Sacred Directions
Find Qibla (Mecca), Jerusalem, Vatican, or any sacred place with real-time precision.
The precision compass, Qibla finder, and sun & moon tracker, all in one offline iOS app.
Arrow to Pin is the free offline iPhone and iPad app that combines a precision GPS compass, a real-time Qibla finder, a live sun and moon position tracker, a complete moon phase calendar, and a smart location-sharing system for any coordinates on Earth. Online catalog of famous world landmarks. 14 languages. Privacy first.
Why Arrow to Pin?
The most accurate offline compass, Qibla finder, and astronomical tracker for iPhone
Getting lost in a foreign city, missing the Qibla while traveling, or arriving at the trailhead too late for sunset can ruin a trip. Arrow to Pin is a precision iPhone and iPad app designed to give you a single, reliable answer to "which direction?" and "which time?" no matter where you are. Whether you need the direction to Mecca for prayer, the bearing back to your parked car, the exact moment of sunrise for a photograph, or the lunar phase for a camping night, every reading is computed on-device with sub-degree precision and works fully offline.
Unlike generic compass apps, Arrow to Pin is built around destinations and astronomy. The app combines a GPS compass with bearing-to-target and distance, a real-time Qibla compass aimed at Al Kaaba, a complete sun tracker (sunrise, solar noon, sunset, civil/nautical/astronomical twilights, day length), a moon tracker with the 8 lunar phases, illumination, lunar day, distance, and azimuth/elevation, and a location-sharing system based on Apple Universal Links. It comes with an online catalog of famous world landmarks covering religious sites, tourist landmarks, sports venues, government buildings and geographic wonders. Every coordinate is verified against OpenStreetMap and Wikidata, every name is provided in the local script, and the app speaks 14 languages with full RTL Arabic support.
Your data stays private and works without internet: GPS readings are processed on-device by iOS Core Location, sun positions use the NOAA Solar Calculator (accuracy ±0.01°), moon positions use Jean Meeus astronomical algorithms verified against NASA JPL ephemerides (±27 minutes), and your saved points never leave your iPhone. The optional 4-digit App Lock, hashed locally with a per-device salt in the iOS Keychain, adds an extra layer of protection.
Everything you need to find your direction
Precision compass, Qibla finder, sun and moon tracker, and an online catalog of famous world landmarks you can save in one tap.
Landmarks Library
Browse the online catalog of famous landmarks: mosques, cathedrals, temples, wonders, stadiums, mountains and more. One tap to save.
Live Distance
Watch the distance update in real-time as you move toward your destination.
Alignment & Arrival
Sector turns orange when close, green when aligned. A checkmark appears when you've arrived at your destination.
Cardinal Points
N, E, S, W letters inside a precise dial with dense graduations every 2° and degree numbers every 30°. Always know where North is - the red N and red '0' make it instantly visible.
Margin of Error
Real-time margin of error for position, altitude, and speed - so you always know how reliable each reading is.
Live Speed
Your movement speed displayed in real-time (km/h or mph), calculated by GPS as you walk, cycle, or drive.
Sun Tracker
Real-time sun position on the compass dial. 24-hour solar arc showing sunrise, sunset, solar noon, and twilights. Powered by the NOAA algorithm (±1 minute accuracy).
Moon Tracker
Lunar position, phases, illumination, distance, and moonrise/moonset times. 24-hour moon arc animation. All 8 phases with exact dates calculated by Jean Meeus' algorithm (verified against NASA JPL).
Moon Phases
All 8 lunar phases with exact dates. Primary phases shown as precise moments, intermediate phases as date ranges. Verified against NASA JPL Horizons to ±27 minutes.
24-Hour Arc Charts
Solar and lunar trajectory charts spanning 24 hours. Sunrise, sunset, twilights, moonrise, moonset, and transit - all on elegant animated curves.
Astro Compass
A dedicated compass on the Astro page showing the real-time position of both the sun and moon, with a built-in level indicator. Direction indicator changes color when pointing at celestial objects.
Share with friends
Send any saved point to friends as a smart link. WhatsApp, iMessage, Mail, anywhere. The recipient opens the app directly on the compass for that point, or sees a preview page if Arrow to Pin isn't installed yet.
