Compass 55. Map & GPS kit.
Land, air, marine navigator
Free · In-App Purchases
Compass 55 is an offline-capable GPS map, compass, waypoint, route, and coordinates tool for hiking, off-road travel, field work, aviation, and marine navigation.
+ Advanced target/waypoint editor. Can be also used as a coordinates converter. You can use map to check or set waypoint location and add photo or audio note.
+ Share your location via email, text message, Facebook or Twitter. This includes UTM, MGRS and Latitude/Longitude (MENU>Share my location).
+ You can use UTM, MGRS or Lat/Long, just pick your preference in settings (Coordinate Format).
+ Speedometer. Shows you the speed and pace. Speedometer also gives you options to control average and max speed and pace counters (MENU > RESET and PAUSE/RESUME counters).
+ Compass. Instant reaction compass, no delays. Automatically pickups the direction based on magnetic or GPS course. If you mostly walk or drive, you can change this automatic mode in app settings > Compass or GPS course. NATO mils? Same place in settings to set.
+ Magnetic declination δ for the current location and any location on the map (via World Magnetic Model, WMM, no need for data/internet).
+ Sunset and sunrise. So you can plan your travel better.
+ Arrow pointing to your target waypoint. Distance and bearing to it.
+ Create/measure routes and areas.
+ Barometric Vertical Speed Indicator (VSI, IVSI) in both scale and graph forms.
+ Integration of bluetooth sensors: Cycling cadence, Heart rate, Cycling speed.
All above belong to a basic version. PRO Pack upgrade will add following capabilities:
+ Recording and sharing GPS tracks.
+ Moving waypoints between folders.
+ Showing ETA to a target as this requires GPS tracking.
+ Native Google map with fantastic terrain map, amazing 3D and real night mode.
+ Adding own/custom tile map servers.
+ Downloading offline maps. Offline maps import in .sqlitedb, rmaps, mbtiles formats. Support for overzoom and underzoom - offline map is shown even for zoom levels that are not downloaded.
+ GPX import and export for waypoints, tracks and routes.
+ Google Earth KML support for waypoints and tracks import/export. KMZ support for waypoints and tracks export, waypoints import.
+ Ground overlays. Import KMZ ground overlay or draw your own on the map in the app and share as kmz files!
+ CSV import/export for waypoints.
+ Voice coach to tell you active track distance and duration, current speed and altitude without need to open the app.
+ Support for Siri shortcuts in IOS 12 for starting and stopping GPS tracks.
+ From version 4.2 - support for OSGB (including grid shifts) and SK 42 in the coordinates converter.
+ BACKGROUND MODE. App will work in background automatically when tracking. You can use other apps while Compass 55 does its job in the background!
+ PRIVACY. Compass 55 never shares your location data with 3rd parties or ad agencies. Location data is used solely for telling you direction to a target and recording GPS tracks and never leave the app unless you decide to share by means of a track export. It always lets you know when background mode is on and never runs in background unless the track is being recorded.
! You can use this app on your iPhone as well as on any cellular iPad. **App will not work properly on iPods and wifi only iPads as they don't have GPS (external GPS module is required). As quite a lot of us are using external GPS modules, app is available for wifi only iPads and iPods.
! Please note that as with all GPS apps, continued use of GPS running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life.
Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
more If i can have coordinates of different datum. I want my coordinates in Everest series map.
If i can have coordinates of different datum. I want my coordinates in Everest series map.
■ Waypoint labels, your way
‣ Waypoint names can now be shown as compact or larger map labels, with either the current filled background or a clean no-background style using the waypoint color for the text.
‣ Waypoints with attached photos can show a thumbnail right above the name on the map, making photo points easier to recognize without opening the waypoint first.
‣ To set it up, open Map Settings > Common settings > Waypoint labels. Label size, Photo thumbnail, and Label background are separate visible controls.
5.7 16 Jun
■ Voice Coach and Navigation Hints
‣ Voice Coach and navigation hints now work together in one clearer setup. Configure regular coach announcements, on-course guidance, spoken target distance and bearing, and relative or absolute spoken bearings from the same place.
‣ Voice Coach can now include target navigation guidance in regular time or distance interval announcements, telling distance and bearing to the current target when one is active.
‣ New absolute spoken bearing guidance lets you keep the iPhone in your pocket and navigate by voice hints while holding a magnetic compass in your hand.
‣ Huge thanks to Steve for suggesting absolute bearing voice guidance and testing it in the wild.
■ Channels replace GPS Beacons
‣ Channels are the new way to share live location while tracking. Share by private web link with optional password protection, or use a shared group channel where members can follow each other in the app or on the web.
