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Anyone Else Notice the Compass SUCKS???

Seriously, it sucks.
I got the Compass app and it's so far off it's laughable. I've calibrated it a hundred times... We're talking it saying North is actually West... That far off.

Dude, it's a Captivate, what do you expect?
The phone part works great, just enjoy that!

I think mine works fine. The trembling is annoying.

My compass works just fine. In maps it shows were the phone is pointed. Might be yours.
From a phone on an app

I've seen lag and choppiness in apps that display information directly from the compass (GPS Test, Compass, Google Sky Map), but I've never witnessed wild inaccuracy like you describe.
The JH7 update really improved the performance of my compass. It's still a little choppy, but it updates much more quickly than before. Maybe you're near a large lode of iron or something.

I tested mine by comparing it to a real compass I take along when I go hiking. I've never had any success calibrating it with the infinite-symbol hand gesture; it was always off by a ton as you described. The method I use for calibrating my compass is to spin it on each individual access sequentially. First spin it on the x, then the y, then the z, and then it's usually off by only 2-3 degrees, and that's good enough for a cell phone.

mine sucks too

I noticed right off that depending which way I spin the phone I can get completely different "Norths" up to probably 60 degrees off.

Running Froyo with a new Kernel and ROM and it still sucks...

amtrakcn said:
I think mine works fine. The trembling is annoying.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same here but the trembling doesn't bother me that much. GPS and tracking work fine for me as well.

mine is really bad, like 180 opposite. im pointing south and its showing the exact opposite direction. pretty awesome. almost missing my iphone 3gs.
oh yeah im cog 2.2.5.5

Nexus S compass not working?

I recently acquired two NS phones, one for wife, one for me. After playing them for a few days, I found the compass is not working for both of them,even after the calibration. They point to everywhere but the right direction.
I came from Samsung Vibrant, the reason I switched was because Vibrant has bad GPS and defective compass, which really bothered me. Now after the jumping, I found NS has the similar compass problem...
Can Samsung really make a working phone?

Maybe you got a bad one, I came from the vibrant a month ago and I'm hooked. Everything works and never going back to a non nexus phone ever. GPS works perfectly and locks in less than ten seconds. My first one was a dud so I got exchanged. If you're not happy than demand to be satisfied. Do it!!
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App

I gave up on my compass, too. It rotates with the phone... Not completely anyway, but the display is nearly completely independent from magnetic north. I think the sensor value may be computed by something like
Code:
north = sha1(/dev/urandom + /dev/accelerometer);
On a more serious side note: We have some metal parts in our phones. If one close to the magnetometer sensor is only slightly magnetized, that would likely seriously impact compass performance. Unfortunately, there is neither a (simple) way to find out, whether it is so, nor a (simple) way to fix it.

since I acquired the two NS phones from two independent channels, now both of them showing bad compass, I'd suspect this is something systematic.
I'm surprised to see so little echo on this issue...

coolmib said:
since I acquired the two NS phones from two independent channels, now both of them showing bad compass, I'd suspect this is something systematic.
I'm surprised to see so little echo on this issue...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just checked my compass on my NS and it seems to be real close to pointing north.
I had a G1 before and the compass would occasionally get stuck and give inaccurate readings. To fix that I would shake the phone vigorously like I was trying to take the fizz from a soda bottle and that would make the compass work properly. However I don't think that that is a problem with the NS.

The compass points wherever the point of gravity is. North is always facing down for me for some reason but gps status seems to work, but not entirely accurate.
Is there still no fix for this issue?

I often have to do the figure 8 when I want the compass to point north. Normally this works for me.

Seems like it was a rom issue. I had the newest cm rc1 and north was pointing wherever the ground was. I just returned it back to rooted 2.3.4 stock and seems to work fine, except it's shaky now.
EDIT: There is the "Compass" app that still points down, but google map and the other compass apps works somewhat fine (still shaky and about 10-15 degrees off or so)

I wonder is it pointing TRUE north or MAGNETIC north? Where I live there is almost no declination however some areas are +-15 degrees.