Works Offline
Compass calculations work without internet connection.
Privacy First
Your saved points stay on your device, no cloud sync, no account required. The optional 4-digit App Lock keeps everything behind a PIN, hashed locally in the iOS Keychain.
App Lock
Optional 4-digit PIN protects access at launch and after returning from background. Stored as a salted SHA-256 hash in the iOS Keychain, never synced, never readable. Forget the code? Reinstall the app.
14 Languages
English, French, Arabic, Spanish, German, Turkish, Portuguese, Italian, Indonesian, Dutch, Russian, Polish, Japanese, Korean. Full RTL support for Arabic. Pick your language from Settings, applied at next launch.
Keep Screen On
The screen stays awake while the compass or Astro page is open, so you never have to unlock your phone during navigation. Disable anytime in Settings.
Real-world use cases
14 ways Arrow to Pin helps you every day
Qibla Direction While Traveling
You're in a hotel room in Tokyo and need to pray. Open Arrow to Pin, select the Kaaba, and the compass points directly toward Mecca with real-time precision. No internet needed. The calculation is done offline from your GPS coordinates. Works anywhere on Earth, even in remote areas with no cell service.
Finding Your Hotel During Hajj
During Hajj or Umrah in Mecca, millions of pilgrims fill the streets. Save your hotel's GPS coordinates before leaving. After Tawaf or Sa'i, open the app and follow the compass arrow back. The distance counts down in real time as you walk, and a green checkmark confirms when you've arrived. No need to read street signs or ask for directions.
Locating Your Car in a Parking Lot
You parked in a massive airport or shopping mall parking structure. Before leaving your car, save the spot using your current GPS location. When you return hours later, select that point. The compass shows the exact direction and distance. As you orient your phone toward the car, the sector turns orange when close to alignment, then green when fully aligned. Walk straight toward the arrow until the green checkmark confirms arrival.
Finding a Grave in a Cemetery
Large cemeteries have thousands of graves with few visual landmarks. Save the GPS coordinates of a loved one's grave on your first visit. On subsequent visits, even months later, open the app and follow the arrow directly to the exact spot. The precision goes down to 11 cm with good GPS signal. No more wandering between rows.
Pointing Toward a Summit
You're at the base of a mountain and want to know exactly which direction the peak is. Select Mount Everest, Mont Blanc, or any of the 44 geographic landmarks. You can also add your own summit coordinates. The compass shows the bearing while the Astro page tells you where the sun will set behind the mountain for that perfect golden hour photograph.
Staying Oriented in the Wilderness
You're hiking in a desert or dense forest with no trails, no signs, and no cell service. Save your starting point (campsite, trailhead, or vehicle). Explore freely knowing that the compass always points back. The app works 100% offline. All calculations are done on-device using GPS. The margin of error tells you how reliable your position is.
Tracking Sunrise and Sunset
You're a photographer planning a landscape shoot. The Astro page shows you exactly when and where the sun will rise and set with ±1 minute accuracy. The 24-hour solar arc chart visualizes the entire trajectory. The sun marker on the compass dial shows the real-time azimuth. Point your phone and see exactly where the sun is or will be. Perfect for planning golden hour shots.
Moon Phase Planning
You need to know when the next full moon is for a night photography session, a camping trip, or religious observance (Ramadan, Jewish calendar). The app shows all 8 lunar phases with exact dates calculated by Jean Meeus' algorithm, verified against NASA JPL to ±27 minutes. The lunar day counter tells you exactly where you are in the 29.5-day cycle.
Navigating Without Internet
You're in a foreign country with no local SIM card and no Wi-Fi. Arrow to Pin works 100% offline. All compass calculations, sun/moon tracking, and astronomical algorithms run directly on your device using only GPS. The only feature that requires internet is the location name geocoding. Coordinates, direction, and distance work without any connection.
Meeting Point in a Crowd
You're at a music festival, a stadium, or a large outdoor event with thousands of people. A friend saves their location and shares the GPS coordinates with you. Add the point and follow the compass through the crowd. The distance counts down meter by meter. No more "Where are you?" phone calls. The arrival alert vibrates when you're within range.
