iPhone XS Max iPhone XS Max Compass Issue

[Scratch4]

Anyone having any issues with the compass on their iPhone XS Max? Just got my Max with Verizon a couple days ago, and tried using Google Maps on CarPlay. After driving for a few minutes, the arrow on the navigation starts going crazy. It rotates all over and can't point in the direction that I'm driving. So I try Apple Maps and the Compass app, and they have the same issue (Apple Maps navigation seems to be OK, but using it without navigation is incorrect).. the Max can't seem to point in the correct direction.

Then I tried trouble shooting.. mainly turning Compass Calibration (in location settings) on then off, I do that figure eight thing, and reboot. The issue still persists.

Help! I'm hoping it's not a phone issue, but maybe an iOS12 issue and thus fixed in the future. Otherwise fantastic phone.

 

[Nhwhazup]

Anyone having any issues with the compass on their iPhone XS Max? Just got my Max with Verizon a couple days ago, and tried using Google Maps on CarPlay. After driving for a few minutes, the arrow on the navigation starts going crazy. It rotates all over and can't point in the direction that I'm driving. So I try Apple Maps and the Compass app, and they have the same issue (Apple Maps navigation seems to be OK, but using it without navigation is incorrect).. the Max can't seem to point in the correct direction.

Then I tried trouble shooting.. mainly turning Compass Calibration (in location settings) on then off, I do that figure eight thing, and reboot. The issue still persists.

Help! I'm hoping it's not a phone issue, but maybe an iOS12 issue and thus fixed in the future. Otherwise fantastic phone.

I can offer no help. This is the first time that I’ve seen this issue reported. I returned mine due to super poor cellular connectivity. In addition to that problem, others have reported charging problems (update coming reported to fix this) and video play stuttering.

Not the best release, Apple.

 

[eighthsage]

I literally share your pain. My iPhone XS Max Compass is consistently out by almost 180 degrees.

Will take to a Genius Bar when I get the chance.

 

[digitalexplr]

I literally share your pain. My iPhone XS Max Compass is consistently out by almost 180 degrees.

Will take to a Genius Bar when I get the chance.

Have you tried calibrating it?

 

[eighthsage]

If by calibration you mean switching on and off location services and/or the compass calibration service within location services then yes.

I cannot find a “compass recalibration” option, I think it was removed but happy to be told I am wrong.

 

[Scratch4]

I literally share your pain. My iPhone XS Max Compass is consistently out by almost 180 degrees.

Will take to a Genius Bar when I get the chance.

Is it off in CarPlay? For me it's off only while connected to the car (audi a3), and I realized that the phone may be using the car's compass which mine seems to be not calibrated/broken/just doesn't work.

If the compass is off normally (ie. without Carplay), then one thing you might also want to try is resetting location services and network settings.

 

[eighthsage]

To feedback on this, I took my phone to the Genius Bar. They did a hardware check which did not find any issues. However, no matter what they did, they were unable to get the compass and consequently maps to point in the right direction.

It was resolved by swapping for a new phone.

 

[indychris]

This is curious as I posted probably 3 weeks ago that right after iOS 12 was released I was driving to Arizona from Indy and all of my directions in Maps was 180 degrees out of phase. When I was driving West it showed east.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/is-my-maps-directionally-challenged-lol.2143100/

So maybe it wasn’t maps after all, per se, but maybe a software issue with the compass?

 

[OKSteve]

Anyone having any issues with the compass on their iPhone XS Max? Just got my Max with Verizon a couple days ago, and tried using Google Maps on CarPlay. After driving for a few minutes, the arrow on the navigation starts going crazy. It rotates all over and can't point in the direction that I'm driving. So I try Apple Maps and the Compass app, and they have the same issue (Apple Maps navigation seems to be OK, but using it without navigation is incorrect).. the Max can't seem to point in the correct direction.

Then I tried trouble shooting.. mainly turning Compass Calibration (in location settings) on then off, I do that figure eight thing, and reboot. The issue still persists.

Help! I'm hoping it's not a phone issue, but maybe an iOS12 issue and thus fixed in the future. Otherwise fantastic phone.

