An online compass that works in your phone’s browser
This online compass uses the magnetometer in your phone or tablet to show which way you are facing — as a live heading in degrees, a 16-point direction such as NE or WSW, and a compass rose that turns as you move. There is nothing to install: open the page, press start and hold the phone flat.
You can switch between magnetic and true north by entering your local magnetic declination, lock a bearing and let the compass tell you which way to turn, and see the raw tilt and accuracy figures the sensor reports. It works in Chrome and Samsung Internet on Android and in Safari on iPhone and iPad.
Desktop computers and most laptops have no compass sensor, so on those the page explains why it cannot read a heading — you can still drag the dial to learn the points of the compass.
How to use the Online Compass
- Open this page on a phone or tablet and press Start compass. On iPhone and iPad, tap Allow when Safari asks for motion and orientation access.
- Hold the device flat, screen up, with the top edge pointing where you want to measure. If you hold it upright, the heading follows the rear camera instead.
- Read the heading in degrees and the cardinal point. North is 0°, east 90°, south 180° and west 270°.
- For true north, open Find your declination and press Use my location (or type your coordinates). The World Magnetic Model value is filled in and True is switched on; you can also type a declination yourself (east positive, west negative).
- To follow a direction, face it and press Lock this bearing. The compass then says how many degrees to turn left or right.
Online Compass features
Tilt-aware heading
The heading is computed from the full orientation, not just one angle, so it stays correct when the phone is tilted, in landscape, or held upright like a camera.
16-point directions
Shows N, NNE, NE … NNW alongside the exact degrees, and the full name such as “South-south-west”.
Magnetic or true north, worked out for you
The official World Magnetic Model 2025 runs in the page and gives the declination for your location and today’s date, so headings match maps and true-north bearings.
Bearing lock
A green marker on the dial and “Turn 12° left” style guidance help you walk or point in a fixed direction.
Calibration help
When the sensor reports poor accuracy (iPhone shows this), the page prompts the figure-of-eight calibration.
Private and offline
Sensor readings never leave your device, and the page needs no connection once it has loaded.
Magnetic north, true north and declination
A compass needle points to magnetic north, which is not the same as the geographic North Pole (true north) that maps use. The angle between them is the magnetic declination (or variation). It depends on where you are and drifts slowly every year. This page calculates it with the World Magnetic Model 2025 (WMM2025), the model NOAA and the British Geological Survey publish for 2025–2029, using the official coefficient file and checked against all 100 of NOAA’s published test values. A declination of 2° W is shown and entered as −2.
Near the magnetic poles the horizontal field becomes too weak for any compass; the page warns you there. For finding the direction of Makkah use the Qibla direction finder, and for reading the zones of a home or plot the Vastu compass — both use this same compass and model.
| Place (WMM2025, 1 Jan 2026) | Declination | Enter |
|---|---|---|
| New Delhi | 1.3° E | 1.3 |
| London | 1.1° E | 1.1 |
| New York | 12.5° W | −12.5 |
| Los Angeles | 11.4° E | 11.4 |
| Sydney | 12.8° E | 12.8 |
Getting an accurate reading
- Calibrate first if readings jump around: trace a slow figure-of-eight in the air, rotating the phone through every angle.
- Keep at least half a metre away from steel, magnets, speakers, laptops and car dashboards; they bend the magnetic field. Magnetic phone cases and mounts affect the sensor too.
- Hold the phone flat and still for a second; use Steady smoothing for a calmer needle.
- Phone compasses are usually accurate to a few degrees after calibration — good for orientation and finding north, but carry a real compass and map for serious navigation.
- For levelling a shelf or picture use the bubble level; to convert map coordinates, try the coordinate converter.
Online Compass FAQ
Does this online compass work on a laptop?
Almost never: desktop computers and nearly all laptops have no magnetometer. Some Windows tablets and 2-in-1s do. On a laptop the page tells you no sensor was found.
Why does my iPhone ask for permission?
Safari on iOS 13 and later requires your permission before a web page can read motion and orientation sensors. Tap Start compass, then Allow. If you denied it, close the tab and open the page again.
How accurate is a phone compass?
After calibration, typically within about 5°. Nearby metal, magnets and electronics can make it much worse, so check against a landmark if accuracy matters.
Is the online compass showing true north or magnetic north?
Magnetic north by default, which is what phone sensors measure. Use Find your declination (or select True and type a value) to get true north.
Why does the heading change when I tilt the phone?
When the phone is nearly upright the compass switches to measuring the direction of the rear camera, which is more useful when you hold the phone up to look at something.
Does it work without internet?
Yes. After the page has loaded, the compass runs entirely on your device.