For my case in the original post, both phones are running the stock ROM of 2.3.4 (unrooted). I tried several compass Apps from the Market, none of them pointing to the right direction.....I wonder if it's a hardware problem.

coolmib said:
For my case in the original post, both phones are running the stock ROM of 2.3.4 (unrooted). I tried several compass Apps from the Market, none of them pointing to the right direction.....I wonder if it's a hardware problem.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try using "Smart Compass" if you search for "Compass" in the market, it's usually the second one from the top.

koyanishi said:
I just checked my compass on my NS and it seems to be real close to pointing north.
I had a G1 before and the compass would occasionally get stuck and give inaccurate readings. To fix that I would shake the phone vigorously like I was trying to take the fizz from a soda bottle and that would make the compass work properly. However I don't think that that is a problem with the NS.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have experimented a bit more with NS compass and have to agree that its accuracy is random - occasionally it will point north but more often it will be off by 10 to 20 degrees.

SovereigN7 said:
Try using "Smart Compass" if you search for "Compass" in the market, it's usually the second one from the top.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just downloaded and installed "Smart Compass"。 Same problems persist...

try the compass built into the mapping app Locus. Best compass i've found yet.

coolmib said:
For my case in the original post, both phones are running the stock ROM of 2.3.4 (unrooted). I tried several compass Apps from the Market, none of them pointing to the right direction.....I wonder if it's a hardware problem.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes I think it is a hardware problem.
While researching a problem I have with NFC reading tags I cam upon this gem from this tread
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=905512&highlight=nfc+-reading+tags
And chadrockey had this to say in post # 1 of that tread.
chadrockey said:
So I've been noticing that my compass would always misbehave (in terms of accuracy, not stability a la Sky Maps). I would get a pretty large static error (30 to 40 degrees obviously not declination); rotations would not be consistent (IE, a 180 degree turn would yield 100 degrees change.); and the magnitude of raw measurements was not like that of the magnetometer I got from Sparkfun.
Turns out the neodymium magnets I had near my desk actually latched onto my phone and magnetized the NFC antenna. I tested this by removing the cover and putting the magnet near the antenna and it sticks. Without the cover on, the compass worked much better.
I've mostly demagnetized my NFC antenna now by doing some magnet sweeps and leaving it near the heater, but I've learned to keep the magnets away.
If anyone is having problems with the compass overall accuracy, removing the back cover may help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Now I never, as far as I know, have had strong magnets near the nfc antenna, but the nfc app does not read nfc tags so it could be that it is magnetized.
But if I take the back cover off my NS as chadrockey recommends, then the compass reading will be spot on.
oh, and btw, the best compass app that I know comes from swiss army knife which is one app containing a number of other neat apps

I have the same problem with my nexus s compass, north is not accurate ever and augmented reality application like streetview defect because the compass seems to vibrate, even if I have my hand stable the screen vibrates like I'm shacking the phone...

walker7373 said:
I have the same problem with my nexus s compass, north is not accurate ever and augmented reality application like streetview defect because the compass seems to vibrate, even if I have my hand stable the screen vibrates like I'm shacking the phone...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
did you try using the compass without the case back cover?

tried removing the back case, compass still not working

I gave up my compass a couple of weeks after i got the phone. Shakes like a drug addict and the accuracy is worse than a blind guy trying out sharp shooting for the first time.
Ive removed the back cover, tried different apps and "calibrated" the compass multiple times but to no avail.

Join the club. The compass is a failure and google is not fixing, or not able to fix it.
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App

Compass, no issue.

I remember somewhere somebody reported issue with compass in our Relay.
Now I found that it is somehow related with other sensors and/or modules.
So if your compass not working properly turn off wifi, data transfer and GPS and try.
Regards
Mac

Makes no difference for me. Everything on or everything off, the compass is still hopelessly miscalibrated after a reboot. Then a calibration cycle gets it approximately right until the next one.

for me also no difference, however i try, google maps with gps is usually going sometimes ok. havent got the clue behind yet

Jax184 said:
Makes no difference for me. Everything on or everything off, the compass is still hopelessly miscalibrated after a reboot. Then a calibration cycle gets it approximately right until the next one.
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Click to collapse
I'm in the same boat- if I'm driving, it will correct when it uses the GPS, but standing still, it will be off. I think the issues started after updating one of the stock roms. I think the original stock rom was just fine.
I think Nardholio posted something about going back to stock, ripping the battery out with a solid GPS lock and then upgrading.

gee one said:
I'm in the same boat- if I'm driving, it will correct when it uses the GPS, but standing still, it will be off. I think the issues started after updating one of the stock roms. I think the original stock rom was just fine.
I think Nardholio posted something about going back to stock, ripping the battery out with a solid GPS lock and then upgrading.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's only needed if your GPS is totally inoperable.

