How to find your GPS coordinates on any phone

The quickest method is the My Location tool. Tap Use my location, approve the browser prompt, and wait for latitude, longitude, and the accuracy radius. The page also shows DMS coordinates and altitude when your device supplies it.

Turn on location access

Your phone needs location services enabled for the browser. If you denied access earlier, open the site controls beside the address bar and change Location to Allow, then reload. The exact menu differs between iPhone, Android, and browser versions.

Move outdoors when accuracy matters. A phone can combine GPS, Wi-Fi, mobile networks, and system location data, but walls and tall buildings reduce satellite visibility. Let the reading settle for several seconds and watch the reported radius.

Read latitude and longitude

Latitude identifies north or south position from −90° to 90°. Longitude identifies east or west position from −180° to 180°. In decimal degrees, a minus sign means south for latitude and west for longitude. Preserve the sign when copying coordinates.

Decimal degrees such as 40.712800, −74.006000 are convenient for online maps and software. Degrees, minutes, and seconds express the same point as separate units with N, S, E, or W. Do not mix a negative sign with a west or south suffix, because that can reverse the direction twice.

Understand the accuracy radius

The browser reports horizontal accuracy in metres. A value of ±15 m describes an estimated circle around the shown position. It does not mean the phone is exactly 15 m away from the true point, and it does not guarantee every reading falls inside the circle.

For navigation, record both the coordinates and accuracy. A six-decimal coordinate can look extremely precise even when the device reports ±100 m. More digits preserve the reading but do not improve the underlying fix.

Find altitude

Altitude may be measured relative to a reference ellipsoid rather than local mean sea level, depending on the device and browser. Some devices provide altitude accuracy; others return altitude without an uncertainty or return no altitude at all.

Use a specialised survey or mapping source when elevation is safety-critical. A phone altitude is useful context for hiking and general orientation, but it is not a substitute for surveyed elevation or aviation instruments.

Use and share coordinates carefully

Coordinates can identify a precise home, workplace, trail position, or meeting point. Share them only with the intended recipient. Round the values when a broad area is sufficient.

Online Compass displays coordinates locally and does not send them to its own server. Review the privacy page for site-service details. The page does not reverse-geocode a street address or postal code because that would require transmitting the coordinates to another service.

Once you have the position, calculate local magnetic correction with the declination calculator or find celestial bearings with the sun compass.