 

[darksithpro]

hope this helps:

 

[OKSteve]

Anyone having any issues with the compass on their iPhone XS Max? Just got my Max with Verizon a couple days ago, and tried using Google Maps on CarPlay. After driving for a few minutes, the arrow on the navigation starts going crazy. It rotates all over and can't point in the direction that I'm driving. So I try Apple Maps and the Compass app, and they have the same issue (Apple Maps navigation seems to be OK, but using it without navigation is incorrect).. the Max can't seem to point in the correct direction.

Then I tried trouble shooting.. mainly turning Compass Calibration (in location settings) on then off, I do that figure eight thing, and reboot. The issue still persists.

Help! I'm hoping it's not a phone issue, but maybe an iOS12 issue and thus fixed in the future. Otherwise fantastic phone.

Yes. Just spent 45 minutes getting my new xs max set up with my carrier because their online instructions don't work. Go figure. Then when I started using it and tried the compass, north was west, west was south, etc etc etc.

Here's how I fixed it. It seems the calibration on this phone is to turn the compass on and then off.

>Settings
>Privacy tab
>Location Services;
>Compass
>Tap to open Compass
>Turn off allow location services
>Turn on location services

Worked like a charm and now north is north and west is west and so on and so on.

 

[Fantasigraphic]

Makes no sense cause all location service does is show city name and longitude/latitude coordinates and elevation as you can see in the pics.

 

[ATC]

hope this helps:

That video is no good. If you close the compass app in iOS 12 and reopen it doesn’t give you the calibration option. This video is probably for iOS 11 and earlier.
[doublepost=1544321951][/doublepost]On a separate note, on my XS if I toggle Use True North on or off it makes no difference in the compass app. We have about a 20 degree variation where I am so that’s very odd.

 

[OKSteve]

Makes no sense cause all location service does is show city name and longitude/latitude coordinates and elevation as you can see in the pics.

Don't open the compass. It may not make sense but it works and you will find it under tips on other sites if you google it.

Open SETTINGS PRIVACY select COMPASS under PRIVACY and turn off the two options for location services. Then turn them back on and the compass will calibrate itself. It worked on my XS Max running IOS 12.1.

Also, to fix SIRI issues where SIRI is not always available or says NOT CONNECTED TO A SERVER, turn on the SIRI options, including "Hey SIRI" then turn the phone off and back on. This also fixed that problem.

 

[maccompaq]

The Compass app that came with my iPad worked great until I upgraded to IOS 12. When tapping on the icon, a dialog box pops up saying "Compass needs to updated. The developer of this app needs to update it."

 

[Fantasigraphic]

Don't open the compass. It may not make sense but it works and you will find it under tips on other sites if you google it.

Open SETTINGS PRIVACY select COMPASS under PRIVACY and turn off the two options for location services. Then turn them back on and the compass will calibrate itself. It worked on my XS Max running IOS 12.1.

Also, to fix SIRI issues where SIRI is not always available or says NOT CONNECTED TO A SERVER, turn on the SIRI options, including "Hey SIRI" then turn the phone off and back on. This also fixed that problem.

I know that!. And mine works just fine...

I’m just saying turning location services on shows city/coordinates. Just showing what it looks like with the location services ON and OFF lol

 

[MyMacFan]

I may have it fixed. My iPhone xS Max, running iOS15.4, does not allow me to calibrate the device “compass” - apparently tis is done automatically. My device compass however consistently had close to a 180deg fault.
My fix after having tried everything , also discussed in this thread, was:

Out of desperation I opened my compass & went through the typical calibration motions:

1) choose an open location away from metal/structural magnetic influences. 2) slowly turned a clockwise horizontal 369deg, then 3) slowly “rolling” the phone in the horizontal orientation around its long axis, 4) then slowly “tumbling” the phone towards me, i.e. screen up, flipping it around the short axis top towards me through 360degrees, ending with screen up again.
The compass duly swung through 180deg to point North, as it is supposed to.

This worked with all locations and accuracy settings switched either on or off.