So the Relay 4G has horrible GPS? Seems to be an ongoing theme with Samsung phones.

Nah, the GPS works fine. It's the compass that's broken.
During the development of our CM rom, it was discovered that the GPS sometimes wouldn't work at all after flashing a custom ROM. This was because the stock ROM had put the GPS to sleep in a way which the custom ROM couldn't wake it from. That's why the battery pull technique was developed. It ensured the GPS was active when you installed the custom ROM.
I don't know if it's still needed or not. I don't think it is. If it is, it would only help you if your GPS doesn't work at all after flashing a custom ROM. If it's intermittent or has poor signal or something, you've got other problems.

Regarding GPS, if I understand correctly, Relay 4G uses both GPS and GLONASS signal, so is the GPS fix considerably quicker than in devices without GLONASS and is the satellite coverage better as well?
I'm particularly interested if there is a noticeable difference in this regard between Samsung Captivate Glide's GPS and Relay 4G's GPS+GLONASS.

Jax184 said:
Nah, the GPS works fine. It's the compass that's broken.
During the development of our CM rom, it was discovered that the GPS sometimes wouldn't work at all after flashing a custom ROM. This was because the stock ROM had put the GPS to sleep in a way which the custom ROM couldn't wake it from. That's why the battery pull technique was developed. It ensured the GPS was active when you installed the custom ROM.
I don't know if it's still needed or not. I don't think it is. If it is, it would only help you if your GPS doesn't work at all after flashing a custom ROM. If it's intermittent or has poor signal or something, you've got other problems.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I...don't know the difference between the GPS and the compass. I thought people were using the terms interchangeably, but apparently not.
Solkan said:
Regarding GPS, if I understand correctly, Relay 4G uses both GPS and GLONASS signal, so is the GPS fix considerably quicker than in devices without GLONASS and is the satellite coverage better as well?
I'm particularly interested if there is a noticeable difference in this regard between Samsung Captivate Glide's GPS and Relay 4G's GPS+GLONASS.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Okay...this is very interesting. Differences between GPS and compass aside, this still seems like good news. At least to me, cause GPS is very important to me, and its my understanding that the Captivate Glide's GPS is very hinky. Seems like if you stick with stock you'll be fine. Now, bluetooth, I have no idea how the bluetooth is on the Relay (stock or custom ROM), but at least the GPS is good and even better with this GLONASS.

The compass is a standalone chip that detects the earths magnetic fields and tells the device which way it's oriented. But Samsung screwed something up, and every time the phone boots it's way out of calibration. You can fix it by taking it through a quick calibration cycle, and then all's right with it until the next reboot.
The compass and the GPS work together for things like maps. With the compass miscalibrated, the indicator on the map will often show that you're facing a compass direction other than what you really are. And it'll sometimes act as though you're walking backwards when moving at low speeds. But the actual GPS position and tracking are correct, it just has no idea what way you're facing. Again, a compass calibration will fix this.

