How to Find North Using the Google Maps Compass: Mobile & Desktop

Are you trying to find out which way is north on Google Maps? If you're using Google Maps on a computer, the north side of the map will always be upwards, or at the top of the map. If you're using Google Maps on your phone to navigate to a location, or if you're just looking at a map location, you can always identify which direction is north using the compass. Keep reading to learn how to use the compass in Google Maps on your computer, phone, or tablet to find north, south, east, and west.

Using the Google Maps Compass to Find North

While using Google Maps for navigation, you'll see a compass with one red end on the side of the screen. The red end always points north.
You will also see a compass icon when zoomed in to a location in the Google Maps mobile app or using Street View on a computer.
When viewing Google Maps on a computer (and not in Street View), North is always at the top of the map.

Section 1 of 5:

Using Navigation View (Mobile)

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Get directions to a destination. If you want to use the compass in Google Maps to find north, south, east, or west, you can do so by navigating from one location to another. To get directions, open Google Maps on your Android or iPhone, search for a location using the search bar at the top, then tap Directions.^{[1]
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- Even if you're not really going to a destination, this trick will still open the compass in the Google Maps app, making it easy to tell which direction you're facing.
- If you haven't entered a starting point, tap the field at the top, then select one now.
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Tap Start to start navigation. The Google Maps app will display your current location, and you'll see a compass icon on the right side of the screen.^{[2]
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By default, the red side of the compass points north. If you tap the compass icon, the map itself will reposition itself so that north is at the top, south is at the bottom, east is on the left, and west is on the right.

Section 2 of 5:

Using Map View (Mobile)

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Tap the blue location finder on Google Maps. When the Google Maps app is open on your Android or iPhone, you can tap the blue arrow/pointer icon in the bottom-right area of the map to focus the map on your current location. You will see a blue dot at your current location.^{[3]
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Find the compass icon in the upper-right corner. The icon looks like the pointer of a compass, with one end red and the other white. The red end of the pointer points to the north, which means the opposite pointer is pointing south.
The compass icon will disappear; however, you will know that north is the direction at the top of the map.

Section 3 of 5:

Using Street View (Computer)

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Find a location on the map. When you use Google Maps Street View on your computer, you'll see a compass icon that makes it easy to tell which direction is north. You can search a location in the Search bar on the top-left, or click the "+" and "-" icon on the bottom-right to zoom in and zoom out.^{[4]
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- To go to your current location, click the icon that looks like a gray target at the bottom-right corner of the map. If you haven't given Maps permission to use your location, you may be prompted to do so now.
- You cannot see a compass when using Street View on a phone or tablet.
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Drag and drop the orange person icon to the map. Find the small orange person icon in the lower-right corner of the map, and then drop it on the location you want to explore on the map. This will switch to the Street View mode.^{[5]
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- Street View is not available for all locations. To figure out where you can use Street View, click and hold the orange person anywhere over the map—you can drop the person on any of the highlighted blue roads. If dropping the orange person icon doesn't bring you to a street-level view of the area, you'll know you can't see street view at that location.
You can orient your view however you'd like.^{[6]
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Find the compass icon in the lower-right corner of Street View, then check which direction the red point is facing.^{[7]
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Research source} No matter which direction you are "looking" in Street View, the red point moves so that it always points north.^{[8]
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Section 4 of 5:

Using Map View (Computer)

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Find a location on the map. While there is no compass feature in Google Maps on a computer, you can tell which direction is north, south, east, or west based on the orientation of the map. To get started, search for a location or drag the map around to the desired spot.^{[9]
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- To find your current location, click the target icon in the bottom-right corner of the map, just above the zoom controls.
The orientation of Google Maps is always the same when you're browsing on a computer–north is at the top of the map, and south is at the bottom. The left will always be west, and the right is always east. Anything directly above the location you're browsing is always to the location's north.

Section 5 of 5:

FAQ

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How can I see a compass in Google Maps? There are a few different ways to bring up the compass:
- While navigating on a phone or tablet: Get directions to any location, tap Start to start navigating, and find the compass icon on the right.
- In Map View on a phone or tablet: Tap the blue arrow/pointer icon to go to your current location. On the compass that appears, the red end points north.
- In Street View on a computer: Drag the map to face any direction, and a compass will appear on the right.
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How do I know which direction is north on Google Maps? If you see a compass icon on the map in the mobile app, tap the compass icon to reorient the map. Once reoriented, north will be at the top, south will be at the bottom, west will be on the left, and east will be on the right.
- If there is no compass icon and you're using the mobile app, place two fingers on the map, and rotate them together in any direction. Once you rotate a little bit, the compass will appear. Tap the compass to reorient the map so that north is at the top.
- If you're using a computer, north is always at the top of the map.
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Is there a compass on Google Earth? Yes, if you're using Google Earth, there's a compass at the top-right corner of the map. If you don't see the compass, click the View menu and select Show Navigation to unhide it.^{[10]
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I read the answer about getting true North on my Google Maps on my PC. But I want to know an exact bearing with a compass reading, not an approximation. Can Google Maps do that?

Rudy Toth

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Google Photos uses longitude and latitude measure of the location your camera is in while taking pictures.

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Is Google North true North or magnetic North?

پارسا سلیمانی

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It is true North. And you can also see the magnetic North on your screen.

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Which is North, red needle or white needle?

Jacob Carney

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The most important part on the compass is the magnetic needle. It swings around the compass as you move, but the white (or sometimes black) end will always point in the direction of North and the red end will always point in the direction of South.

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Most compasses do not actually point to the north pole. Instead, they point to the magnetic north, which is always changing.^{[11]
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Research source} To learn more, check out our guide to finding true north.

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