If you’re like most Android users, you probably rely on your device’s built-in compass to help you navigate around. But if your compass isn’t calibrated correctly, your device’s location accuracy can suffer. In this guide, we’ll show you how to calibrate your Android compass and improve its accuracy. First, open the Settings app on your Android device and click on “Location & Security.” From here, scroll down and click on “Compass.” Next, make sure that the “Compass” option is set to “On.” Next, tap on the “Calibrate” button. Now, follow the instructions that appear onscreen. First, orient yourself in a north-south direction and then rotate your phone until it matches the orientation shown in the screen shot below. Finally, tap on the “Calibrate” button again to finish calibrating your compass. ..
Your device needs a magnetometer for the compass function to work, and almost all Android smartphones have these included. You also need to install the Google Maps Android app , if it isn’t already.
These instructions should work on all recent Android versions.
Checking Google Maps Direction Accuracy
Before you calibrate your compass, check to if your device’s direction is being accurately reported in the Google Maps app.
Open the Google Maps app on your Android device, then look for the blue circular icon showing your location. If it isn’t visible, press the circular bullseye icon in the bottom-right corner.
This will bring up your location into view, as far as Google Maps understands it to be. Your device’s direction is shown as a blue flashlight-style beam around your circular location icon.
If the beam’s range is too vast, Google Maps will usually ask you to calibrate your compass. If it doesn’t, you need to calibrate it manually.
Calibrating Your Android Compass in Google Maps
If Google Maps doesn’t calibrate your compass automatically, you must perform a manual calibration. Open the Google Maps app, making sure that your blue circular device location icon is in view.
Tap on the location icon to bring up more information about your location. At the bottom, tap the “Calibrate Compass” button.
This will bring up the compass calibration screen. Your current compass accuracy should be displayed at the bottom as either low, medium, or high.
While holding your device and following the method shown on-screen, move your phone around three times, tracing a figure eight in the process.
Google Maps will alert you once you’ve successfully calibrated your device, returning to the app’s main map screen automatically.
If the calibration process was a success, the range of your direction beam should be reduced, improving your location accuracy in the process.
