Online Compass

Online Compass A silver compass showing N, E, S, W cardinals and NE, SE, SW, NW intercardinals, with degree markings and a red and gray needle. 30 60 120 150 210 240 300 330 N E S W NE SE SW NW
Motion & orientation access needed

iOS requires you to tap a button to grant compass access. Press Start compass below.

0°
N

Why use an online compass

Always with you

Works on any modern browser — no app store, no download.

Real-time readings

Live heading with cardinal and intercardinal directions.

Private by design

Sensor data is processed on-device. We never upload it.

Calibrated & accurate

Smoothing and low-pass filtering remove sensor jitter.

Using the compass on iOS

  1. Tap the Start compass button above — Safari will ask for Motion & Orientation access.
  2. Allow the permission and hold the phone flat, screen facing up.
  3. Move the device in a figure-8 motion to calibrate.

Using the compass on Android

  1. Chrome uses the magnetometer automatically — just point the top of your phone forward.
  2. If the compass does not move, enable the "Generic Sensor Extra Classes" flag.
  3. Open a new tab, paste the address below and set the flag to Enabled.

Setup for Chrome on Android

Most modern Android devices work out of the box. If your compass does not move, some Chrome builds hide motion data behind a feature flag. Copy the address below, paste it into a new Chrome tab and set the flag to Enabled.

chrome://flags/#enable-generic-sensor-extra-classes
1Copy the link
Copy the link

Copy the address above and open a new tab in Chrome.

2Click Enable
Click Enable

Paste the address, find the flag and change it to "Enabled".

3Relaunch & refresh
Relaunch & refresh

Tap "Relaunch" when prompted, then return to this page and refresh.

Enable "Generic Sensor Extra Classes". On Chrome versions before 67 you may also need the "Generic Sensor" flag.

Understanding the compass

The compass has been with us for roughly a thousand years. At its heart sits a magnetised needle that aligns with the Earth's magnetic field — one end points to magnetic north, the other to magnetic south. The compass rose around it marks the four cardinal directions (N, E, S, W) and the four intercardinals (NE, SE, SW, NW), giving you an instant read on which way you are facing.

How it works

An online compass uses your device's built-in magnetometer to sense the Earth's magnetic field. Combined with the accelerometer, it figures out which direction the top of your device is pointing and shows that as a heading in degrees and a cardinal label.

Online vs. traditional compasses

A traditional compass relies on a physical needle floating in fluid. An online compass uses the magnetometer and accelerometer already built into your phone, so there are no moving parts to wear out and no recalibration after a drop. It always shows a clean digital heading in degrees alongside the cardinal letter.

Everyday uses

  • Car navigation — double-check your heading when GPS points get confusing.
  • Hiking & travel — find North on a trail without reaching for a dedicated device.
  • Teaching — a hands-on way to explain cardinal directions to students.
  • Photography — line up sunrise, sunset and golden-hour shots with confidence.