‣ Channels are off by default. Your location is shared only when you turn sharing on for an active or joined channel while track recording is running and not paused.
‣ Channels do not require an account or registration. They expire automatically after idling, and the creator can delete them at any time regardless of Pro Pack status.
■ Map and Track Improvements
‣ Active track line width is now configurable in Map Settings. The thinnest line is now the default for better map visibility.
‣ The purple tail is now called Location breadcrumb. It is hidden from the map menu while recording, and Pro users start with it off by default.
■ Fixes and Compatibility
‣ Improved KML and KMZ export/import compatibility, including more reliable fallback handling for waypoint descriptions and notes.
‣ Fixed issues with the course line after returning from background, the export file name pattern editor on iOS 17, and a rare Trips & Tracks filter crash on iOS 15.
5.6 9 Jun
■ More Natural Voice Guidance
‣ Navigation hints, voice coach announcements, and waypoint proximity alerts now use the best available voice automatically, with improved handling of plurals, decimals, numbers, and time or duration announcements across all supported languages.
■ Drawing Tools for GPS Camera and Ground Overlays
‣ GPS Camera drawing tools received a major update with text, dimension, and selection tools.
‣ The new drawing tools and options can now also be used when editing ground map image overlays.
‣ Drawings are no longer hardcoded into photos or ground image overlays on save, so they can be edited later.
■ Trip Tracks and Offline Maps
‣ Fixed track numbers not being shown on the map when viewing all tracks for a trip. Start and end markers now match the track numbers from the trip track list.
‣ Pinned tracks can now be shown on the offline map download screen, giving better spatial awareness when choosing which region to download.
■ Import Fixes
‣ Improved error handling when importing incomplete or corrupted trip archives.
‣ Fixed GPX import so the import options page closes correctly after import, and the Cancel button works as expected.
5.5 15 May
■ Pinned Tracks Upgraded
Pin multiple tracks on the map at the same time, customize their color and line width, save pinned track sets as presets, and apply them whenever needed. Open Manage pinned tracks from the live map (press and hold to open the map menu), from the track list (... > Pinned tracks), by swiping a track row and using Pin to live map, or from the Pinned tracks section in Common Map Settings.
■ Online Map Cache
Tiles from online map sources are now cached to improve map browsing, reduce mobile data usage, and lower load on map providers. You can review cache usage from the maps list and reset the cache from the online map source settings.
■ Reworked Trip Editor
Initial mileage setup is now simpler, and trip counter management is more flexible. Set or reset both total and current counters directly from the trip editor.
Enjoying the app and its updates? Please consider leaving a rating—it means the world to us!
5.4 2 Apr
■ Dual Coordinate Monitor
New bottom micro panel option: view and communicate your position in two coordinate formats at once. With real-time OSGB and SK-42 support, this release is also a step toward full support for these coordinate systems—supporting updates of up to 10× per second that some external GPS receivers provide.
To navigate between bottom panels, swipe left or right (or up/down when in landscape orientation).
■ Improved KML/KMZ Export
Exported files now preserve original creation dates and last-modified timestamps, so re-importing your data keeps all date information intact.
■ Reworked Numeric Keyboard
Dedicated numeric input keyboard (used for UTM, MGRS coordinates, etc.) now works properly and looks modern across all iOS versions 15-26. Fixed iPadOS 26 showing its own floating numeric pad alongside ours, and iOS 26 keyboard dismiss button losing proper placement after screen rotation.
5.3 18 Feb
• Fixed an issue where bottom toolbar buttons were difficult to see on iOS 26.1.
• Fixed an issue where exporting multiple collections failed on smaller devices like iPhone 12 mini running iOS 26.
5.2.3 06/11/2025
• Fixed an issue where the Filter button and the Trips/Tracks switch were not displayed on iOS 15–18 in the trips and tracks list. Huge thanks to Peter for reporting it!
5.2.2 04/11/2025
• Fixed search button not being shown in some cases in waypoints list.
• Fixed a rare crash that could occur on iOS 26 when exporting large offline maps.
5.2.1 11/10/2025
■ Updates and optimizations for iOS 26 and beyond:
• Reworked toolbars for the waypoints list, waypoint collections list, and tracks/trips list — ensuring a consistent user experience from iOS 15 through iOS 26.
• Reworked search implementation in waypoints list.
◆ Camera tool:
• Significantly faster camera startup.
• Reworked the toolbar for image annotation.
• Optimized photo stamping for higher speed and improved compatibility with iOS 15 and older devices (e.g., iPhone 6S).