Jax184 said:
The compass is a standalone chip that detects the earths magnetic fields and tells the device which way it's oriented. But Samsung screwed something up, and every time the phone boots it's way out of calibration. You can fix it by taking it through a quick calibration cycle, and then all's right with it until the next reboot.
The compass and the GPS work together for things like maps. With the compass miscalibrated, the indicator on the map will often show that you're facing a compass direction other than what you really are. And it'll sometimes act as though you're walking backwards when moving at low speeds. But the actual GPS position and tracking are correct, it just has no idea what way you're facing. Again, a compass calibration will fix this.
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Click to collapse
Okay...I've actually been experiencing that lately with my Epic 4G on Cyanogenmod, but I blame that more on the most recent update of Google Maps which changed the entire interface than I do the ROM (I'm on the most recent stable release and before the Google Maps update GPS worked perfectly). But that's still something I'll save for that board. But what you described is exactly what I've been experiencing, the Navigation seems to work, but it takes a while for the indicator (the red arrow) to face the right direction. Since I use it to drive around my own town its not that big a deal, but if I ever go out of town, yeah it could be an issue.
Someone on one of the Relay 4G boards here opened up his Relay 4G and showed exactly where the metal components are, and how with some tweaking it may correct it without calibration...but with my luck I'd break the thing permanently.
I do wonder why the Relay 4G is like this...my only guess is that Samsung was trying to rush it out and didn't have the time to properly test it? I know it was supposed to be called something else (Blaze Q or something). But the funny thing is, even with this "error" (which from the sounds of it is easily remedied), it still seems like more of the spiritual successor to the Epic 4G than I originally thought the Captivate Glide was, or at least an Epic 4G if it was GSM. 5 rows of keys, same shape...I just don't know why this phone isn't more successful than it is. At least you can get it on eBay, new, for about $200-$300. I haven't been inside a T-mobile store in years so I don't know if they regularly keep them in stock or not. But its still available. That Captivate Glide is still available for less than $200, but with its issues with GPS and bluetooth...I don't know, seriously thinking about this phone now.
Anyway, thanks for the response. And by the way, how is the bluetooth on this phone?
EDIT: Herp derp, it was YOU who opened up their Relay 4G! My apologies, sometimes these boards blur together.

Bluetooth seems okay, but I only have one bluetooth device, so I'm hardly an expert.
The guys working on our CM ROM are trying to improve performance when both wifi and bluetooth are in use at the same time. Since they're both 2.4 GHz, they tend to step on each others toes if both are on at once.
You should try a compass calibration on the Epic to see if that helps with the pointer. First step away from large metal and electrical objects, so you're in a fairly clean magnetic environment. Then open up an app that uses the compass, like Metal Sniffer. Then, while keeping the screen on, slowly and smoothly rotate the phone 3 times around each axis. End over end 3 times, then side to side 3 times, then around and around 3 times.
At the end of it, the pointer should now point north.
On the Relay, the values of the magnetic field strength are all totally out of whack before you do this, and they suddenly drop to more rational levels after the calibration.

Jax184 said:
Bluetooth seems okay, but I only have one bluetooth device, so I'm hardly an expert.
The guys working on our CM ROM are trying to improve performance when both wifi and bluetooth are in use at the same time. Since they're both 2.4 GHz, they tend to step on each others toes if both are on at once.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah okay. Though I can't remember the last time I tried to use both at once. Also, since the Relay 4G actually has a stock JB rom, what benefits would there be getting CM instead? I'm only on CM for the Epic 4G because Samsung/Sprint stopped updating it with Gingerbread.
You should try a compass calibration on the Epic to see if that helps with the pointer. First step away from large metal and electrical objects, so you're in a fairly clean magnetic environment. Then open up an app that uses the compass, like Metal Sniffer. Then, while keeping the screen on, slowly and smoothly rotate the phone 3 times around each axis. End over end 3 times, then side to side 3 times, then around and around 3 times.
At the end of it, the pointer should now point north.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks. The folks on the other board said it was an issue with the updated Google Maps app as opposed to the GPS/compass itself, and suggested a downgrade. I may try both solutions, though to be honest with you there's a huge learning curve with the most recent update to Google Maps (for instance still can't figure out how to get it to record my current location, which came in handy with the previous versions if I ever came across a place or store I wanted to visit again).
On the Relay, the values of the magnetic field strength are all totally out of whack before you do this, and they suddenly drop to more rational levels after the calibration.
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Click to collapse
Speaking of that calibration trick, where is it described in detail around here?

EpicMikeNC said:
Speaking of that calibration trick, where is it described in detail around here?
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Click to collapse
That was it! :laugh:
The CM ROM is faster and trimmer than the stock ROM, and fixes a couple of bugs and annoyances. No touchwiz interface, no t-mobile tethering lockout, no samsung bloatware. And while it does have a few bugs of its own, it's under active development by several people, so it's rapidly improving.