Visiting Sacred Sites Abroad
You're visiting Jerusalem, Rome, Varanasi, or Bodh Gaya. The online catalog includes 30 religious landmarks: mosques, churches, temples, synagogues, and shrines. Save the ones you need before your trip. Select a site and follow the compass to navigate on foot through unfamiliar streets. The alternative names in local scripts (Arabic, Hebrew, Hindi, Chinese, Japanese, Greek) help you match what you see on signs.
Planning for Nightfall
The Astro page shows exactly when twilight ends for complete darkness. Useful for stargazing or knowing when to set up camp before nightfall.
Stadium Navigation for FIFA 2026
All FIFA 2026 World Cup stadiums are in the online catalog ready to save: MetLife, SoFi, AT&T, Hard Rock, NRG, Mercedes-Benz, Gillette, Levi's, Arrowhead, Estadio Azteca, Estadio BBVA, BC Place, BMO Field, and more. Navigate from your parking spot or hotel to the stadium entrance. After the match, the compass guides you back. Works in every host city across the US, Mexico, and Canada.
Daily Prayer Time Estimation
The solar arc chart shows the exact position of the sun throughout the day with sunrise, solar noon, and sunset times. The three twilight levels (civil at -6°, nautical at -12°, astronomical at -18°) help estimate prayer times for those who follow sun-based schedules. The Qibla compass combined with sunrise/sunset data gives you everything you need in one app: direction and timing.
Destinations ready to navigate
Browse the online landmarks library and save any place to your Arrow to Pin app in one tap. Six categories spanning the planet's most meaningful coordinates.
Religious Sites
Kaaba, Al-Aqsa Mosque, Vatican, Notre-Dame, Hassan II Mosque, Sagrada Família, Golden Temple, Bodh Gaya, Sheikh Zayed Mosque…
Compute the Qibla toward Mecca, plan a Hajj or Camino de Santiago pilgrimage, or simply find the nearest sacred site of any faith.
Tourist Landmarks
Eiffel Tower, Taj Mahal, Burj Khalifa, Colosseum, Pyramids of Giza, Statue of Liberty, Cristo Redentor, Petra, Machu Picchu…
UNESCO World Heritage sites, the New Seven Wonders, world-famous towers and museums. Pin them before your trip to navigate on foot.
Sports Venues
All FIFA 2026 stadiums (MetLife, SoFi, Estadio Azteca, Wembley…), Camp Nou, Santiago Bernabéu, Maracanã, Old Trafford, NFL stadiums, Wimbledon, Roland-Garros, Circuit de Monaco…
Stadiums, arenas, racetracks and tennis courts that have hosted World Cups, Super Bowls, Olympic Games and Grand Slams.
Government Buildings
White House, Kremlin, Buckingham Palace, Élysée, Reichstag, United Nations Headquarters, European Parliament, Forbidden City, Casa Rosada, Rashtrapati Bhavan…
Parliaments, presidential palaces and international institutions across every continent. The seats of global decision-making.
Geographic Wonders
Mount Everest, K2, Kilimanjaro, Denali, Mont Blanc, Matterhorn, Mount Fuji, Aconcagua, the Seven Summits, Uluru, Dead Sea, Cape of Good Hope, Strokkur geyser…
Highest peaks, active volcanoes, iconic capes and unique natural features. From summit to sea level, every coordinate is verified.
Your Personal Points
Your parked car, hotel, campsite, a friend's house, a grave in a cemetery, a meeting point at a festival, your home, your favourite restaurant…
Tap the « + » button in the app to save any GPS coordinate as a personal point. Stays on your device, never synced, sub-meter precision.
Why a precision compass instead of the iOS Compass app?
The difference between a magnetic-only compass and a destination-aware navigator
Apple's stock Compass app is great for showing magnetic north and your current heading, but it stops there. It doesn't know where you want to go, it doesn't compute the great-circle bearing to a destination thousands of kilometers away, it doesn't track the sun and moon, and it doesn't pre-load any of the world's famous landmarks. Arrow to Pin is built around the question "in which direction is X right now?" where X can be Al Kaaba in Mecca, the Eiffel Tower, Mount Everest, your hotel, or your parked car.
