Online compass
Compass directions right in your phone’s browser — no download or sign-up. North is true north: the magnetic declination for your location is taken into account.
The compass works on phones and tablets: tap the button and hold the phone level, screen up.
The Sun, the Moon and the compass directions today
How to use the compass on your phone
- Turn it on
Tap “Turn on the compass”. On an iPhone, allow access to motion and orientation — without it Safari doesn’t give the page the sensor readings.
- Hold it level
Lay the phone screen up on your palm. The green bubble in the center of the dial should sit inside the circle — then the readings are more accurate. The red triangle at the top is the direction the top of the phone points.
- Step away from metal
A magnetic case, speakers, a laptop and a car throw the compass off by tens of degrees. If the needle “drifts”, move the phone through the air in a figure eight — this calibrates the sensor.
How to find north without a compass
Around noon the Sun is in the south, and the shadows of objects point north. “Noon” here means solar noon, not clock noon: it is different in every city.
At night, find the Big Dipper and extend the line through the two end stars of its bowl about five times their distance — there is Polaris. Below it is north, accurate to within a degree.
The full Moon at midnight is in the south — where the Sun is at noon. The waxing Moon at first quarter is in the south in the evening; the waning Moon at last quarter is in the south before dawn.
Moss, anthills and the rings of tree stumps are poor compasses: they grow where it is damp and shady, and that depends more on the surrounding forest than on the compass directions.
Questions
How do I turn on the compass on my phone?
Open this page on your phone and tap “Turn on the compass”. On an iPhone, Safari will ask for permission to access motion and orientation — allow it. There is nothing to download: the compass works right in the browser, using the phone’s own sensors.
Why is the compass on my phone wrong?
The compass sensor is magnetic, and magnets and iron nearby throw it off: a magnetic case or holder, speakers, a laptop, rebar in the walls, a car body. Move a couple of steps away from them, take off a case with a magnet and calibrate the compass: move the phone through the air in a figure eight a few times.
How is true north different from magnetic north?
True (geographic) north is the direction to the North Pole, around which the Earth rotates; Polaris points to it. A magnetic needle points to the magnetic pole, which is in a different place and slowly moves. The angle between them is the magnetic declination: about 1° in London, almost 15° in Seattle, about −12° in New York. The compass on this page takes the declination for your location into account using the World Magnetic Model WMM-2025.
Does the online compass work on a computer?
Usually not: laptops and computers have no direction sensor, and without it the browser doesn’t know which way the screen is facing. The page will still show the positions of the Sun and the Moon on the dial — you can use them to get your bearings. Open the compass on a phone or tablet.
Do I need the internet and geolocation?
You need the internet only to open the page: after that the compass works on the phone’s sensors. Geolocation is optional — choosing a city from the list is enough. The location is needed to account for the magnetic declination and to put the Sun and the Moon on the dial.
Can I look at the stars through my phone?
Yes: the star map has a “Sky view” mode. Point your phone at the sky — the screen will label the stars, constellations and planets in the direction it is facing, and with the camera on, the labels are laid over the real sky.