80.3°
Step 1
Read the heading
The large number counts degrees clockwise from north. North is 0, east is 90, south is 180 and west is 270.
Live compass
NewDial turns view
Find your bearing.
A virtual compass that swings and settles like a real needle. Drag the dial, type a heading, or let it drift on its own.
Computers have no magnetic sensor, so on a PC you set the heading by hand: drag the dial, type degrees or use the arrow keys. On a phone, open this page in its own browser tab and choose Use device sensor for a real compass.
Drag to turn
Back bearing260.3°
80.3°Heading
EWind point
1.40Radians
260.3°Back bearing
Set a bearing
Four ways to point the compass. They all move the same needle.
View
Marker moves keeps north at the top. Dial turns rotates the whole dial under a fixed marker, like a handheld compass.
Auto sweep
Picks a new bearing every couple of seconds.
Keyboard
Focus the dial, then ← → turn 1°, hold Shift for 10°, PgUp PgDn for 15°, Home for north.
Pinned bearings
Keep headings you want to return to. Pins stay in this browser.
Eight winds
Jump to a principal point. The needle swings there and settles.
How to read the dial
Three things to look at, in this order.
Step 2
Match it to a point
The small label under the number names the two nearest points. It shows a single point when you are within a degree and a half.
Step 3
Check the back bearing
Add or subtract 180 to get the opposite direction. It is the heading you would follow to retrace a route.
Questions
Does it use my device sensor?
No. This view blocks motion sensors, so you set the heading by dragging, typing or using the slider. The compass does not know where north really is.
Why does the needle overshoot?
The marker follows a damped spring, so it swings a little past the bearing and then settles. If your system asks for reduced motion, it jumps straight there.
True north or magnetic north?
Neither. Zero is the top of the dial. A real compass reads magnetic north, which differs from true north by the local declination.
What is a back bearing?
The heading that points the opposite way, 180° from your current one. It is shown under the dial and in the readings row.
How do I turn the dial instead?
Choose Dial turns under View. The ring rotates beneath a fixed red marker, and dragging the ring turns it the way you push.
Where are pins stored?
In this browser only. Clearing site data removes them, and they are not shared with anyone who opens the page.
Keep a bearing close.
Pin the heading you are on and jump back to it whenever you like.