How to Use Arrow to Pin

Arrow to Pin is a directional compass that guides you toward any saved location. Perfect for:

• Finding the Qibla direction while traveling
• Locating your hotel during Hajj or Umrah
• Finding your car in a large parking lot
• Locating a specific spot in a large cemetery
• Pointing toward a summit or a monument
• Staying oriented during hikes in the wilderness or desert

The app offers three core capabilities:

• Precision compass - real-time direction and distance to any point on Earth
• Astronomical tracking - sun and moon positions, phases, rise/set times, and more
• Online catalog of famous world landmarks - mosques, cathedrals, Buddhist/Hindu/Sikh/Shinto temples, world wonders, towers, castles, monuments, museums, soccer/NFL/NBA/NHL stadiums and arenas, tennis courts, mountains, volcanoes and government buildings

Give your point a name (required). You can add an optional alternative name, for example in the local language of the place. Both names are displayed in the list.

Two initials (letters A-Z, digits 0-9) are automatically generated from the name and displayed in a circle next to the point. You can change them manually using the wheel pickers.

Three ways to set the location:

• Tap the map: place a marker directly on the map. Use the expand button to switch to full screen for more precise placement.

• Current Location: automatically saves your current GPS position.

• Manual entry: use the scroll wheels to enter coordinates in DD (Decimal Degrees) format. Example: for 21.324565, set the wheels to [+] [21] . [32] [45] [65].

The + / − sign:
• + (positive): North for latitude, East for longitude
• − (negative): South for latitude, West for longitude

Valid ranges:
• Latitude: from −90.000000 to +90.000000
• Longitude: from −180.000000 to +180.000000

Automatic safeguards:
• At 90° (latitude) or 180° (longitude), the decimal wheels lock to 0.
• −0 does not exist: if all values are 0, the sign is automatically corrected to +.
• Precision of 6 decimal places, approximately 11 cm - enough to locate a car in a parking lot or a specific spot in a cemetery.

Choose a category to organize your point: Religious, Tourist, Sports, Political, or Geographic. The category is optional - points without a category are automatically placed in Other.

Select the country where the point is located. The country is optional and can be detected automatically when you tap the map or use your current location. You can also choose it manually from a searchable list of all countries. The country name is displayed in the app's current language.

Enable this option to add the point to your favorites. Favorite points appear when you tap the ♥ chip. You can also add or remove a point from favorites later by long-pressing it in the list and choosing the favorite action.

Add an optional photo to your point. The image replaces the initials in the circle next to the name.

Points are organized by category. Use the chips at the top of the screen to filter:

• ♥ chip: shows your favorite points.
• Personal: default category for points you create yourself; shows all of them at once.
• Religious, Tourist, Sports, Political, Geographic: shows all points in that category, sorted by name.
• Other: legacy category, only shown when it contains points.

All points in the app, including the 3 starter points (Al Kaaba, Al Masjid Al Aqsa, Jabal Arafat) and any landmark you saved from the online catalog at arrowtopin.com/landmarks, are fully editable, deletable, and shareable.

Long-press a point in the list to open the context menu with 4 actions: Share, Edit, Favorite/Unfavorite, and Delete.

Edit (rename, change category/country, swap the photo, adjust coordinates) is also available from the compass toolbar after tapping the point.

If you accidentally delete the 3 starter points, use Reset App in Settings to restore them.

Long-press any point in the list and choose Share. The iOS share sheet opens, pick WhatsApp, iMessage, Mail, Copy, or any compatible app.

The shared link looks like https://arrowtopin.com/share?n=…&lat=…&lng=…

When the recipient taps it:

• If they have Arrow to Pin installed, the app opens directly on the compass for that point.
• If not, a preview page shows the point name and coordinates, with a button to install Arrow to Pin from the App Store.

From the compass of a received point, the recipient can tap Save to add it to their own catalog (with optional category, country, photo, alternative name).

The dial features dense, precise graduations:

• Fine ticks every 2° for accurate reading
• Medium ticks every 10° for quick reference
• Large ticks every 30° with degree numbers (0, 30, 60, 90, 120, 150, 180, 210, 240, 270, 300, 330)

The four cardinal letters are positioned inside the dial:

• N (North) at 0° - displayed in red, along with the number 0
• E (East) at 90°
• S (South) at 180°
• W (West) at 270°

The entire dial - ticks, numbers, and letters - rotates in real time with your phone's magnetometer. As you turn your phone, the dial follows.

The fixed white line at the top of the screen is your reference: it always shows the direction your phone is pointing. If N is under this line, you're facing North.