Jax184 said:
That was it! :laugh:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh. lol Ok, thought what you described for the Epic 4G was different, not the same. Gotcha. :good:
The CM ROM is faster and trimmer than the stock ROM, and fixes a couple of bugs and annoyances. No touchwiz interface, no t-mobile tethering lockout, no samsung bloatware. And while it does have a few bugs of its own, it's under active development by several people, so it's rapidly improving.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well I know from my experience with the Epic 4G, you can remove the bloatware with Titanium backup and tether via an ap (if you mean hotspot tether). But at least there's options, stock or CM.
Still don't get why this phone isn't more successful than it is.

Compass is wacky on mine
On my Relay, the compass is off in bizarro land, and has been since I bought it. Stock ICS/unrooted, or stock JB/unrooted, same problem. It doesn't seem to hold calibration at all, and I can even notice that it very slowly spins as I drive. On those times I've tried Google Maps 7 (yuuuuck!), I've noticed that it cheerfully ignores your GPS heading and points the arrow to your alleged compass heading. Between the large amount of change-for-change's-sake UI stupidity, the compass problem, and its general crashiness, I've ditched the update and gone back to the original version.
I've just rooted it yesterday, but I seriously doubt that rooting would make any difference with the compass.

Bobby Tables said:
On my Relay, the compass is off in bizarro land, and has been since I bought it. Stock ICS/unrooted, or stock JB/unrooted, same problem. It doesn't seem to hold calibration at all, and I can even notice that it very slowly spins as I drive. On those times I've tried Google Maps 7 (yuuuuck!), I've noticed that it cheerfully ignores your GPS heading and points the arrow to your alleged compass heading. Between the large amount of change-for-change's-sake UI stupidity, the compass problem, and its general crashiness, I've ditched the update and gone back to the original version.
I've just rooted it yesterday, but I seriously doubt that rooting would make any difference with the compass.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How did you root by the way? One-Click?
But yeah, based on what you just said, I'm convinced its the update, not the compass. I don't understand how Google went backwards in regards to this so-called update to Google maps. But the Metal Sniffer solution seems to work, 9 times out of 10 anyway.
Also, I keep looking and looking, but unless I'm still missing it, didn't the update take away to ability to save your current location?

The bootloader is unlocked, there is no reason to run a rooting script. Just flash CWM with Odin/Heimdall and then supersu

I'm having a very similar experience here on CM 10.2 nightlies. Calibrating the compass doesn't always work. When it does it doesn't always stick. And when it sticks, it will be very jumpy, skipping from one direction to the other at random. This prevents compass mode in Google Maps, so it's annoying but not such a huge deal.

Compass error.

Done a quick search, can't find this mentioned on here.
Is anyone else having trouble with the compass on the Nexus 5? I have a 32Gb white, and never really used Google maps until now, when I noticed the compass is seriously broken. For example, right now, I know I'm facing north, but the arrow in maps is pointing west. Also, if I leave it for a few minutes, it will just start spinning wildly. I'm not next to any sources of magnetism, and I've ran compass calibration through 5 different apps, and it is still broke.
Anyway, I rang Google, and the nice chap said there is an update being released on the 18th to sort out a few software bugs, but my question is, does this sound like software to anyone else?

TheReverend210 said:
Is anyone else having trouble with the compass on the Nexus 5?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I too am hoping it's software. Sometimes mine is spot on, other times 90° out.

I've also noticed the compass is usually off. To be honest, I've never had a phone where the compass was consistently accurate but the N5's compass seems to be worse than most.
"Smart Compass" app gives you the magnetic strength, along with the compass and warns if the strength is abnormal. Thing is I've gotten, within a span of minutes, abnormal readings that are both too high and too low. An abnormally low reading seems to be particularly strange. Hopefully it is a software bug. Maybe it will get fixed.

My compass is off too. I can calibrate it, but after sometime it's screwed up again.

