How to Calibrate Google Maps for Better Directions (2024)

> Connected Car Tech

How to get more accurate directions on iPhone or Android

Sam Costello

Writer

Ithaca College

Sam Costello has been writing about tech since 2000. His writing has appeared in publications such as CNN.com, PC World, InfoWord, and many others.

lifewire's editorial guidelines

Updated on April 6, 2022

Reviewed by

Jon Fisher

Reviewed byJon Fisher

What to Know

iPhone: Go to Settings > Privacy > Location Services > System Services > move Compass Calibration to on/green.
Android: Go to Settings > Location > Improve Accuracy > move Wi-Fi scanning and Bluetooth scanning to On (on some phones: Settings > Location > Location services > Google Location Accuracy > Improve Location Accuracy.)
Google Maps uses your smartphone's compass, Wi-Fi, and Location Services to determine your location.

This article explains how to calibrate your iPhone or Android to get the best location data and directions from Google Maps. These tips will improve the accuracy of Google Maps determining your location and getting you where you need to go.

Is There a Way to Calibrate Google Maps?

Google Maps uses your smartphone's built-in GPS (among other features) to figure out where you are and how to get you where you want to go. You may need to calibrate that compass to help Google Maps get the best location data from time to time. Luckily, do that is easy.

How to Calibrate Google Maps on iPhone

To calibrate the compass that Google Maps uses on an iPhone, follow these steps:

Tap Settings.
Tap Privacy.
Tap Location Services.
Tap System Services.
Move the Compass Calibration slider to on/green.

Believe it or not, another way to calibrate your iPhone compass is to move your iPhone around in a figure-eight motion. When your iPhone detects this kind of motion, it resets and recalibrates the compass for better accuracy.

How to Calibrate Google Maps on Android

You can also calibrate the compass on Android to improve Google Maps. Here's how:

Open the Settings app and tap Location.
Make sure Location is toggled to On. If it's not, move the slider to On.
Tap Improve Accuracy.
See Also
Add or change your home address in Maps on your iPhone or iPad - Apple Support
On Pixel phones, you may need to go Settings > Location Services > Google Location Accuracy > Improve Location Accuracy.
Move the sliders for Wi-Fi scanning and Bluetooth scanning to blue/on.

Why Is Google Maps Location Not Accurate?

Generally speaking, the location determined by Google Maps is pretty good. Sure, it might not figure out exactly where you're standing, but it's usually accurate to within a few yards/meters. However, from time to time, your location features will become much less precise than that, which can be frustrating and confusing.

This decline in accuracy happens most often when the compass feature of your smartphone gets misaligned. It's just the nature of the feature, and you can fix it in the ways described earlier.

Other things that can cause Google Maps to have an inaccurate location for you include Location Services or Wi-Fi being off or hardware or software problems.

How Can You Improve Location Accuracy?

Calibrating your smartphone compass isn't the only way to improve location accuracy. There are several other methods, including:

Turn On Wi-Fi (iPhone and Android): Smartphones use Wi-Fi to triangulate your location by checking with databases of known Wi-Fi networks. It's a significant factor in determining your location (along with GPS), so your location will be incorrect if Wi-Fi is off.
Allow Exact Location (iPhone): To turn on Precise Location for Google Maps go to Settings > Privacy > Location Services > Google Maps > Precise Location.
Turn Off and Turn On Location Services (iPhone and Android): One good way to recalibrate your phone's location features is to reset your Location Services by turning them off and back on. Doing this should clear out any old, bad data and replace it with an accurate reading. Learn how to turn off Location Services and how to turn on Location Services.
Restart Phone (iPhone and Android): Restarting your smartphone is a cure-all for many, many problems, including inaccurate location data. A reset clears out all of your old, temporary info and provides new data. Learn how to restart iPhone and restart Android.

Update OS (iPhone and Android): Since new versions of your phone's operating system bring new features and bug fixes, installing the latest OS can also improve your location data accuracy (assuming that the new OS includes those features). Find out how to update your iPhone and update Android.

FAQ

How do I tell which way is north on Google Maps?

Tap the Compass icon. Google Maps will show your location and reorient the map. The compass will disappear after a few seconds of inactivity.
How do I show the compass on Google Maps?

If the compass isn't visible on Google Maps, move the map view around to make the compass appear. If you still don't see it, you may need to update the app.
Why isn't Google Maps showing alternate routes?

If Google Maps isn't showing alternate routes, it could be because your GPS is miscalibrated, your internet connection is weak, or location services are disabled. Other potential culprits include outdated app or cache files and closed roads or traffic delays.
How do I show coordinates on Google Maps?

To show latitude and longitude in Google Maps, right-click or long-press a location on the map. The GPS coordinates will be displayed in a pop-up window.
How do I use Google Maps offline?

