Editor's Review
Every Android phone with a magnetometer can already point north. What a compass app adds is a readable dial, a numeric bearing and, usually, a map underneath it. That is what TACSoftware's utility sets out to do, pairing a compass face and a heading in degrees with a map view that places the heading against real ground.
For orientation on a walk, aligning a satellite dish, or settling which way a room faces, that is enough. Nothing here asks for a subscription or an account.
The 4.0 average is a fair reading of a crowded category. Magnetometer accuracy is a hardware problem more than a software one: readings drift near metal, cars and speakers, and every app of this type collects reviews that are really complaints about the sensor and about the figure-of-eight calibration nobody wants to perform. The other constant in free compass utilities is advertising, since a hundred thousand installs funds development no other way.
Features
Compass dial with a numeric heading in degrees
Map view placing the bearing against real ground
Location coordinates shown alongside the reading
Free, with no account needed
Pros
Does the basic job without sign-up or payment
The map view beats a bare dial for walking navigation
Cons
Readings drift near metal, vehicles and loudspeakers
Needs manual calibration that is easy to skip
Advertising is the only funding model
A 4.0 average is unremarkable in a category full of alternatives