Unfortunately I too am affected by this problem, the nexus 5 have all the sensors do not work.
Try downloading a barometer application, you will see that it will no longer work after two days ..... and when a sensor stops, stop all other work (screen rotation, photo-sphere compass etc. ..........
So yes, I hope an update will solve these problems and fairly quickly because otherwise it will "return to sender directly"

Every smartphone I owned needed a compass calibration every now and then.
If you know how, it's not really an issue, i guess those things just happen when you have your device upside down, and in any direction/in your pocket,...
Maybe it helps some of you: This is more or less what I do to calibrate my compass.

TheReverend210 said:
Done a quick search, can't find this mentioned on here.
Is anyone else having trouble with the compass on the Nexus 5? I have a 32Gb white, and never really used Google maps until now, when I noticed the compass is seriously broken. For example, right now, I know I'm facing north, but the arrow in maps is pointing west. Also, if I leave it for a few minutes, it will just start spinning wildly. I'm not next to any sources of magnetism, and I've ran compass calibration through 5 different apps, and it is still broke.
Anyway, I rang Google, and the nice chap said there is an update being released on the 18th to sort out a few software bugs, but my question is, does this sound like software to anyone else?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
update for 18? : Bien:
Well, I still waiting for this update: (

jokary77 said:
update for 18? : Bien:
Well, I still waiting for this update: (
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My compass is also f'ed up

Compass accuracy and speed?

Hi
I think the last Nexus I've owned with a good compass was the Galaxy Nexus. I owned 3 LG Nexus after that with terrible compass.
So I'd like know how is the compass in the Pixel..Have you had to calibrate the compass sometime during the day after opening Google maps? (After trying in different locations, etc?)
As some reference I'm talking about issues like this one:
https://productforums.google.com/forum/m/#!topic/nexus/SK7gbrV5MhU
Thanks!
Sent from my Nexus 5X

Any news on this? Nobody has used this yet?

I have to calibrate all the time. It's terrible. Tried several cities and environments. Wife's iPhone worked great. It's a shame for Google.

I'm also having exactly this problem with my Pixel. I have to calibrate the compass every time I open Google Maps. And it also puts the blue dot at a random point distant from my real location, with a giant blue circle around it, and then takes some seconds to calculate my real location. It's very annoying.
It must be a bug.

So the pixel is still terrible in Maps like all the other Nexus I had before?
When is Google finally fix the compass? Its a shame that the old iPhone 5S (work phone) im using right now (because my 5X is in LG warranty) has a perfect maps walking navigation. Specially in narrow neighborhoods historic downtowns.
I thought they finally fixed this in the Pixel now I think I'll stick with the 5X or just get a GM 6 Android one (for the extra GB of RAM). And wait for the 2017 Pixel...Maybe they fix this.

vinicius.rodsilva said:
I'm also having exactly this problem with my Pixel. I have to calibrate the compass every time I open Google Maps. And it also puts the blue dot at a random point distant from my real location, with a giant blue circle around it, and then takes some seconds to calculate my real location. It's very annoying.
It must be a bug.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm thinking this is a country thing..
I've never had Google maps not know where I am pretty much as soon as I open it. I do keep GPS on all the time as it doesn't seem to effect battery much on my phone(s) the Nexus 5x and now the Pixel. It doesn't matter where I am in the country (US), in what state etc...
As for the compass, that really is something different. GPS tracks where you are and when you move apps like Google Maps will know you moved, how fast you went and what direction you went.
The compass is pretty much just a compass. I have to calibrate it sometimes but most of the time it is close enough in the general direction correct.
The GPS coordinates are always withing 4m or less in accuracy unless I am in a building or under a mountain.

Yeah but was expecting the Pixel to have a polished compass experience and seems to be the same experience as with the previous generations
I've never been able to use Maps in Cities' historic downtowns (where I need it most, for walking directions, since it's like a labyritnth with lots of hidden streets, restaurants, shops, etc).
https://www.google.com/maps/search/born+barcelona/@41.3842691,2.1802357,19.25z
But now, with the backup iPhone that I'm using temporarily, for the first time I was able to trust the compass with a 95%-100% accuracy for a 20 minutes walking trip, and constantly opening/closing maps.
With Google devices, every time I open maps, at different locations, the compass calibration randomly changes.

thesebastian said:
With Google devices, every time I open maps, at different locations, the compass calibration randomly changes.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What mode do you have locations services set to on your phone?
High Accuracy
Battery Saving
Device Only

I tried to use mine in the UK and Amsterdam and it pointed me in the opposite direction to where I was facing. Calibration doesn't do anything. Might exchange it.

