How to calibrate the compass on your Android phone -[AndroidTutor2018]

AndroidTutor2018- It's happened to almost everyone. You're trying to find your way around, and the arrow in your navigation app doesn't point in the right direction, moves around arbitrarily or doesn't move at all. If you're having a hard time using your smartphone to tell the direction you're facing, your phone's compass needs to be recalibrated. In this article, we'll show you how to do it.
Secret codes for Android
How to calibrate the sensors on your smartphone
Rotate the device on each axis a few times to calibrate the compass
Calibrating your phone's compass is actually easy. Assuming you have Google Maps (who doesn't?), open the app and follow these simple steps:
Hold your phone as you normally would. Then, while the phone is still facing you, tilt the top of your phone forward (away from you) and backward (toward you).
Now, hold the phone as you normally would, upright with the screen facing you. Then turn it to face to your left, then to your right.
Next, hold your phone upright as you normally would again. Then, while the phone still faces you, tilt the top of the phone from one side to the other (like you're switching to landscape mode).

Figure 8 pattern to calibrate compass
If that method isn't effective, you can get the same result by moving your smartphone around in a figure 8 pattern in the air. Just open Google Maps and follow the motions in the video above - it's easy, though you may look really foolish doing it in public.
Opinion by Brittany McGheeI usually calibrate the compass on my phone with a figure 8 pattern
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Third party apps

You can also install an app from the Play Store to tell you the status of your compass and other sensors, which will then help you know when to calibrate them. GPS Essentials, for example, does just this.
GPS Essentials If you're still having trouble with your GPS, compass or navigation app, try our tips to improve GPS signal. Got any questions? Let us know in the comments!
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1 Billy Sargent 2 months ago Link to comment
This isn't useful for recalibrating. How do you deliberately calibrate the compass? This is just repeating the instructions the app gives! I did that then, I need to recalibrate NOW.
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1 Hadif Nazhan 1 day ago Link to comment
Maybe by factory resetting the phone? I did that a few days ago to clear up the mess on my phone but I did not notice that it did reset the compass until I opened Google Maps and noticed that the blue arrow was pointing perfectly towards the direction of the the road because, few months before resetting it was pointing to the wrong direction... And this reset also applies to 3rd party compass apps; they finally showed the correct magnitude
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29 Paul d Scott 6 months ago Link to comment
lots of nice compass apps available, some also include extra info like sensor accuracy and status etc
figure of eight works most of the time for calibration when it doesn't.. giving the device a couple of short sharp taps on my palm does.
1 Brittany McGhee
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18 Brittany McGhee Admin Staff 6 months ago Link to comment
Thanks for the tip! We'll try that out next time to see if it works on some of our phones in the office.
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18 Albin Foro 6 months ago Link to comment
Article's a little confusing, in that the compass works on a magnetometer and doesn't need GPS or data radios activated to work with offline maps - though GPS can add latitude, longitude to functionality. I have a cute one (Marine Compass, PierroX) with a plug in that overlays direction through the camera view. I've always used 8 to calibrate, but knowing directionality from home it's easy to do a reality check before a trip that needs it.
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23 Mark G. 6 months ago Link to comment
It is recommended that you calibrate your devices compass at least weekly, though I would suggest that if you are reliant on the compass that you calibrate it every time you leave a building or vehicle. (or any strong magnetic interference).

I use the GPS app - GPS status which has great features and calibration tools.

Remember that the compass in your device may not be the best, or will at least be affected by magnetic anomalies and interference so try and calibrate it in a open space.

Peace
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38 Mark Admin 6 months ago Link to comment
Calibrate my boat's compass every year, it never occurred to me to calibrate my phones compass. I will do it now, good tips.
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8 Jay Viper 6 months ago Link to comment
great tip! now I know what to do next time
1 Brittany McGhee
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