MBCompass is a modern, free, and open-source compass and navigation app built from the ground up for Android, without ads, IAP, or tracking. Built with Jetpack Compose, it supports compass and navigation features while being lightweight, simple and battery-efficient.
Not just a compass. Not a full navigation app.
MBCompass sits in between, a focused navigation utility for hiking, trekking and everyday use, combining direction, live location, and track recording without unnecessary complexity.
- Displays clear cardinal directions with both magnetic north and true north
- Live GPS location tracking on OpenStreetMap
- Sensor fusion for improved accuracy (accelerometer, magnetometer, gyroscope)
- Shows magnetic field strength in µT
- Real-time track recording directly on the map (start, pause, resume)
- Track management screen to view and organize all saved tracks
- Track statistics:
- Distance, duration, average speed
- Elevation gain/loss
- Min/max altitude
- Smooth polyline rendering for recorded tracks
- Waypoint recording during tracking
- GPX export support using system file picker
- Share tracks via Android share sheet
- Star and sort tracks (favorites, organization)
- Light and dark theme (AMOLED Dark also supported) support via Settings
- Keeps screen on during navigation
- Custom bottom bar for ease navigation
- Landscape orientation support
- Built with Jetpack Compose and Material Design
- No ads, no in-app purchases, no tracking
- No Google Play Services dependency
- Uses Android’s native location APIs
- Runs on Android 6.0+
Planned improvements and features currently under active development
- Offline maps (evaluating lightweight approaches)
- Topographic (topo) map support
- Navigation UX improvements and refinements
MBCompass has gained recognition from the global developer community:
- #13 Product of the Day on Product Hunt
- Featured in two consecutive issues of Android Weekly
- Reached the front page of Hacker News
MBCompass only requests the minimum permissions required for navigation and tracking features:
-
Location
- Used to detect and display your current location on the map
- Required for real-time track recording and navigation features
-
Notification (Android 13+)
- Used to show foreground service notifications during active tracking
- Enables track progress visibility and quick controls (start/pause/stop)
-
Activity Recognition (Android 10+)
- Used to improve tracking accuracy by detecting user movement state (e.g., walking)
MBCompass does not collect, store, or share any personal data. All location and tracking data stays on your device unless you explicitly export it (e.g., GPX files).
MBCompass is open for community translations on Weblate!
You can help make the app accessible to more users by translating it into your language.
Contributions are welcome! If you encounter bugs or have feature suggestions, please open an issue or submit a pull request. See Contributing Guidelines for details.
Open-source projects couldn't survive in the long run without donations or funding.
MBCompass is a fully open-source project - free of ads, trackers, or in-app purchases. If you find it useful, consider supporting its continued development and maintenance:
Find more info on MBCompass page
Your support helps ensure the project stays sustainable and continues to improve for everyone. Thank you!
MBCompass is Free Software: you can use, study, share, and improve it at your will. You may use, modify, and redistribute this project only if your modifications remain open-source under the same license.
Proprietary use, commercial redistribution, or publishing modified versions with ads or tracking is strictly prohibited under GPLv3 or later.
See more information here.
Compass rose : MBCompass rose © 2025 by Mubarak Basha is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
