You have been using Google Maps for some time now to get directions, find points of interest near you and much more. Only recently, however, did you discover that the famous map service can also be used as a compass to see where north is in relation to your position and, consequently, also find all the other cardinal points. Being interested in this feature, you did some research on the web for more information about it and you ended up on this tutorial of mine.
If things are exactly as I described them and, therefore, you would like to know how to find north on Google Maps , let me tell you that you have come to the right place at the right time! In the next paragraphs of this guide, in fact, it will be my task to show you the detailed procedure both to orient your maps towards the north and to understand where the cardinal points are with respect to your position, even when you use Maps in navigator mode.
If that’s what you wanted to know, let’s not go any further and see how to proceed. Make yourself comfortable, set aside five minutes of free time to devote to reading the next paragraphs and follow my instructions carefully. Trying to put them into practice from the device of your interest, I assure you that understanding where the north is with Google Maps will really be a breeze. Let it bet?
Index
- How to find north on Google Maps from Android
- How to find north on Google Maps from iPhone
- How to find north on Google Maps from a computer
- More apps to find the north
How to find north on Google Maps from Android
The procedure for finding north on Google Maps on Android is quick and easy. All you have to do is start the app of the famous Google maps service, calibrate the compass and press on the option that allows you to see the cardinal points.
Before explaining how to do it, you should know that Google Maps is usually installed “standard” on Android devices. If not, you can download it from the Play Store following the classic procedure. If you have any problems, however, you can check out my tutorial on how to download Google Maps .
That said, grab your device, launch Google Maps, and make sure the app is able to access your location. If this is not the case, access the Android Settings by pressing the gear wheel icon , select the Security and privacy and Location services options , press the Maps option and, in the Permissions section , move the lever relating to the item Location from OFF to ON .
Once this is done, start Google Maps again, press the crosshair icon located on the right, in order to view your position on the map and tap on the blue dot related to your position. In the new screen displayed, press the Calibrate button and tilt and move the phone as indicated on the screen, to calibrate the Google Maps compass and obtain the most reliable accuracy possible.
At this point, following the red arrow visible at the top right you can understand where north is. By pressing on the arrow in question, you can also automatically rotate the map and orient it to the north.
How do you say? Would you like to have these indications even when you are using Google Maps as a navigator? In this case, enter your destination in the Search here field located at the top and press the Start button to start navigation. By pressing the compass icon (the white and red rhombus icon ) visible on the right side of the screen, you can orient the map to the north and understand where the various cardinal points are in relation to your position.
By pressing on the black “N” , however, you can reorient the map according to your current position and you will still be able to understand where north is by following the orientation of the red arrow . To find out more, I leave you to my guide on how to use Google Maps as a navigator .
How to find north on Google Maps from iPhone
The procedure for finding north on Google Maps from iPhone (and iPad ) is almost identical to what I indicated in the previous lines to use the compass on Android.
First, grab your iPhone / iPad and, if you haven’t done so yet, install the Google Maps app from the App Store , visiting the link I just provided, pressing the Get button and verifying your identity via Face ID, Touch ID, or Apple ID password.
Then, go to the iOS Settings , by pressing the gear wheel icon on the Home screen, tap on the Privacy and Location items , select the Google Maps option and make sure that the app in question is able to access the your position (otherwise activate the relative lever).
Once this is done, start Google Maps and press the blue arrow icon visible at the bottom right, in order to view your exact position and, at the same time, activate the compass. At this point, by pressing the compass icon that appears on the screen (that of the white and red rhombus ), you can orient the map towards the north and, consequently, understand where the various cardinal points are in relation to your position.
Even on iPhone, you can use the Google Maps compass while navigating. After specifying your destination in the Search here field and pressing the Start button , in order to activate Google Maps in navigator mode, you can view the compass on the right side of the screen.
In particular, by following the orientation of the red arrow , you can understand where north is in relation to your position, while pressing the compass icon you can orient the map to the north.
How to find north on Google Maps from a computer
If you are wondering if it is possible to find north on Google Maps from a computer , you should know that this feature is only available by activating Street View , the option that allows you to walk virtually all the streets in the world with a 360 degree view.
To proceed, connect to the main page of Google Maps and, if you want to see where north is in relation to your position, click on the option Show your position (the crosshair icon ), at the bottom right and press the Allow button appeared on the screen, to allow the browser to locate it.
At this point, activate the Street View mode by clicking on the yellow man icon located at the bottom right and press on the celestial dot visible on the map, to access the 360 degree view of the exact place where you are.
Once this is done, to find out where north is in relation to your position, all you have to do is locate the compass icon (the one with the red and white diamond on the right) and see where the red arrow points . By clicking on the icon in question, you can also rotate the view and orient the map to the north.
Similarly, you can also proceed to see where north is from any location other than where you are. In this case, press the arrow icon pointing to the left (top left), to return to the classic view of Google Maps, activate the Street View mode again and click on the point on the map relating to the position of your interest.
Alternatively, you can search for a specific location by either entering its name or coordinates in the Search on Google Maps field at the top. In this regard, my guide on how to see the coordinates on Google Maps may be useful .
More apps to find the north
In addition to the Google Maps compass, you should know that there are many other applications to orient yourself and see the cardinal points. Here, then, are other apps to find the north that could be for you.
- Wikiloc ( Android / iOS / iPadOS ): this is the ideal solution for those who love to hike and are looking for apps to not get lost in the woods . In addition to interesting features that allow you to discover new itineraries and trace your own route, it also integrates a compass to orient yourself in the best way.
- Compass: Digital Compass ( Android ): is among the best compass apps available on Android. It lets you know your current position and shows its longitude, latitude, address and altitude. In addition, it shows the strength of the magnetic field and also allows you to add a direction pointer. It only works on devices equipped with an accelerator and magnetometer.
- Compass ( Android ): This is another good app for having a compass on your Android device. It is completely free and ad-free and allows you to find magnetic and geographic north using magnetic declination.
- Compass (iOS): this is the “standard” app installed on the iPhone that allows you to understand where north is and all the other cardinal points with respect to your position, as well as showing its coordinates and altitude.
