【I Am a Plaything】

The I Am a PlaythingU.S. Postal Service wants to make gift giving just a little more magical.

The postal service has released a free augmented reality smartphone app a la Pokémon Go, justwith a little less competition and a little more holiday cheer.

In order to use the app, you need to pick up one of the postal service's Priority Mail boxes. Senders can choose between two different animated messages: a reindeer in Christmas tree lights or a penguin accompanied by other wildlife near an igloo.

SEE ALSO: Here's how the 'Star Wars' droids could help you survive the holidays

“Our app adds that special touch by delivering cheer when mailing and receiving holiday gifts via Priority Mail,” USPS Chief Customer and Marketing Officer and Executive Vice President James Cochrane said in a statement.

Mashable Light Speed Want more out-of-this world tech, space and science stories? Sign up for Mashable's weekly Light Speed newsletter. By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Thanks for signing up!

The app is easy to use. Recipients can download it from the official USPS website delivercheer.com and then scan the blue "track and insured" shield on the side of the Priority Mail package.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

The app also lets receivers take a photo or video with the experience so they can save and send it. They can also create a "Thank you" message and include an animated snowman or gingerbread characters.

This isn't the first time the postal service has added augmented reality to shipping. Last holiday season, the service launched a Peanuts-themed app.

It's expected to be a busy mailing season. The postal service anticipates delivering more than 16 billion items, including 750 million packages, this season. The deliverer says it will see a 12 percent increase in package volume, the fifth consecutive annual bump.

The app is available for iOS and Android devices.

---

Featured Video For You

---

This viral Christmas ad is giving us all the holiday feels

---

Topics Augmented Reality

• Entertainment
• Social Good
• Life
• Digital Culture
• Shopping
• Games
• Deals
• Science

• Best Max streaming deal: Save 20% on annual subscriptions
• Today's Hurdle hints and answers for June 9, 2025
• NYT Connections Sports Edition hints and answers for June 9: Tips to solve Connections #259
• Ultra clear Liquid Glass look for the iPhone is wild. Here's how to get it
• Stablecoin bill advances in U.S. Senate as Trump critics call to end his crypto dealings
• Every iPhone getting iOS 26: Is yours on the list?
• Assassin's Creed Origins: How Heavy is It on Your CPU?
• NYT Connections Sports Edition hints and answers for June 8: Tips to solve Connections #258
• Hurricane Laura's impact lingered with nightmarish mosquito swarms
• Apple's watchOS 26 comes with an AI

• Samsung and TSMC to jointly supply Tesla with 4nm auto
• TSMC sees revenue and profit decline in Q2 · TechNode
• Vice president of Xiaomi’s B2B business leaves for VR company iQiyi Smart · TechNode
• NetEase Music tests AI feature “Private DJ” · TechNode
• China’s private space company LandSpace launches first liquid oxygen
• Beyoncé is promoting a plant
• Court date set for NetEase and Blizzard’s $43.5 million compensation case · TechNode
• Shenzhen partners with Ehang and AutoFlight to develop low
• Riot Games unveils Valorant on Chinese server with new game modes · TechNode
• Temu to expand platform access to local sellers in the US · TechNode

• Best Garmin deal: Save over $100 on Garmin Forerunner 955
• Elon Musk's DOGE installed Starlink at the White House against wishes of security officials
• NYT Connections hints and answers for June 9: Tips to solve 'Connections' #729.
• Apple updates CarPlay with widgets and Liquid Glass
• Bargaining For the Common Good
• John Oliver gleefully weighs in on the Trump
• Apple updates CarPlay with widgets and Liquid Glass
• College professors don't know how to catch students cheating with AI
• How to Squeeze the Most Out of Your iPhone's Battery
• Top 10 Best MMOs

• How to Squeeze the Most Out of Your iPhone's Battery
• Best tablet deal: Save $170 on Samsung Galaxy Tab S10+
• Beats Studio Pro deal: Get 51% off at Amazon
• PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds Mini
• A Typical Wall Street Republican
• Following Meta and X, YouTube backs off moderating egregious content
• Three Apps to Combine All Your Messaging Clients Into One
• NYT Strands hints, answers for June 8
• Ireland fines TikTok $600 million for sharing user data with China
• Best streaming deal: Save 15% on the Google Streamer