Jonathan-H said:
I tried to use mine in the UK and Amsterdam and it pointed me in the opposite direction to where I was facing. Calibration doesn't do anything. Might exchange it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think it's a software problem within the Nexus and Pixels binaries. Sometimes you open maps in one location and then you re open maps and calibration is lost.
Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

I think it's a general android issue.
I have owned a galaxy s7,s6,s4 and note 2 before getting a pixel and always the walking navigation was terrible.
I thought pixel would be better but I am disappointed.
Compass is never reliable on Android phones.
Somehow iPhones do this miles better.

see full
youtu.be/CSYt8nI_UWw[/url]

mukhtar.patel1 said:
I think it's a general android issue.
I have owned a galaxy s7,s6,s4 and note 2 before getting a pixel and always the walking navigation was terrible.
I thought pixel would be better but I am disappointed.
Compass is never reliable on Android phones.
Somehow iPhones do this miles better.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The wierd thing is that the compass with Maps in iOS works flawlessly
Sent from my Nexus 6P

thesebastian said:
The wierd thing is that the compass with Maps in iOS works flawlessly
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Click to collapse
Somehow due to such issues people consider iPhones and iOS to be better than Android.

mukhtar.patel1 said:
Somehow due to such issues people consider iPhones and iOS to be better than Android.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah but I think I had a phone with good compass accuracy in the past...Maybe the S3 or the Galaxy Nexus...Or a Moto G...
Certainly not the Nexus 4…5...5X and now 6P.
Anyway... I've just sent feedback about this using the Settings menu.
The funny thing is that Maps slowly fix this when you are traveling on a train etc
But if you're walking and turning frequently there is no way it can anticipate that and there is where you noticed that it has no idea about the compass situation.
The only answer that Google always gives is "start swinging you phone like a fuc*ing Jedi"
It's ok to do that once every......6 months...But come on....You have to do this every time you change your location.
Sent from my Nexus 6P

Jonathan-H said:
I tried to use mine in the UK and Amsterdam and it pointed me in the opposite direction to where I was facing. Calibration doesn't do anything. Might exchange it.
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Same in Germany, Compass is just 180° off...

Juli112 said:
Same in Germany, Compass is just 180° off...
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Now Google Maps is patched to autocorrect your compass sight when you're moving... yesterday I was on a bus seated perpendicularly pointing to the exit door but Maps was pointing where the bus was pointing (I was in the main view of Maps...without using Directions or Navigation).
This is embarrassing I hope Google put a good compass in 2017 Pixels...any old iPhone compass is better than this
Sent from my Nexus 6P

thesebastian said:
Now Google Maps is patched to autocorrect your compass sight when you're moving... yesterday I was on a bus seated perpendicularly pointing to the exit door but Maps was pointing where the bus was pointing (I was in the main view of Maps...without using Directions or Navigation).
This is embarrassing I hope Google put a good compass in 2017 Pixels...any old iPhone compass is better than this
Sent from my Nexus 6P
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@thesebastian - I use GPS Status (free from Play Store) to fix my position, update satellite positions, and calibrate my compass. It's the best thing out there and absolutely should help with your issues. Give it a shot and see if that helps.

Jank4AU said:
@thesebastian - I use GPS Status (free from Play Store) to fix my position, update satellite positions, and calibrate my compass. It's the best thing out there and absolutely should help with your issues. Give it a shot and see if that helps.
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The problem is that, my compass is calibrated. But then walk 15 meters, I open google maps, and it's not calibrated anymore (i could fix this just shaking the phone most of the times, but it's fatiguing and humiliating), maybe I decide to close map, walk another 15 meters, and it's calibrated again.
I had this issue with many devices.
I can calibrate the compass and have perfect calibration in all my home, then I take the tube/subway, and calibration might be ok or wrong again when I open maps again.

What is your location mode set to? It should be set to high accuracy of it isn't. If it is then I'm not really sure what else you can do...