Online Compass
Hold your phone flat to see which way you're facing in degrees, such as 45° NE; tap Start compass if the button appears. With your location, the dial also shows true north. On iPhone and iPad the compass needs your permission — tap the button.
On iPhone and iPad the compass needs your permission — tap the button. The direction is calculated on your device.
How the online compass works
Your phone has a magnetometer, a small sensor that measures the Earth's magnetic field. The browser combines it with the motion sensors and reports which way the top of the phone points.
The dial turns so that its red N always points north. The triangle at the top marks where your phone points, and the number above the dial is your heading. 0° is north, 90° east, 180° south and 270° west.
The reading is smoothed so the dial doesn't jitter. After you turn, give it a moment to settle.
Most laptops and desktop computers have no magnetometer, so this works on phones and tablets. On a computer, scan the QR code to open this page on your phone.
True north vs. magnetic north
A magnetic needle points to magnetic north, which isn't the North Pole. The angle between the two is called magnetic declination. It depends on where you are and changes slowly every year.
When you allow location access, we calculate the declination for your position with the World Magnetic Model. It's the standard model that phones and navigation systems use. The dial then shows True north. Switch to Magnetic north to compare with a hiking compass.
Without the correction, the error adds up. In New York, magnetic north is about 12.5° west of true north. Walk a mile (1.6 km) on that heading and you end up about 1,140 ft (350 m) off course.
| Place | Declination in 2026 (approx.) |
|---|---|
| Seattle | 15° east |
| Los Angeles | 11° east |
| Chicago | 4° west |
| New York | 12.5° west |
| London | 1° east |
| Moscow | 12° east |
| São Paulo | 22° west |
| Sydney | 13° east |
The Qibla finder uses the same sensor and the same correction to point toward Makkah.
If the heading is wrong or jumpy
- Calibrate it: move the phone in a figure-eight a few times. The page also asks for this when the sensor reports a weak reading.
- Keep away from metal and magnets. Cars, laptops, speakers, magnetic cases and mounts all bend the reading.
- Hold the phone flat, screen up, and turn your whole body instead of tilting the phone.
- If the dial asks for your location, tap Use my location. Without it, you see magnetic north, which is more than 10° off in parts of the US.
- If nothing happens on iPhone, reload the page and tap Allow when Safari asks for motion access.
- Check the reading against something you know, such as a straight street on a map.
Frequently asked questions
Which way is north?
Hold the phone flat and tap Start compass if the button appears. The red N on the dial points north. Turn until the marker at the top lines up with it, and you're facing north.
Does the compass work without internet?
Once the page has loaded, the compass needs only the phone's sensors. True north also needs your location. Phones can usually get it from GPS without internet, though the first fix may take longer offline.
Why doesn't the compass work on my laptop?
Most computers don't have a magnetometer, so browsers can't read a heading. Open the page on a phone or tablet instead.
Is an online compass accurate?
It's as accurate as your phone's magnetometer. Calibrate it with a figure-eight, keep it away from metal and magnets, and hold it flat. These three steps fix most problems.
What is magnetic declination?
It's the angle between magnetic north and true north where you are. It's close to zero in some places and over 20° in others. It's about 15° east in Seattle, 12.5° west in New York and 22° west in São Paulo.