Your location, your phone's compass, and the Ka'bah.
The app calculates the direction of the Ka'bah in Makkah from your exact coordinates, as a bearing in degrees from true north. It then reads your phone's built-in compass, so the dial and needle rotate with you and keep pointing the right way whichever way you hold the phone.
The bearing stays on screen too, clearly labelled. If you'd like to check it against a hand compass or a direction you already know, the number is right there.
Turns as you turn
The dial follows your phone in real time, so you can simply rotate until the needle lines up.
No internet needed
The direction is worked out on the phone, so it's there on a plane, in the mountains or abroad without roaming.
Calibration help
When the compass reading isn't reliable, the app says so and shows you how to fix it with a quick figure-of-eight.
Works without a compass
On phones with no compass sensor, you still get the exact bearing from north to line up yourself.
Which way is the Qibla from your city?
Here is the Qibla bearing from the centre of some major cities, measured clockwise from true north, along with the distance to the Ka'bah. Across Pakistan and India the Qibla is roughly west, a little south in the north of the country and a little north around Mumbai and Dhaka.
A city is a big place, so the app always calculates from your own position rather than the city centre.
| City | Bearing | Direction | To Makkah |
|---|---|---|---|
| Karachi | 267.7° | West, 2° towards south | 2,800 km |
| Lahore | 260.4° | West, 10° towards south | 3,600 km |
| Islamabad | 255.9° | West, 14° towards south | 3,530 km |
| Peshawar | 254.0° | West, 16° towards south | 3,400 km |
| Delhi | 266.6° | West, 3° towards south | 3,830 km |
| Mumbai | 280.1° | West, 10° towards north | 3,450 km |
| Dhaka | 277.6° | West, 8° towards north | 5,170 km |
| Dubai | 258.2° | West, 12° towards south | 1,630 km |
| London | 119.0° | South-east | 4,790 km |
| Manchester | 118.5° | South-east | 5,020 km |
| New York | 58.5° | North-east | 10,310 km |
| Toronto | 54.6° | North-east | 10,500 km |
Bearings calculated with the same Adhan library the app uses. Distances are great-circle distances, rounded to the nearest 10 km.
A few tips for an accurate reading.
Hold the phone flat, screen facing up, the way you'd hold a plate. Keep it away from laptops, speakers, car dashboards and magnetic cases or mounts, which pull the compass off course.
If the needle drifts or the app shows the calibration hint, move the phone in a slow figure-of-eight two or three times. Indoors, steel beams and wiring can also nudge the reading, so if something feels off, try stepping towards a window or doorway.
About finding the Qibla
How does the Qibla compass work?
The app works out the direction of the Ka'bah from your coordinates, then reads your phone's compass so the needle keeps pointing the right way as you turn. The bearing in degrees from north is shown as well, so you can check it against a physical compass if you like.
Does the Qibla finder need internet?
No. The direction is calculated on the phone and the compass is a sensor inside it, so the Qibla works on a flight, in a hotel abroad or anywhere without data.
Why does the needle sometimes jump around?
Phone compasses are affected by magnets, metal and electronics: a laptop, a car dashboard or a magnetic phone case. When the reading is unreliable the app tells you, and moving the phone in a figure-of-eight a few times usually recalibrates it.
What if my phone does not have a compass?
Some budget phones have no magnetometer. In that case the app still shows the exact bearing in degrees from north, which you can line up using the sun, a landmark or a separate compass.
Why is the Qibla north-east in America and not south-east?
The Qibla is the shortest path to Makkah across the curved surface of the Earth, called a great circle. On a flat map that path looks like it curves north, so from New York or Toronto it starts out heading north-east.
Be among the first to try it.
Islam Companion is being prepared for Android and iPhone. Join early access to be one of the first people to use it.
Join Early Access