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.
- Accurate compass with both magnetic north and true north
- Sensor fusion for improved accuracy (accelerometer, magnetometer, gyroscope)
- Displays real-time magnetic field strength (µT)
- Live GPS location tracking on OpenStreetMap
- Keeps screen on during navigation
- Real-time track recording on the map (start, pause, resume)
- Smooth polyline rendering for clear path visualization
- Reliable tracking using Android’s native location APIs
- View and organize all saved tracks in one place
- Track statistics:
- Distance, duration, average speed
- Elevation gain/loss
- Min/max altitude
- Star and sort tracks for easy organization
- Export tracks as GPX files using the system file picker
- Share tracks easily via Android share sheet
- Light, Dark, and AMOLED themes
- Landscape orientation support
- Clean UI with Jetpack Compose (Material Design)
- Custom bottom bar for easy navigation
- No ads, no tracking, no in-app purchases
- No Google Play Services dependency
- Uses native Android location APIs
- Supports 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 (pause/resume)
-
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