Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution/Google
I don't know about you, but the Google Maps compass is an essential feature of the navigation app. And chances are that you agree, as Google confirmed not long ago, that the compass returned to Google Maps "due to overwhelming support."
The 2021 announcement was received with much enthusiasm by Android users, mainly because removing the compass didn't make any sense in the first place. The feature still existed on iPhones but went dark on Android as Google wanted to "clean up the navigation screen."
The compass is back, but it's struggling in a way that pushes Android users to rival products.
Posts on Google forums reveal that beginning in May, the compass always points to the north and fails to tilt the map. Before you ask, the "keep map north up" feature is disabled on devices where the bug occurs, as users have tried the typical troubleshooting steps to no avail.
The compass failing to point in the correct direction could signal a hardware issue, but users explain everything works correctly in other applications, such as Waze. As a result, some decided to jump ship, either temporarily if Google manages to resolve the problem in a timely fashion or permanently, considering Waze is the kind of app that grows on you.
The odd compass behavior happens after the feature works correctly on the first app launch. Users claim that removing Google Maps from their Android device and installing the application from the Play Store brings the compass back to working condition. However, after closing the app, the compass starts misbehaving again, eventually impacting the entire navigation direction.
Calibrating the compass doesn't work correctly either – it does only on the first launch, but afterward, setting it up fails like the app can't read data from the hardware.
A Google product expert confirmed the compass is struggling with a glitch and forwarded the reports to the Google Maps team. In the meantime, no workaround exists, so users hitting the glitch have no option but to switch to an alternative navigation solution.
Based on my research, the issue happens primarily on Xiaomi smartphones, but I also see Samsung phone owners reporting similar problems. In theory, downgrading Google Maps could help restore the expected behavior, but considering the issue appeared in May, users would have to go back several versions to fix the problem. Eventually, they could miss out on many new features, still impacting the Google Maps experience.
Google did not share an ETA regarding the fix, but addressing bugs is typically time-consuming. The company has never been in a rush to resolve such issues unless it's widespread and hitting many devices. According to forum posts, only certain users encounter the glitch, albeit it's unclear who hits the bug and who doesn't.
The compass is back, but it's struggling in a way that pushes Android users to rival products.
Posts on Google forums reveal that beginning in May, the compass always points to the north and fails to tilt the map. Before you ask, the "keep map north up" feature is disabled on devices where the bug occurs, as users have tried the typical troubleshooting steps to no avail.
The compass failing to point in the correct direction could signal a hardware issue, but users explain everything works correctly in other applications, such as Waze. As a result, some decided to jump ship, either temporarily if Google manages to resolve the problem in a timely fashion or permanently, considering Waze is the kind of app that grows on you.
The odd compass behavior happens after the feature works correctly on the first app launch. Users claim that removing Google Maps from their Android device and installing the application from the Play Store brings the compass back to working condition. However, after closing the app, the compass starts misbehaving again, eventually impacting the entire navigation direction.
Calibrating the compass doesn't work correctly either – it does only on the first launch, but afterward, setting it up fails like the app can't read data from the hardware.
A Google product expert confirmed the compass is struggling with a glitch and forwarded the reports to the Google Maps team. In the meantime, no workaround exists, so users hitting the glitch have no option but to switch to an alternative navigation solution.
Based on my research, the issue happens primarily on Xiaomi smartphones, but I also see Samsung phone owners reporting similar problems. In theory, downgrading Google Maps could help restore the expected behavior, but considering the issue appeared in May, users would have to go back several versions to fix the problem. Eventually, they could miss out on many new features, still impacting the Google Maps experience.
Google did not share an ETA regarding the fix, but addressing bugs is typically time-consuming. The company has never been in a rush to resolve such issues unless it's widespread and hitting many devices. According to forum posts, only certain users encounter the glitch, albeit it's unclear who hits the bug and who doesn't.
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