For each saved point, Arrow to Pin gives you:
- A real-time great-circle bearing to the destination, accounting for Earth's curvature
- Live distance in kilometers or miles, updating as you walk
- An alignment indicator: orange when close, green when on target, with a checkmark on arrival
- Sun and moon icons projected on the same dial, so you can plan a sunrise photo or a Qibla prayer in one glance
- Coordinates in three formats (Decimal Degrees, DMS, DDM) for compatibility with marine, aviation, and survey workflows
- A shareable Universal Link that opens directly in the app for the recipient (or shows a preview page if the app is not installed)
- An offline astronomical engine: sunrise, sunset, twilights, lunar phases, all computed without an internet connection
The iOS Compass tells you where you're facing. Arrow to Pin tells you where you need to go and when the sky will help you get there.
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you might want to know before downloading the precision compass
Is Arrow to Pin really a free compass and GPS app?
Yes. The app is completely free to download and use, with no subscription, no paywalled features, and no time limit. Ads from Google AdMob (a small banner and an occasional interstitial after meaningful actions) support development. You can disable personalized ads via the consent screen at first launch or anytime in Settings › Legal › Ad Preferences.
Does the compass work offline without internet?
Yes. Arrow to Pin is offline-first: the compass, GPS bearings, distance calculations, sun and moon astronomical computations, your personal points and any landmark you've already saved all work without any network connection. Only browsing the online landmarks catalog at arrowtopin.com/landmarks and ad delivery require internet (both are optional).
Can the app find the Qibla direction toward Mecca?
Yes. Al Kaaba is one of the 3 starter points loaded by default. Open it from the Pins list to get a real-time precision compass aimed at the Qibla, with bearing in degrees, distance to Mecca, and a visual alignment arc. The Qibla calculation uses the great-circle formula from your current GPS position, so it works correctly anywhere on Earth, whether at home, while traveling, or during Hajj and Umrah.
What's the difference between Arrow to Pin and the built-in Apple Compass app?
Apple's Compass app shows the cardinal direction your phone is facing. Arrow to Pin shows the bearing from your location to a destination: select the Kaaba, the Eiffel Tower, your hotel, or your parked car, and the compass arrow points directly toward it with live distance and arrival detection. It also includes a Qibla finder, sun and moon trackers, an offline catalog of landmarks, sub-meter precision, and 14 languages, all features Apple's Compass does not provide.
How accurate are the sun and moon positions?
Sun positions use the NOAA Solar Calculator algorithm (azimuth and elevation accurate to within 0.01 degrees, sunrise/sunset times to ±1 minute). Moon positions use the Jean Meeus astronomical algorithms from Astronomical Algorithms (1998), the same family of formulas referenced by NASA JPL ephemerides, verified to ±27 minutes for primary phase boundaries (new, first quarter, full, last quarter).
How many landmarks are available in the online catalog?
The online catalog at arrowtopin.com/landmarks groups famous world landmarks by type: religious sites (mosques, cathedrals, Buddhist, Hindu, Sikh and Shinto temples, Bahá'í sacred sites), tourist landmarks (world wonders, towers and skyscrapers, castles and palaces, monuments, museums), sports venues (soccer, NFL, NBA, NHL, Olympic, multisport, tennis), government buildings worldwide, and geographic wonders (mountains, volcanoes, natural landmarks). Tap Open in Arrow to Pin on any landmark, then Save in the app, to add it to your library. The app itself starts with 3 essential points (Al Kaaba, Al Masjid Al Aqsa, Jabal Arafat); everything else is opt-in.
Can I add my own personal points?
Yes. Tap the « + » button on the home screen, then choose Manual (create your own point) or Library (browse the in-app landmarks catalog). For Manual: place the marker by tapping the map (use the expand button for full-screen precision), by typing coordinates in DD format with the scroll-wheel pickers, or by tapping Current Location. Give the point a name (and optional alternative name in any script: Arabic, Hindi, Chinese, Hebrew…), set initials (A-Z 0-9, auto-generated from the name or customizable), choose a category (Personal by default), select a country (auto-detected from the map or via the searchable list), and optionally add a photo that replaces the initials in the circle. For Library: browse the in-app catalog of famous landmarks and tap to add. All points are stored on your device and remain available offline.
