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iPhone 7/Plus Compass inaccurate with or without Location Services

RobertMallett

RobertMallett

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Mar 25, 2012
3
0
Hi,

I'm confused. New iPhone 7 Plus. If I use the compass it is inaccurate - no, it's completely wrong, North showing where it is really South West - like nowhere near right. I've rebooted or quit and then it is still wrong but different ie it now says North is where West is!! It's just wrong. No metal or magnets nearby -I'm in the garden - only trees.
No consistency. I read elsewhere to turn Location services off and back on and now this where I'm confused - In Settings Privacy there is Location Services and under that a list of Apps - I set Compass App to use Location Services Never but it still behaves the same - if I turn off location services (note I have left the compass app to use location services - never) the compass does not work at all, just dead.
So what's up with the compass first question? second question why when the compass is set tot never use location services does it not work at all where aforementioned services are off. To me this is typical Apple behaviour designed specifically to confuse and make you go mad :)

Can anyone explain or offer a solution to get my compass working properly?
 
Hello,
I've read and researched this topic and have found no satisfactory solution. The compass on my iPhone is way out. It's not consistant with it's inaccuracy but today it's about 45 degrees out. I have a 'proper' compass and East is showing about half way between real East and South on the phone.

Location services are on and it's showing my correct location. I've toggled this on and off but it makes no difference, also tried true north and a variety of other 'fixes' that don't fix the problem.

I want this to work as I have an App that uses the compass heading to show satellites. If the heading is wrong then the satellites shown on the app are wrong. I'd never trust the compass for navigation but this is a very handy tool but not if it doesn't work. It's not the app itself, everything that uses the compass is wrong because the compass is wrong.

This is an expensive device and I have all the latest patches so why does it not work? I've had various Apple products over the years and been consistently disappointed with all of them: no more than expensive toys in my opinion.

Can anyone suggest a fix before I bury this somewhere and buy a Samsung?
 
RobertMallett said:
Hi,

I'm confused. New iPhone 7 Plus. If I use the compass it is inaccurate - no, it's completely wrong, North showing where it is really South West - like nowhere near right. I've rebooted or quit and then it is still wrong but different ie it now says North is where West is!! It's just wrong. No metal or magnets nearby -I'm in the garden - only trees.
No consistency. I read elsewhere to turn Location services off and back on and now this where I'm confused - In Settings Privacy there is Location Services and under that a list of Apps - I set Compass App to use Location Services Never but it still behaves the same - if I turn off location services (note I have left the compass app to use location services - never) the compass does not work at all, just dead.
So what's up with the compass first question? second question why when the compass is set tot never use location services does it not work at all where aforementioned services are off. To me this is typical Apple behaviour designed specifically to confuse and make you go mad :)

Can anyone explain or offer a solution to get my compass working properly?
Click to expand...

If you phone is new and the compass is broken, take it back to Apple and they will replace it. If your 7+ is new it has a warranty!
 
I just had a 3 1/2 year old 65” Samsung TV crap out on me, but by all means give Samsung a try if that’s what you think will cure your issue. Technology is great, but electronics sometimes break prematurely or are defective right out of the factory. It happens. If you’re under warranty, definitely try getting a device swap.
 
Move on up to the satellite phone. It gets it compass reading from satellite you are in contact with.
 
RobertMallett said:
Can anyone suggest a fix before I bury this somewhere and buy a Samsung?
Click to expand...

Dunno, I don't use the compass.

But if I were you, I'd try a third party app then I'd know whether software or hardware, and if hardware, unless there is some kind of calibrating mechanism, go to Apple and they will exchange. To your next question, no this is not normal, or at least not acceptable for 99% of us who need to use this feature.

Don't get me start it on my 100K Tesla squeaky door.
 
Last edited:
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