Terms & Conditions

1. Introduction and acceptance of terms

By accessing or using exactonlinecompass.com you agree to these terms. If you do not agree with them, please do not use the site.

The site is operated by [OPERATING ENTITY — TO BE CONFIRMED].

2. Use of the website

The site is provided free of charge for personal and general informational use. No account is required. You may use the compass and read the reference material for any lawful purpose, subject to the restrictions in these terms.

3. Online compass functionality

The compass reads the magnetometer and accelerometer in your device through your browser, and draws a heading from them. Where you permit access to your location, it additionally computes your local magnetic declination from the NOAA/NGA World Magnetic Model so that a true heading can be shown alongside the magnetic one. All of this runs inside the page on your device.

The compass requires a device fitted with a magnetometer, a browser that exposes the device orientation API, and a secure (HTTPS) connection. Most desktop computers and laptops have no magnetometer and cannot produce a live heading.

4. Accuracy and reliability disclaimer

The compass is provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis, without warranties of any kind, express or implied. We do not warrant that any heading it displays is accurate, complete or fit for any particular purpose.

Readings from a consumer device are affected by factors outside our control, including:

• The quality and calibration state of the magnetometer in your device.
• Magnetic interference from steel structures, reinforced concrete, vehicles, lifts, speakers, headphones, wireless chargers, magnetic phone mounts and some phone cases.
• How level the device is held — tilt is the single largest source of error.
• Local magnetic anomalies, and environmental or atmospheric conditions.
• The accuracy of the geomagnetic model, which is a global model and an approximation at any single point.

5. Not for navigation, safety or professional use

This tool is intended for general orientation and for casual, everyday use. It is not a certified navigational instrument and is not suitable for professional surveying, aviation, marine navigation, emergency response, or any other activity where an incorrect heading could result in injury, loss of life, or damage to property.

Do not rely on it as your only means of determining direction in the wilderness or in any situation where being wrong would matter. Carry an appropriate instrument, and verify any critical bearing by an independent method.

6. Device sensor and location permissions

The compass needs access to your device’s motion and orientation sensors to function. Your browser will ask for this permission, and on iOS it must be granted from a deliberate tap. You may decline, in which case the compass will not display a heading.

Location access is optional. It is used solely to compute your magnetic declination so a true heading can be shown. If you decline, the compass continues to work and shows magnetic headings. You can change or revoke either permission at any time in your browser settings. How these readings are handled is set out in the Privacy Policy.

7. User responsibilities

You are responsible for how you use the information this site provides, and for exercising your own judgement about whether a reading is trustworthy in your circumstances. You should hold the device flat, move away from sources of magnetic interference, and recalibrate when the page prompts you to. You are also responsible for complying with any laws that apply to your use of the site.

8. Acceptable use

You agree not to:

• Use the site for any unlawful purpose, or in a way that infringes the rights of others.
• Attempt to gain unauthorised access to the site, its hosting infrastructure or any connected system.
• Interfere with or disrupt the site, including by overloading it or by introducing malicious code.
• Use automated means to scrape or harvest the site in a manner that places an unreasonable load on it.
• Reproduce, republish or redistribute substantial parts of the site’s content without permission.
• Remove or obscure any copyright or other proprietary notice.

9. Intellectual property

The design, text, layout, graphics, source code and other content of this site are owned by its operator or used under licence, and are protected by intellectual property law. You may view and use the site for its intended purpose; no other licence is granted.

The World Magnetic Model is produced by the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA). We implement it; we do not claim ownership of it, and reference to it does not imply any endorsement by those agencies.

10. Third-party services and external links

The site loads its typeface from Google Fonts, uses Google Analytics to measure traffic, and is delivered by a hosting provider. It may link to external websites for reference. We do not control third-party services or linked sites and accept no responsibility for their content, availability or practices. A link is not an endorsement.

11. Service availability

We aim to keep the site available, but we do not guarantee uninterrupted access. The site may be unavailable during maintenance, or because of failures in hosting, networks or other infrastructure outside our control. We may modify, suspend or discontinue any part of the site at any time without notice and without liability.

12. Limitation of liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, the operator of this site shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential or punitive damages, or for any loss of profits, data, goodwill, or for personal injury or property damage, arising out of or in connection with your use of, or inability to use, this site — including any reliance placed on a heading it displays.

Nothing in these terms excludes or limits liability where it cannot lawfully be excluded or limited, including liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, or for fraud.

13. Changes to the website and services

We may add, change or remove features of the site, including the compass itself, at any time. We may also change the languages in which the site is published.

14. Changes to these terms

We may revise these terms from time to time. The date at the top of the page shows when they were last substantively changed. Continuing to use the site after a revision means you accept the revised terms, so please check this page periodically.

15. Governing law

These terms are governed by the laws of [GOVERNING JURISDICTION — TO BE CONFIRMED], and any dispute arising from them is subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of that territory.

This clause is incomplete: the governing jurisdiction has not yet been determined for this site, and the bracketed placeholder above must be replaced before these terms are relied upon.

16. Contact

For any question about these terms, write to contact@exactonlinecompass.com, or use the contact page.