Qibla compass
Find the exact qibla direction and distance to the Kaaba from anywhere in the world with a live compass and interactive map on your phone.
Compass
The arrow shows the qibla angle from north. On a phone, the compass turns with you.
223.6°
from true north (south-west)
You are in Makkah: face the Kaaba directly.
Direction on the map
Loading map
How to use the compass
- Allow the page to use your precise location for the exact angle, or search for your city.
- On a phone, allow the motion and orientation sensor when asked, and the compass turns as you turn.
- Hold the phone flat and turn until the Kaaba mark on the arrow reaches the mark at the top of the compass.
- If the reading drifts, move the phone in a figure-8 pattern to calibrate the compass.
What is the qibla?
The qibla is the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca, which Muslims face in prayer. This tool takes your location and calculates the great-circle bearing, the shortest path over the Earth's curved surface, to the Kaaba at 21.4225°N, 39.8262°E, then shows it in degrees from true north on a live compass and map.
How to find the qibla without a compass
If your phone has no compass or the reading seems unreliable, these methods need nothing more than the sun, a map, or the people around you.
- Note your qibla angleLook up the qibla bearing for your city once (on this page or another reliable source) and write it down. It is measured clockwise from true north, so each method below only needs a reliable north or south line to start from.
- Use the sun over the KaabaTwice a year the sun passes almost directly over the Kaaba: around 27–28 May at about 12:18 and around 15–16 July at about 12:27, Mecca time (UTC+3). At that moment, anywhere the sun is above the horizon, facing the sun means facing the qibla, and the shadow of a vertical stick points directly away from it.
- Use the midday sun on other daysAt local solar noon, halfway between sunrise and sunset, the sun is due south in most of the Northern Hemisphere and due north in most of the Southern Hemisphere (outside the tropics). The shadow of a vertical stick then marks the north–south line, from which you can measure your qibla angle. Sunrise and sunset give only a rough east and west, because their position shifts with the seasons.
- Use a map appOpen a satellite or street map, find where you are and a landmark (a street, building or field edge) that runs in the qibla direction, then line yourself up with it. Many map and prayer apps can also draw the qibla line on the map.
- Ask at a local mosqueThe prayer niche (mihrab) and the prayer rows of a mosque are set toward the qibla. Note which way they face relative to nearby streets or buildings, or ask the imam or the mosque caretakers.
Tips for an accurate phone compass
- Calibrate the compass by moving the phone slowly in a figure-8 pattern a few times.
- Stay away from metal and magnets: cars, steel tables, fridges, speakers, laptops and reinforced concrete can all bend the reading.
- Remove magnetic cases, wallets and car mounts, which can pull the reading off by many degrees.
- Hold the phone flat and level, and wait a few seconds for the reading to settle.
- If the reading keeps jumping, calibrate again or use one of the methods above.
Frequently asked questions
Why does the qibla point north-east from North America?
Because the Earth is a sphere. The shortest route from North America to Mecca is a great-circle arc that passes over the North Atlantic and Europe, so it starts out toward the north-east. Flat world maps distort this and make Mecca look as if it lies to the east or south-east.
Does the qibla direction change?
The Kaaba does not move, so the qibla from a fixed place stays the same. What changes is your own direction to it whenever you travel, and the gap between magnetic north and true north (magnetic declination), which differs from place to place and drifts slowly over the years. This tool gives the angle from true north.
Is a small error in the direction acceptable?
For someone far from Mecca who cannot see the Kaaba, many scholars hold that facing its general direction is what is required, so a slight deviation after a sincere effort is commonly regarded as excused. Some scholars place more weight on aiming as precisely as possible. For a specific situation, ask a scholar you trust.
How far am I from Mecca?
Once you share your location, the tool shows the great-circle distance from you to the Kaaba in kilometres. This is the direct distance over the Earth's surface, so the actual journey by road or air is usually longer.
How do I find the qibla on a plane?
A phone compass is unreliable inside an aircraft because of the metal around you, so use the in-flight map or the qibla indicator some airlines provide, and compare the plane's heading with your qibla angle, keeping in mind that the angle changes as the flight progresses. Scholars differ on praying in a moving vehicle, especially for obligatory prayers, so follow the guidance of scholars you trust.
Why does my phone compass give a different reading from this page?
Usually because of magnetic interference from nearby metal or a magnetic case, an uncalibrated sensor, or the difference between magnetic north and true north. Calibrate the compass, move away from metal, and if your phone offers a 'true north' setting, turn it on.