• Fixed an issue on older devices where the camera might not appear when opened from the Point Editor.
5.2 25/09/2025
◆ Batch Export of Collections: Export multiple point/photo collections at once as a single KMZ file.
◆ Batch Enable/Disable Collections: Easily enable or disable several point collections in one go.
→ To use: tap the new 'more' button (left of the '+' in the collections list), choose Select, pick collections, then choose an action from the bottom toolbar.
◉ The ability to enable or disable multiple collections at once helps you focus only on the points/photos relevant to your project. Multi-collection KMZ export is fully compatible with the Google Earth desktop app and can be used to back up all your collections and points if needed. 100% of the data is preserved when importing back into the app on another device.
◆ Enhanced KMZ Import: Now supports KMZ archives with multiple subfolders and multiple KML files.
→ Import via the 'more' button on the points/photos list or the 'Open In' system option on iPhone/iPad.
◆ New drawing tools for annotating photos taken by the camera tool and ground image overlays:
+ Arrow, Rectangle, Circle, Cross pointer.
+ You can also adjust the line width.
◆ Other Improvements:
+ Added info message at the bottom of the points/photos list to indicate when collections are disabled and their items are hidden.
+ When exporting all tracks of a trip to a single KMZ file (for Google Earth), the app now uses the gx:Track format to preserve timestamp information for each track point. The previously used Geometry format was losing that valuable time data.
+ Various fixes and performance improvements.
5.1 07/07/2025
◆ Map collections:
Map collections let you prepare a map setup tailored to your mission.:
+ Choose a base map: Apple (street, satellite, hybrid), any online map source, or a downloaded/imported offline map.
+ Add map overlays (online map sources, downloaded/offline map) with adjustable transparency.
+ Add ground image overlays.
+ Switch between preconfigured map collections with a single tap.
◆ Ground Image Overlays:
+ Import KMZ ground image overlays directly from the map list screen.
+ Improved performance when displaying large ground image overlays in the maps list by using pre-cached thumbnail previews.
5.0 26/05/2025
■ Google Maps Update (v9.4.0):
+ Major update from Google! The map now includes more detailed visuals like crosswalks, road lanes, and tiny directional arrows at intersections.
+ These enhanced details are also available in Hybrid mode.
+ Bonus: the long-standing stuttering issue with Google Maps is finally fixed!
It’s clear someone at Google was having fun — and now we get to enjoy the results!
■ Optimizations:
+ Improved internal database handling results in faster performance when reading and writing data. Just note: to share or back up full trip data, you’ll need to stop the current track or make another trip active first.
+ The 'Focus on a map region' function and offline map previews now zoom to a reasonable level instead of starting fully zoomed out. Much easier to see your offline map now!
■ Purchases:
+ Added subscription options. The one-time purchase is still available. And if you already bought it — you’re all set forever.
4.9 08/04/2025
◆ Optimized offline map underzoom handling:
+ Previously, the app attempted to regenerate missing tiles across more than five zoom levels, which proved inefficient and caused delays when drawing the map. This behavior has been improved: the app now limits underzoomed tile regeneration to a maximum of five missing zoom levels.
For example, if the minimum zoom level available in the offline map is 11, the app will attempt to underzoom tiles down to level 6, but no further.
Overzoom handling remains unchanged — it will continue up to the maximum available zoom level.
Don’t miss the major updates from the previous version:
+ Open/Import Offline Maps from Disk/Files Directly in the App. To open or import a map directly in the app, use the '+' button on the map settings (list) screen and select the new option: Import offline map
+ Export/Share Offline Maps. To share or export a map, tap the 'Action' button on the offline map details screen.
+ Waypoints and photos can now be imported from files directly within the app. Supported formats: KMZ, KML, GPX, CSV, and TXT. Use the ‘More’ button on the Waypoints screen.
+ Tracks and trips can now be imported directly from files within the app. Supported formats: KMZ, KML, GPX, and TRK. Use the ‘More’ button on the Tracks or Trips screen.
4.8 03/04/2025
◆ Import:
+ Waypoints and photos can now be imported from files directly within the app. Supported formats: KMZ, KML, GPX, CSV, and TXT. Use the ‘More’ button on the Waypoints screen.
+ Tracks and trips can now be imported directly from files within the app. Supported formats: KMZ, KML, GPX, and TRK. Use the ‘More’ button on the Tracks or Trips screen.
◆ Fixes:
+ Fixed a crash that occurred when creating a new waypoint in the free version.