You can save Google Maps for offline use in case you're going somewhere with limited service. Maps you download to your device can be viewed in the Google Maps app wherever you travel.

Was this page helpful?

Thanks for letting us know!

Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day

Tell us why!

FAQs

How to Calibrate Google Maps for Better Directions? ›

Open Google Maps. Tap the blue dot that represents your location. Tap Calibrate.

Read On ›

How to calibrate Google Maps direction? ›

Open Google Maps. Tap the blue dot that represents your location. Tap Calibrate.

Discover More Details ›

Why is Google Maps showing wrong directions? ›

Calibrate Compass

Open the Google Maps app and tap on the compass icon. Make sure it is set to "automatic" calibration. Hold your phone in your hand and rotate it in a circle until the compass shows the correct direction. Tap Done to save your calibration.

How to calibrate Google Maps on iPhone? ›

Calibrating Live View

On your iPhone or iPad, while you're outside, open the Google Maps app .
Tap the blue dot Calibrate with Live View .
Follow the on-screen instructions.

See Details ›

How to fix Google Maps orientation? ›

To fix this, enable the auto-rotate feature on your phone. On Android, swipe down from the top of the screen to access the Quick Settings panel and tap the Auto rotate option.

Find Out More ›

How do I make my Google Maps more accurate? ›

To help Google Maps find your location with the most accurate blue dot, use high accuracy mode.

On your Android phone or tablet, open the Settings app .
Tap Location.
At the top, switch location on.
Tap Mode. High accuracy.

Tell Me More ›

How do I adjust my Google Maps route? ›

Customize your route

On your Android phone or tablet, open the Google Maps app .
Search for your destination or tap it on the map.
In the bottom left, tap Directions .
At the top, tap Driving .
In the top right, tap More. Route options.
Turn on Avoid tolls or Avoid highways.

Show Me More ›

Why is Google Maps not giving me directions? ›

Sometimes voice directions aren't downloaded or must be updated on your phone or tablet. When this happens, you'll hear a chime instead of voice directions. Make sure you're connected to the internet. If you have a strong internet connection, voice directions will download faster.

Explore More ›

How do I fix my Google map GPS? ›

How to Fix Google Maps Not Working? [2024 Newest]

Method 1: Check the Internet Connection.
Method 2: Update Google Maps.
Method 3: Restart the App.
Method 4: Clear the App's Cache & Data.
Method 5: Calibrate Google Maps.
Method 6: Enable Location Accuracy.
Method 7: Enable Background App Refresh.
Method 8: Restart Your Phone.

More items...

How do you calibrate the directions on an iPhone? ›

Open Settings. Turn on the Location Services toggle switch, then scroll down and tap System Services. Turn on the Compass Calibration and Motion Calibration & Distance toggle switches. The iPhone uses your location data to ensure the gyroscope, GPS, compass, and accelerometer work properly.

Show Me More ›

How do I improve GPS accuracy on my iPhone? ›

Improve GPS accuracy

Locating all visible satellites can take several minutes, with accuracy gradually increasing over time. To improve GPS accuracy: Make sure that you've set the date, time, and time zone correctly on the device in Settings > General > Date & Time. If possible, use Set Automatically.

Read The Full Story ›

How do I fix Google Maps on my iPhone? ›

Turn on Location Services and Location Access for Maps. In the Settings app, tap Privacy & Security, then tap Location Services. Make sure Location Services is on, and Maps is set to While Using the App or Widgets. Set the date, time, and time zone correctly on your device.

See Details ›

Why is my Google map not accurate? ›

This will allow Google Maps to accurately pinpoint your location . 2 . Clear your cache and data : Sometimes , outdated or corrupted data can cause Google Maps to show incorrect locations . To fix this , go to your device 's settings , find the Google Maps app , and clear its cache and data .

Get More Info Here ›

How do I reset my Google Maps direction? ›

You can calibrate your compass in Google Maps by following these steps:

Open Google Maps.
Tap the blue dot that shows your location.
Tap the compass icon in the bottom-left corner of the screen.
Follow the instructions on the screen to calibrate your compass.

Nov 16, 2023

How do I get Google Maps to point in the right direction? ›

Place two fingers down on the screen anywhere and then turn them. Your map will rotate according to the direction of your multi-touch inputs. You can also tap the Re-Center button to make the map point toward your direction.

Is there a way to edit Google Maps directions? ›

After you enter a location and Google provides a route for you, click anywhere on the blue path to set a point. Drag that point to a new location to change the route. When you do this, other suggested alternate routes disappear from the map, and the driving directions change.

View Details ›

How do I reset the tilt and compass in Google Earth? ›

Press "r" key to reset the tilt, center earth as well as set north-up view. Do you want a behavior different than what you get by pressing "n" or "r" keys to reset the view ?