[HN Gopher] Show HN: MBCompass - Android Compass App
___________________________________________________________________
Show HN: MBCompass - Android Compass App
Hey HN, I built MBCompass, a lightweight, privacy-friendly compass
app for Android. It works fully offline, doesn't ask for
unnecessary permissions (no GPS, no internet), and is open source.
Most compass apps out there are bloated or ad-heavy. I wanted
something clean, fast, and featurish. So I made this! It's only
~1.7 in size and uses a low-pass filter to smooth sensor readings.
I'd love feedback or thoughts - especially from others building
simple, privacy-first apps!
https://f-droid.org/packages/com.mubarak.mbcompass/
https://github.com/MubarakNative/MBCompass
Author : nativeforks
Score : 57 points
Date : 2025-06-02 03:58 UTC (19 hours ago)
(HTM) web link (github.com)
(TXT) w3m dump (github.com)
| anonymousiam wrote:
| Internet is useful for updating the declination "constants" for
| your location. Otherwise, the compass is not really very accurate
| in all locations.
|
| https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/compass-declination....
| nativeforks wrote:
| My next milestone is to implement magnetic declination
| correction using GPS. That way, the app can provide more
| accurate results by adjusting magnetic readings to true north
| while still respecting user privacy. Thanks for the great
| suggestion!
| advisedwang wrote:
| Do you really need a DB lookup for declination? I'd imagine it
| can be worked out from lat/long and a single stored magnetic
| north location (although I suppose that might need updating).
| nativeforks wrote:
| Yeah, magnetic declination can be calculated using just
| lat/lon from GPS location.
| leecommamichael wrote:
| Does Android not have a Compass app?
| nativeforks wrote:
| Yeah, all Android phones have compass apps or Google Maps
| features. But MBCompass is unique because it's fully open
| source, privacy-friendly, and super lightweight -- no ads or
| trackers, and works offline. Plus, it shows your location on an
| OpenStreetMap-based map, which most compass apps don't have.
|
| Thanks for asking! :)
| BoorishBears wrote:
| AOSP doesn't even have a calculator anymore, I'm not sure it
| actually has a compass.
| nativeforks wrote:
| Exactly -- AOSP dropped a lot of basics. That's part of why I
| built MBCompass. :)
| skeledrew wrote:
| Hmm I don't recall ever seeing one on early devices (been using
| Android since Cupcake), and there definitely isn't one on my
| current (OnePlus 12, Android 15). Always had to download from
| the Market/Store when needed.
| weinzierl wrote:
| I am curious what your experience with a free and ethical app in
| a walled garden will be.
|
| I had a similar idea. About two years ago my kid was playing a
| simple mobile game with her friends a lot. There are many
| variations of the game theme but they are all ad infested privacy
| nightmares listlessly fiddled together.
|
| I thought we could do better and make a good and ethical version
| - also as an educational project. The game turned out well, but
| we haven't published it yet. It is still planned, but I had to
| learn free apps apparently are an uphill battle in walled garden
| ecosystems.
|
| If you think about it, it makes sense: Apple and Google don't
| like to get their 30% cut from nothing. I believe that is the
| deeper reason apps like ours are so rare.
| nativeforks wrote:
| Totally agree -- it's tough putting something ethical and free
| into platforms that are built around ads and in-app purchases.
| I released MBCompass on F-Droid first for that reason, and I'm
| still figuring out how to reach users who care about privacy
| and simplicity.
| 2Gkashmiri wrote:
| Please do. You can host on both fdroid and Google play / app
| store for free. F droid constantly needs high quality apps and
| passion projects are enjoyed by the community well.
|
| I spent a lot of time doing free QA for F-droid apps
| exclusively and there are a lot of people who do that
| nativeforks wrote:
| Thanks! I don't have a Play Store account yet due to budget,
| but this is on my to-do list.
| 2Gkashmiri wrote:
| You can start on f droid and maybe people can chip in to
| fund that
| nativeforks wrote:
| Yeah, that's the plan! Honestly, building apps like this
| is tough -- especially when aiming for unique features,
| keeping the app lightweight, and staying up-to-date with
| the latest tech stack. Support from the community really
| helps keep it going. :)
| joshstrange wrote:
| > free apps apparently are an uphill battle in walled garden
| ecosystems.
