What is Compass?

The Compass uses your device's orientation sensors to show your heading in degrees and cardinal direction in real time. Share your location and it also marks the Qibla bearing toward Mecca, shows your latitude, longitude, and altitude, and lists today's sunrise and sunset times.

The page reads the alpha angle from your device's gyroscope and magnetometer (or webkitCompassHeading on iOS), then redraws the dial roughly 60 times a second so the needle tracks your real heading. Tap Calibrate to zero out a few degrees of sensor drift, or flip the North reference toggle to True and enter your local declination when you need bearings measured from true north instead of magnetic north.

How to use

1. Allow the sensor permission when prompted by your device
2. Hold your device flat and level — the compass needle points north
3. Read your heading in degrees (0°–360°) and the cardinal direction (N, NE, E, etc.)

When to use

• Orienting a printed map or trail diagram on a hike when you don't carry a separate compass.
• Aligning a satellite dish, solar panel, or roof antenna toward a specific bearing.
• Checking which way a window or balcony faces before renting or buying a place.

Result

Heading 225° shows you're facing southwest — the compass needle points to the north while you face SW.

FAQ

Why is the heading not updating on my computer or laptop?

Desktops and most laptops lack a magnetometer, so the deviceorientation event never fires with usable data. The tool needs a phone or tablet with built-in compass hardware. On Chrome you can also try a USB sensor extension, but the typical answer is to open the page on your phone.

How accurate is a phone compass compared to a real magnetic compass?

Modern phone magnetometers are usually within 2 to 5 degrees once calibrated. Accuracy drops near metal furniture, car bodies, speakers, and magnets, so move into open space and rotate the phone in a figure-eight motion to recalibrate if the needle drifts.

Does the compass show true north or magnetic north?

Phone compasses return magnetic north by default. The difference between magnetic and true north (declination) ranges from under 1 degree near the equator to over 20 degrees at high latitudes. Switch the North reference toggle to True and type your local declination (east positive, west negative) to read bearings against true north.

Why does Safari ask for permission every time?

Since iOS 13 Apple requires an explicit user gesture (the Start button) for every page load before exposing orientation data. The permission is not remembered across sessions. There is no way around it from the page, it is a privacy decision at the OS level.

Can I use the compass without an internet connection?

Yes once the page is loaded. The reading comes from your device's own sensor, the page does not call any server during use. If you save the page for offline access or install the site as a PWA, the compass keeps working in airplane mode.

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