Don’t miss the major updates from the previous version:
+ Open/Import Offline Maps from Disk/Files Directly in the App. To open or import a map directly in the app, use the '+' button on the map settings (list) screen and select the new option: Import offline map
+ Export/Share Offline Maps. To share or export a map, tap the 'Action' button on the offline map details screen.
4.7 26/03/2025
◆ Offline maps:
+ Open/Import Offline Maps from Disk/Files Directly in the App. To open or import a map directly in the app, use the '+' button on the map settings (list) screen and select the new option: Import offline map
+ Export/Share Offline Maps. To share or export a map, tap the 'Action' button on the offline map details screen.
◆ Fixes:
+ Fixed a crash when opening the trips filter on the trips list screen.
+ Fixed a crash when trimming a track in the track editor if the same track was still displayed on the main map.
4.6 21/03/2025
◆ Updated the World Magnetic Model for 2025–2029 to ensure accurate declination data between true north and magnetic north.
The World Magnetic Model (WMM) is utilized in the following areas of the app:
• Magnetic Declination on the Map: You can enable magnetic declination to be visible in the map browse/edit mode. It is displayed with a δ symbol for any point at the center of the map (indicated by the red arrow). "MENU > Settings > Compass & Course > Show magnetic declination δ."
• Importing Points: When importing points that specify only a true or magnetic direction, the missing counterpart (true or magnetic) is calculated using the WMM.
• Off-Road Navigation: During off-road navigation, the app may use declination data provided for the current location by Apple/iOS.
Except for the last point, credit for the model goes to the United States’ National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) and the United Kingdom’s Defence Geographic Centre (DGC). NCEI and the British Geological Survey (BGS) jointly developed the WMM.
◆ Fixed the issue with imported offline map files not being deleted when you delete the map in the app:
Option added to MENU > Settings > Maintenance > Find and delete orphaned offline maps. Turns out that imported offline map files (.sqlitedb or .mbtiles) were not deleted when you delete the map in the app. Thus large files might have stayed in the app. If you have ever imported and deleted the offline maps, please check if some of the files are not left over.
◆ The currently recorded track is no longer displayed when viewing a previously saved track in the track view/editor.
This ensures the saved track view is not obscured. This change applies only to Apple Maps, as Google Maps did not display the current track in the saved track view.
4.5 16/01/2025
◆ Evolution of Siri Shortcuts:
• Pre-made Siri shortcuts are now available for track control and waypoint creation.
◆ Optimized for iOS 18.2.
4.4 17/12/2024
◆ More updates for iOS 18:
• The search text for points, places, and addresses is now properly displayed in black on iOS 18 devices.
• Fixed an issue where the new coordinates converter was not displayed in the point editor. This issue was not related to iOS 18 but was caused by the new development tools, affecting all devices from iOS 15 to 18.
4.3.1 11/10/2024
◆ Optimizations for iOS 18. Supported versions of iOS are now 15-18.
4.3 21/09/2024
◆ Added a new text input-based coordinates converter. You'll find it in several places:
- MENU > Coordinates converter.
- In the point editor, to the left of the Done button or in the Latitude/Longitude, UTM, MGRS rows.
- On the map, in the map search > Coordinates.
• The new coordinates converter also supports the OSGB and SK 42 coordinate systems, in addition to the current Latitude/Longitude, UTM, and MGRS formats.
• This is part of our ongoing effort to bring support for the majority of EPSG coordinate systems to the app. We hope the new coordinates converter proves to be a useful tool.
• Please let us know via a review or at support@blocoware.com if you'd like to see your preferred coordinate system added.
4.2 14/08/2024
◆ You can now change the color of buttons in the app. This should provide more options for improved visibility of buttons in bright sunlight and potentially assist in cases involving color vision deficiencies.) Settings > Button colors.
◆ Google maps updated to version 9.0.0.
◆ Bug fixes and optimizations:
‣ Fixed intermittent crash when asking for confirmation if you want to stop the offline map download screen on closing the download screen while download is in progress when the choice was to continue with the download.
‣ Fixed rare crash when opening the map settings.
4.1 28/06/2024
◆ Overzoom and underzoom for offline maps:
‣ Allows to show the offline map for zoom levels that are not downloaded or imported.
‣ With overzoom you can download zoom level 2-16 and let the map upscale from zoom level 16 to 17-19 as you zoom in.
‣ Overzoom and underzoom is applied automatically, no need to set up anything.
‣ For the best experience with offline or custom/blank maps on iOS 16, please be sure to have iOS 16.4 or later.
