Fix compass on iPad

Indeed, a forced restart will often clear an isolated software issue:

• On an iPad with a Home button: Press and hold the top button and the Home button at the same time. When the Apple logo appears, release both buttons.
• On other iPad models: Press and quickly release the volume up button, press and quickly release the volume down button, then press and hold the top button. When the Apple logo appears, release the button.

MichelPM wrote:

“Many compass Apps (including Apple’s Compass App for iPhone) have a setting with which you can select either True or Magnetic North”

Can find NO such setting on iPad/iPadOS.

As there isn’t a native compass App for iPad, you won’t find this setting in iPad settings. Many (but not all) third-party compass Apps will have a setting within the App.

By example, Spyglass - a third-party compass App:

lso, I will still contend many of the third party compass apps I have and use on my iPads will only get a more precise reading/measurement ( with precise location already set to ON in these third party compass app/s ) when using my iPads that have the cellular data feature as these apps will and do use the cellular iPad GPS antennas to increase the compass app/s precision/accuracy.

The fact that GPS equipped iPads will augment compass accuracy is not disputed. Where GPS positioning data is available - and appropriately coded by the App Developer - precise position data can be used to compensate for the local declination and mapped magnetic anomalies - this data being derived from external modelling data.

iPad (and iPhone) employ an Assisted GPS chipset - the purpose of which is to derive a rapid course position fix, significantly shortening the Time To First Fix when initialising a GPS position solution. Where a GPS position can be computed, or is significantly degraded due to poor geometry of visible satellites, the course position fix derived from Cellular timing will augment position determination derived from an available network connection.

In all cases, the iPad’s internal 3D magnetometer is used to measure device orientation from the local magnetic field. GPS is capable of determining position is three dimensional space, but cannot determine device orientation.

This is of course entirely irrelevant to the OPs original question - concerning recalibration of the iPad’s built-in compass hardware - for which appropriate information and guidance has been delivered.

Depending upon your geographic location, the 9° error may be the difference between True and Magnetic North - which differ according to where you are on the planet.

The North Magnetic pole is also continuously moving - and the difference between true and magnetic headings will slowly/fractionally change over time. Sources of magnetic interference aside, magnetic Declination and Deviation will influence your local measurement of magnetic North relative to True North.

Many compass Apps (including Apple’s Compass App for iPhone) have a setting with which you can select either True or Magnetic North.

Be aware that the figure-8 movement, necessary to trigger system recalibration of the internal compass, is quite exaggerated (i.e., a “big” figure 8).

While the iPad does not have a native Compass App, it does have a built-in compass - and this can be recalibrated when necessary.

First, ensure that you have enabled Compass Calibration in settings:

Settings > Privacy > Location Services > System Services > Compass Calibration - set to ON

Remove all Magnetic Material from your device

Just like iPhone, your iPad contains a Magnetometer that is used by the internal compass. Any interference from a nearby magnetic source may affect the compass readings.

Fitted cases often include magnets - and these will interfere with the magnetometer. Be aware that the Apple (and other) Folio and Magic Keyboard attach by magnets - and these will significantly degrade both performance and accuracy of the iPad internal compass.

Compass Recalibration

If your compass is significantly misaligned due to proximity of magnets, removing the source will help. However, you may need to both restart your device and force recalibration.

To trigger recalibration of the compass, rotate your iPad in a large Figure 8 Motion in the horizontal plane. Rotating the iPad by a full 360° in each of its three axis’ (X, Y and Z) many also help with recalibration.

As far as I am aware, most of the third party compass apps for iPad are not very accurate and have NO calibration features.

Compass app may, or may not work more acurately if your iPad is a Wifi AND may work better IF the iPad is a cellular data model, with the compass app/s using those iPads bulit-in cellular GPS antennas for more precise location and triangulation.

“Many compass Apps (including Apple’s Compass App for iPhone) have a setting with which you can select either True or Magnetic North”

Can find NO such setting on iPad/iPadOS.

Also, I will still contend many of the third party compass apps I have and use on my iPads will only get a more precise reading/measurement ( with precise location already set to ON in these third party compass app/s ) when using my iPads that have the cellular data feature as these apps will and do use the cellular iPad GPS antennas to increase the compass app/s precision/accuracy.

With a WiFi ONLY device/iPad, it appears the compass direction/reading is not giving the same direction accuracy.

This is from my own experience with using these compass apps on both WiFi ONLY and WiFi and cellular data iPads that have the built-in GPS antennas.

There maybe, in fact, some local magnetic interferences involved, so both versions of iPads may, in fact, might not giving an accurate compass direction/heading, anyways. It's just cellular data iPad makes these compass apps appear to give a more accurate direction reading VS the same compass app/s using a WiFi ONLY iPad.

My observations. Your mileage may vary.

I tried everything in Location services, Accuracy, Privacy, etc to no avail. I then did a force restart and this cured the problem. Note that I don’t mean a normal restart when you hold buttons and use the restart slider. This is the ‘forced’ one when you do a button combination and then wait for the Apple logo to appear, bypassing the slider. You have to search for the instructions for your particular iOS device. ‘Force’ is the key word here.