Does the app track or share my location?
No. Your GPS location is read on-device by iOS Core Location and used only to compute the compass bearing, distance, and astronomical phenomena. Your coordinates are never sent to our servers or to third parties: no account, no cloud sync of your saved points, no contact upload. Anonymous usage events (screen viewed, point added, compass opened) are logged via Firebase Analytics for product improvement; they contain no GPS data and no personal data and respect your ad-consent choice. The optional 4-digit App Lock (Settings › Security) adds an extra layer of protection, stored as a salted SHA-256 hash in the iOS Keychain.
Can I share a saved point with friends?
Yes. Long-press any point and choose Share. Arrow to Pin generates a Universal Link (
arrowtopin.com/share?n=…&lat=…&lng=…) that opens directly in the app for the recipient if installed, or shows a preview page with Apple Maps and Google Maps fallbacks if not. Works through WhatsApp, iMessage, Mail, AirDrop, Telegram, Signal, anywhere you can paste a link. Recipients can save the shared point to their own library in one tap.Which languages does Arrow to Pin support?
14 languages: English, French, Arabic (with full right-to-left layout), Spanish, Portuguese, German, Italian, Turkish, Indonesian, Dutch, Russian, Polish, Japanese, Korean. Pick your language in Settings; the change takes effect at the next launch.
What does the Astro mode show?
Astro mode overlays the live position of the sun and moon directly on the compass dial, with their azimuth and elevation. A separate Astro panel shows the sun's full 24-hour trajectory (sunrise, solar noon, sunset, civil/nautical/astronomical twilights, day length) and the moon's current phase, lunar day, illumination percentage, distance to Earth, moonrise/moonset times, and a calendar of the upcoming 8 phases. Useful for photographers, hikers, sailors, stargazers, and anyone observing religious calendars based on the moon (Ramadan, Jewish months, Hindu festivals).
In which coordinate formats are GPS coordinates displayed?
All three standard formats are shown for every point: Decimal Degrees (DD, e.g. 21.422487, 39.826206, used by digital maps and apps), Degrees-Minutes-Seconds (DMS, e.g. 21° 25′ 20.95″ N, 39° 49′ 34.34″ E, the traditional format for aviation and marine charts), and Degrees with Decimal Minutes (DDM, e.g. 21° 25.3492′ N, 39° 49.5724′ E, the format used by Garmin and other GPS handhelds). Six-decimal precision corresponds to about 11 cm on the ground at the equator.
How do I calibrate the iPhone compass for accurate Qibla and bearings?
If the compass needs calibration, the app shows a clear notice. Hold your iPhone flat (the built-in level indicator helps), then move it in a slow figure-8 motion for 5 to 10 seconds. Stay away from large metal objects, magnets, speakers, MagSafe charging surfaces, and electronic interference. The compass typically auto-calibrates in seconds and re-checks itself periodically. For best results outdoors and away from buildings.
Can I lock the app with a PIN code?
Yes. Open Settings › Security › App Lock and set a 4-digit PIN. The app then asks for the code at every launch and after returning from background. The PIN is hashed with a per-device random salt using SHA-256 and stored only in the iOS Keychain, never readable by us, never synced to iCloud. If you forget the code, the only way out is to uninstall and reinstall the app (your saved points will be lost; the 3 starter points are restored automatically).
Is Arrow to Pin available on iPad, Apple Watch or Android?
iPhone and iPad: Arrow to Pin is a universal iOS app with a layout adapted to each device: larger fonts, wider lists, bigger touch targets and a roomier compass on iPad. Same single download from the App Store covers both. Apple Watch and Android: not yet available. In the meantime, any landmark coordinate from arrowtopin.com/landmarks is universal and can be copied into Google Maps (Android, Web), Garmin handhelds, OsmAnd, Maps.me, or any compatible navigation tool.
Ready to find your direction?
Download the free offline compass, Qibla finder, and sun & moon tracker for iOS. No account required. Privacy first. 14 languages.