◆ Improvements for land navigation:
‣ New automatic check-in option that allows to check-in by simply entering the circle around the target.
‣ Settings button in the 'Set Target' menu now opens the land navigation settings screen.
‣ 'Set Target' menu now shows information on navigation settings.
‣ Both Estimated Time En Route (ETE) and Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA) are now supported for land/air navigation targets. Tap on ETE display to switch to ETA and vice versa.
◆ Track list improvements. MENU > Tracks:
‣ Track list now shows total mileage and duration for each day with tracks recorded.
‣ Applied filter, number of shown tracks and their total distance is now shown at the bottom of the track list.
‣ Added option to search/filter by text.
‣ When track note is shown in the tracks list, you can tap on a note button to edit track fields: name, note, start/end address.
◆ You can now trim recorded track at its end.
◆ Points list now shows a footer with help and description for the applied filter and sort order, so there is no confusion for what and why is shown in the list.
◆ First iteration on integration with bluetooth sensors:
‣ Heart rate
‣ Cycling speed
‣ Cycling cadence
- Can be useful for cyclists or custom bike/vehicle builders.
- Completely optional. Available for iOS 17 and higher.
- If you want to connect bluetooth sensors, swipe through on the bottom (in portrait) or left (in landscape) panel until you see the new bluetooth sensors panel. Or use ⋮ button in the bottom or left panel to show the new bluetooth panel.
◆ Camera tool:
‣ You can now re-apply comments from existing points/photos to fill all manual comment fields for the new photo, at once. Should give a productivity boost for re-inspections. It's a new bottom section in the comments editor screen.
‣ Removed full swipe delete gesture in the list of photos as it was causing unwanted deletes. Thank you for the feedback! You can still delete by swipe, but need to swipe and then tap on the delete button.
‣ Scanner section is added to the photo notes editor. Scanner allows to extract lines of text from QR, barcode or texts and assign them to the note fields.
‣ Now you can configure the automatic photo title that goes far beyond the timestamp. Combine collection name, timestamp, custom text and auto increment number in any way that suits best your work or project. Timestamp still stays as a default automatic photo title.
‣ When viewing saved photos, the app now remembers if your last view choice was the original photo or stamped. No need to switch to the stamped view everytime, your preference is now remembered.
- If this breaks your current workflow anyhow, you can configure different viewing preferences. Settings > Viewing saved photos.
‣ When you open photo from the points list, the app now provides controls to navigate through the adjacent photos in the points list, without the need to return to the list. You can swipe through or use left/right arrows.
◆ Google maps updated to version 8.4.0.
◆ Removed support for iOS 12-14. Supported iOS versions are now 15, 16, 17. You can still install older app versions on the devices with older iOS versions.
◆ From iOS 17.5, barometer related functions require access to 'Motion & Fitness'. The app now provides visual hints to enable the access, where required.
4.0 15/05/2024
◆ Length annotations can now show line direction as azimuth or U.S. land survey bearing. Settings > Map Settings > Common settings > Annotations > Angle.
◆ Ground Image Overlays: Added limited support for kml gx:LatLonQuad overlays (including export).
3.4 10/08/2022
◆ Google maps updated to version 6.2.1.
◆ Amazing new feature in this version: Ground Image Overlays!
• The app can import image overlays from kmz (GroundOverlay).
• You can also take map snapshots in the app (use the button with the compass for this) and save them as image overlays.
• You can draw on top of the image overlays to turn them into tactical plans or add fast freehand annotations.
• Image overlays can be exported as kmz files to open in any compatible app or Google Earth.
◆ You can now order point collections manually and newest collections are shown on top by default. MENU > WAYPOINT COLLECTIONS > Edit.
3.3 05/06/2022
◆ Import of a photo from the photo library for the waypoint now correctly imports .heic photos.
◆ Google maps updated to version 6.0.1.
◆ Tracks list screen now includes small map previews for the tracks. You can opt out of generating map previews in GPS Tracking settings.
◆ In addition to month-year filtering, you can now filter tracks by the year.
◆ Improved import for big KML/KMZ files/objects.
3.2 20/02/2022
■ Waypoint labels, your way
‣ Waypoint names can now be shown as compact or larger map labels, with either the current filled background or a clean no-background style using the waypoint color for the text.
‣ Waypoints with attached photos can show a thumbnail right above the name on the map, making photo points easier to recognize without opening the waypoint first.
‣ To set it up, open Map Settings > Common settings > Waypoint labels. Label size, Photo thumbnail, and Label background are separate visible controls.
more Version 5.7 16 Jun
Data Not Collected The developer does not collect any data from this app.