If you have 'lost the north', in the strictest sense of the phrase, don't worry because your Android mobile works like digital compass. It has a series of sensors that determine its position and orientation. And the contrast of information, between these sensors, allow the device to act under -almost- any circumstance as a compass. We just have to get hold of the appropriate application and, of course, make the calibration correctly.
How to calibrate the digital compass of your mobile with Google Maps
Open the application Google Maps on your mobile and click on the positioning icon. The one that helps the application focus on your position. And in doing so, seek the blue Point in which you are located and click on it to display a blue screen with different options. Among those that are available, select the one located in the lower left corner as Calibrate compass. And now, follow the instructions that appear on the screen.
You have to draw a eight in the air with the device in hand, exactly as described in the animation. And when doing it correctly, three times, a pop-up message will appear with the text 'Calibrated compass'. Then you will have effectively achieved the highest possible accuracy from the device's sensors. At least as far as the gyroscope is concerned. But location services also depend on the GPS and the wireless connectivity of your smartphone.
Calibrate the compass ... with the phone dialer
This method involves using one of Android's secret codes to access the information from the sensors. Nevertheless, it may not work depending on the manufacturer of your mobile. Beyond that, it is a method worth trying. To apply it, do the following:
- Open the application Phone Number from your Android.
- Enter the following code * # 0 * #. A secret service will be opened automatically.
- You will see a list of options where you must click on Sensor to see all the sensors of your mobile working in real time.
- The compass is the black circle displayed on screen.
If the compass is calibrated correctly, the line through the circle should be blue with a number 3 next to it. But yes the line is green and has a number 2 next to it, it is wrongly calibrated and you have to do the 8-shaped movement, described in the previous method, until the line changes color.
How to use your Android smartphone as a digital compass with specialized applications
Digital compass
If you want your mobile to work as a compass, and voila, then this app is exactly what you need. Digital compass turn your screen into that, a high precision compass and nothing else. What it will tell you is the accuracy of the information and, of course, it will give you the possibility of expanding the information with the precise coordinates of your location.
compass galaxy
Compass Galaxy has an even more precise compass and, in addition, at the bottom it indicates the signal strength that we are receiving. And if necessary, as with Google Maps, it will tell us how we have to proceed to calibrate the compass of the device correctly. Another free application that does what it promises and with no major pretensions to help us stop being lost.
Compass
This third application, also free, does show us some more information on the screen. In addition to the typical digital compass, it gives us information on the accuracy of the location and details the situation on the plane. On the other hand, it also gives us more details about the operation of the sensors involved in the operation of the digital compass of our Android device.