|
| How so? I manage well over 10 App Store Connect and around 7
| Android Play Store accounts all with 1-3 apps in them, all
| free, no IAP, no cut for Apple. I've never felt like it was an
| uphill battle.
|
| While the app review process is incredibly flawed, I haven't
| experienced anything that paid apps or apps using IAP run into
| as well. As in, free apps aren't "targeted" in any way I can
| see.
| nativeforks wrote:
| Appreciate your perspective -- and I agree, technically, free
| apps can be published without issue. But from my experience
| (and others I've followed in the FOSS space), the "uphill
| battle" isn't about being blocked or targeted -- it's more
| about discovery, sustainability, and alignment with the
| platform's incentives.
|
| On stores like Google Play, the design favors apps with ad
| revenue, IAPs, or growth metrics -- not minimal, ethical apps
| with no monetization. Free, privacy-respecting tools often
| get buried or flagged for things like lack of user
| engagement, sparse permissions, or not following monetization
| guidelines (like not using Google's billing).
|
| That's why I released my app, MBCompass, on F-Droid first.
| It's where users expect simple, ethical apps -- and where
| visibility isn't tied to commercial strategy.
|
| So yeah, free apps aren't "targeted," but the environment
| isn't really designed to support or surface them either.
| joshstrange wrote:
| Ahh, yes. Getting customers or even showing up in search is
| a whole different ballgame.
|
| Thankfully, I don't have mess with any of that. All the
| apps I oversee are companion apps to another service. I'm
| not trying to attract people _on_ the AppStore to my app.
| People get the app because they use the service.
| nativeforks wrote:
| That makes a lot of sense -- but apps like mine in the
| "Compass" category really struggle to stand out among
| countless bloated, ad-filled apps with hundreds of
| millions of downloads.
| skeledrew wrote:
| What's the incentive to "stand out" though if there is no
| monetization? It seems to me if there is no motive beyond
| just publishing an ethical X, then if users find it, they
| find it, and if they don't, they don't. And those looking
| for ethical apps (by your implied definition) will
| probably find it too; I've found a decent amount by
| filtering out apps with ads and IAP. Although TBF I use
| Aurora Store, and am unsure if the filter is available in
| the native Play Store app.
| esafak wrote:
| Can you make it a widget so it stays on the screen?
| nativeforks wrote:
| Thanks for the great idea! I've noted it down and will look
| into it for a future update
| esafak wrote:
| Try charging 99c for the widget...
| nativeforks wrote:
| I think instead of charging for app features, I'd prefer to
| add a donation page -- if users like the app, they can
| support it. If not, no problem -- it'll always be free to
| use.
| nativeforks wrote:
| @skeledrew Fair question! For me, the drive comes from passion
| and the joy of building something clean and useful. It's less
| about standing out for fame, more about being found by the right
| people -- folks who value FOSS, privacy, and ethical software.
| And yeah, alternative stores like Aurora or F-Droid make that
| discovery easier. :)
| AshamedCaptain wrote:
| My favorite simple compass app is
| https://github.com/Kr0oked/Compass which is also on f-droid.
|
| Pretty snappy, almost matches the refresh rate and latency of the
| iphone's compass app.
|
| TFA looks way more sluggish, but I guess it is an effect of the
| smoothing.
| nativeforks wrote:
| Thanks for the comparison! Yeah, MBCompass applies smoothing
| intentionally to reduce jitter on noisy sensors -- especially
| on low-end devices. That can make it look a bit less snappy,
| but I'm working on making it more responsive without
| sacrificing stability. Appreciate the feedback!
| h-c-c wrote:
| Why does this app need network permissions?
| nativeforks wrote:
| Good question! It needs network permission only to load the
| OpenStreetMap tiles for showing your location on the map. No
| data is collected or sent anywhere -- privacy is a core focus.
| :)
| ianburrell wrote:
| It would be really useful if it could show true north in addition
| to magnetic north. The location should give you declination.
| nativeforks wrote:
| Thanks! I've actually already answered this earlier in the
| thread -- true north using declination based on location is my
| current milestone. I know how important it is for a modern
| compass app and am working on it
___________________________________________________________________
(page generated 2025-06-02 23:02 UTC)