character and start the call. Santa hears and responds to speech. The camera view lets your family see themselves on the device; it is not sent to our servers or the AI providers.

Begin with a simple hello. If your child goes quiet, you can help with “We were wondering how the reindeer get ready for Christmas.” Follow the child’s pace and end the call whenever you need to.

Before buying a bigger minute pack

Try a short conversation first so you can judge the experience for your family. Call languages vary by character and installed app version. Check the language picker in the app before buying minutes.

If the call will not connect

• Check the internet connection and the app’s microphone permission in iPhone Settings.
• Confirm there are minutes available and that the selected character is unlocked.
• If you cannot hear the character, check volume and the audio device your iPhone is using.
• If the problem continues, use Dial Santa support. Describe the issue and approximate time without sending child recordings or sign-in codes.

Recording and privacy

Recording is optional and off by default. On supported calls, you can record locally and choose whether to save the video to Photos. Provider processing of call audio and transcripts is separate from that local recording feature. Read the privacy policy for recipients, retention and deletion limits.

For conversation ideas, explore questions to ask Santa. Wondering about FaceTime? Our Santa video-call comparison explains the difference.

Written by Dial Santa. Product details checked October 11, 2026. Prices shown are for the US App Store.