Find north, check which way a room or balcony faces before buying a home, or follow a bearing on a walk. Hold your phone flat and the dial shows your heading in degrees and as a direction such as NE or SSW. Lock a bearing and the tool tells you how far to turn left or right to stay on it.
loading toolHow to use the online compass
- Press Start compass (on iPhone, allow Motion & Orientation).
- Hold the phone flat in front of you, away from metal.
- Read your heading: the red needle points where the top of your phone faces.
- Press Lock this bearing to follow a direction.
Good to know
- Works best in Chrome on Android and Safari on iPhone. Laptops and desktops have no compass sensor.
- Take off magnetic phone cases and car mounts before reading.
Questions
Why does it say no sensor was found?
Tilt and compass sensors are built into phones and tablets, not into most laptops and desktop computers. Open the page on your phone. On iPhone, tap Start and then Allow when Safari asks for Motion & Orientation access.
Is it true north or magnetic north?
Phone compasses show magnetic north. In most of India, Europe and Africa the difference from true north is under 2°, but it can be 10° or more in parts of North America, Australia and New Zealand. For hiking with a map, add your local magnetic declination.
Why is my reading jumping around?
Magnets, speakers, laptops, car bodies and steel tables confuse the sensor. Move away from metal and wave the phone in a figure-of-eight a few times to recalibrate it.
Can I use it to find Qibla or Vastu directions?
Yes: read your heading in degrees and compare it with the direction you need. Keep away from metal and electronics for a reliable reading.
Is my data private?
Yes. Everything happens inside your own browser: nothing you type or choose is uploaded to us or anyone else.
Is it free?
Completely free, with no sign-up, no watermark and no limit on how many times you use it. Light ads keep the site running.
