Compass in Xiaomi: where is located, how to turn on and configure on all models

Have you ever been lost in an unfamiliar city or forest trying to navigate the sun, but your Xiaomi stubbornly kept silent instead of showing the cardinal directions? Or maybe you just want to check if the compass in your smartphone works before going? In this article, we will understand exactly where the compass is hidden in Xiaomi phones, how to activate it, and why it sometimes refuses to work.

Contrast reality: most users do not even know that their Redmi Note 12 or POCO X5 equipped with a full-fledged electronic compass, which can be useful not only for tourists, but also for drivers, photographers (to determine the direction of shooting), or even players in the field of photography. AR-game-play Pokémon GO. Meanwhile, the magnetic field sensor (magnetometer) is built into 90% of modern Xiaomi smartphones – you just need to know where to look for it.

We warn you that not all models support this feature equally well, for example, budget devices like the Redmi A2 can have a simplified sensor, and the flagships of the Xiaomi 14 series – an advanced sensor with automatic calibration.

1.Does your Xiaomi have a compass: How to check

Before you look for a compass on the menu, make sure your smartphone is equipped with one at all. Here are 3 ways to check:

• 🔍 Specifications: Look at the official Xiaomi website or the model documentation, look for references to a magnetometer, a Hall sensor or an electronic compass, like the Xiaomi 13 Pro, and some versions of the Redmi. 9A — no.
• 📱 Sensors. Install Sensor Box or AndroSensor from Google Play. Run it and check the list of sensors available -- if you have Magnetic Field, you have a compass.
• 🧭 The standard Compass application. Try to find it in the application menu (sometimes hidden in the Tools folder). If the application is there but it doesn't work, the calibration problem (more on that below).

Importantly, even if there is a sensor, it can be turned off at the software level in some regional firmware, for example, in Chinese versions of MIUI, the compass is sometimes blocked due to local regulatory requirements.

2.Where is the compass in the Xiaomi menu: step-by-step search

If there's a sensor, it's left to find it, and depending on the version of MIUI, the path may be different:

1. Open Settings → Applications → All applications.
2. Look for the Compass (sometimes called Compass) on the list, and if you don't find it, move on to the next one.
3. Check the Tools folder on the home screen or in the app menu, and there may be hidden system utilities.
4. Use a search by system: swipe down the main screen and type a “compass” in the search bar.

On some models (e.g. POCO F5), the compass is integrated into the Google Maps app.

1. Open Google Maps.
2. Click on the blue dot (your location).
3. In the window that appears, select Calibration of the compass.

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If the compass doesn’t appear in the menu, try resetting the app settings: Settings → Annexes → Application management → ⋮ → Reset application settings. That'll bring back the hidden system utilities.

3. How to turn on and calibrate a compass on Xiaomi

Finding a compass is half the battle, and it often doesn't work properly because it doesn't follow the rules of calibration.

1. Open the Compass app (or Google Maps as described above).
2. If the compass arrow twitches randomly or shows the wrong direction, a Calibration notification is required on the screen.
3. Follow the instructions on the screen: usually turn the phone on all axes (as if drawing in the air an infinity sign).
4. Avoid metal objects and electronics nearby – they distort the readings of the magnetometer.

Critical error: If the compass still rotates arbitrarily after calibration, check if there is a magnet case on the phone (for example, to attach to the holder in the car), even a small magnet 5 mm from the sensor completely disrupts its operation.

Remove the phone from metal objects (keys, coins, laptop)

Remove the magnet case (if any)

Find an open space (not in a room with reinforced concrete walls)

Close all background applications that use sensors-->

4. Compass applications: what to use instead of the standard

The standard compass in MIUI is often minimalistic and uncomfortable. Fortunately, there are dozens of alternatives with advanced features on Google Play:

• 🧲 Compass Galaxy — shows not only the cardinal directions, but also coordinates, altitude, atmospheric pressure. AR-mode (imposition of camera).
• 🗺️ Digital Compass – Minimalist design with the ability to save directions (useful for tourists).
• 📡 GPS Status & Toolbox – a combined application with compass, test GPS and sensor diagnostics.
• 🎮 Compass Steel 3D — for gamedev and AR-Developers show raw data from magnetometer.

For owners. POCO and Redmi with IR-the blaster will be useful application Mi Remote - it has a built-in compass to adjust the direction of the remote.

Warning: Some applications require access to geolocation and a gyroscope. If you refuse permission, the compass will not work accurately. For example, without GPS, the application will not be able to correct the magnetic declination.

5 Why Xiaomi’s compass lies: Common bugs

Even after calibration, the compass can show incorrect data.-5 causes and how to correct them:

1. Metallic interference. Even a paper clip in your pocket next to your phone distorts your readings. Solution: Keep your phone on your outstretched arm away from your body.
2. Electromagnetic fields: next to a microwave, refrigerator or powerful power supply, the compass will fail. Solution: stand back 2-3 meters.
3. Sensor malfunction. If the shooter still twitches after all the manipulations, it may be that the magnetometer is damaged (for example, after a fall). Solution: check the sensor through AndroSensor — if the Magnetic Field reading is zero, the sensor is dead.
4. Older versions of MIUI (below 12) had bugs that processed sensor data. Solution: upgrade the system.
5. Conflict with other applications: programs like Pokémon GO or Google Fit can block sensor access. Solution: Close all background applications.

6. compass in Xiaomi for specific tasks

The compass in a smartphone is not just about orientation, but here are some unexpected ways to use it:

• 📸 Photography. Apps like Google Camera or Open Camera can record the direction of the shooting in the camera. EXIF-Useful for geotagging or taking panoramas.
• 🚗 Driving. In Google Maps or Yandex.Navigator, a compass helps you determine the direction of movement in tunnels or in bad situations. GPS-signal.
• 🎮 AR-games. Pokémon GO Ingress compass is used to determine the direction of virtual objects.
• 🏠 Smart home: Some Xiaomi Smart Home devices (like a robot vacuum cleaner) are compass calibrated for precise navigation.

For photographers, if you're shooting a Xiaomi 13 Ultra with a professional mode, the compass will help you frame the sun. For example, to shoot a sunset, you need to know exactly where west is — the Sun Surveyor app uses a compass to calculate the trajectory of the sun.

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Starting with MIUI 14, Xiaomi added the Compass feature in the status bar (optional) which shows the direction of light directly in the top notification bar – convenient for quick orientation.

7. Xiaomi models without a compass: the full list

Not all Xiaomi smartphones are equipped with a magnetometer, but here are models that don’t have a compass (according to official specifications):

• 📱 Redmi A1, Redmi A1+, Redmi A2, Redmi A2+ — Budget models without magnetometer.
• 📱 POCO C50, POCO C51 — hardware-platform.
• 📱 Redmi 9A (Some regional versions – the sensor is missing in 60% of devices.
• 📱 Redmi 10A — depending on the market (in European versions, maybe not in Indian versions).

If your model is not on this list, but your compass doesn't work, check the firmware. For example, in the Redmi Note 11 for India, there is a compass, and in the Chinese version (Redmi Note 11 5G China) it is software disabled.

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Before buying Xiaomi for tourism or navigation, check the presence of the magnetometer in the specifications (< 15 000 ₽) Most often, they are deprived of this sensor.

FAQ: Frequent questions about compass in Xiaomi