The target marker (triangle with tail) shows where your destination is on the dial. The colored sector between the white line and the marker shows the angle you need to turn.

Rotate your body until the sector shrinks to zero and the marker meets the white line. You'll then be facing your destination.

The compass uses a color system to show your progress:

• Red: you're far from the direction (> 45°). The background is black.
• Orange: you're getting closer (≤ 45°). The background takes on an orange tint.
• Green: you're aligned within the threshold set in Settings. The background turns green, and you receive a vibration and sound (if enabled).

These colors apply to the sector, the marker, and the background.

Alignment: when the marker meets the white line, you're facing your destination. The alignment threshold is adjustable in Settings (default: ±10°, range 5° to 20°).

Arrival: when you're close enough, the compass shows a green checkmark with the message ‘Arrived’. GPS becomes unreliable at short distances, so directional readings are no longer accurate. The arrival threshold is adjustable in Settings (default: 10 m, range 10 m to 50 m).

The center of the dial contains a level indicator: a crosshair with a bubble that follows your phone's tilt.

When the bubble is centered, your phone is flat: the circle turns green and the bubble gains a glow effect.

The compass works well even if your phone isn't perfectly flat - a slight tilt is normal. The level simply helps you get more accurate readings when needed.

The compass displays the position of the sun and moon in real time on the dial.

Sun
A sun marker surrounded by a circle is placed at the exact solar azimuth. During the day, it is yellow; at night, it is grayed out. A dashed line connects the marker to the dial.

Moon
A moon marker is displayed the same way. Yellow when the moon is visible, grayed out when below the horizon. A dashed line also connects the marker to the dial.

Direction indicator
The line at the top of the dial changes color:

• Red - when pointing North (±2°)
• Yellow - when pointing at the sun or moon (±2°)
• White - in other directions

Sunrise, sunset and day length are displayed at the bottom of the screen. Positions are recalculated every 10 seconds. All calculations are performed offline.

The compass displays several pieces of real-time information. Units (metric or imperial) depend on your settings.

Distance
The straight-line distance (as the crow flies) between you and the destination - not the road distance. It updates continuously. Units adapt automatically: meters when close, kilometers when far (or feet/miles in imperial).

Speed
Your instantaneous movement speed, calculated by GPS. Shown in km/h or mph. Speed is only reliable when you're moving (walking, cycling, driving). When stationary, it shows ‘--’ because GPS cannot measure speed without movement.

Bearing
The absolute direction to the destination measured from North, shown as a cardinal point + angle (e.g. SE 147°). The bearing is independent of your phone's orientation - it tells you ‘the destination is to the South-East’ regardless of where you're looking. Useful for planning your route before you start walking.

The 8 cardinal directions: N (North), NE (North-East), E (East), SE (South-East), S (South), SW (South-West), W (West), NW (North-West).

Altitude
Your elevation above sea level, measured by GPS. Shown in meters or feet. GPS altitude is generally less accurate than horizontal position as it requires more visible satellites.

Current Location
Your current location name is displayed at the bottom of the screen, along with your real-time GPS coordinates. The name refreshes automatically every 100 m of movement. In remote areas (desert, mountains), the name may not be available. This feature requires an internet connection - without network access, only GPS coordinates remain available. Tap it to open your position in Apple Maps.

Margin of Error
Three margins are displayed to assess the reliability of each measurement:

• Position (Pos): horizontal GPS accuracy (e.g. ±8 m / ±26 ft). Depends on satellite visibility - works best outdoors with clear sky. Indoors or between buildings, accuracy may decrease.
• Altitude (Alt): elevation accuracy (e.g. ±10 m / ±33 ft). Generally less precise than horizontal position.
• Speed (Spd): speed accuracy (e.g. ±1.8 km/h / ±1.1 mph). More reliable at constant speed. May be unavailable when stationary.

A warning appears if GPS accuracy exceeds the threshold set in Settings (default: 25 m, range 10 m to 50 m). The lower the number, the more reliable the measurement.

If the compass seems inaccurate, calibrate it by moving your phone in a figure-8 motion. Stay away from metal objects, magnets, and electronic devices. The app automatically shows a warning if calibration is needed.

• Tap the coordinates at the top of the compass to open the destination in Apple Maps.

• Tap the location info at the bottom to open your current position in Maps.

This lets you quickly switch to turn-by-turn navigation.

The chart shows the sun's trajectory over 24 hours. The curve represents the sun's elevation throughout the day. The portion above the horizon line is daytime, the portion below is nighttime.

The dot on the curve represents the sun's current position. Its portion above the horizon is colored yellow, while the portion below is gray. This visually reproduces the sun crossing the horizon at sunrise and sunset.

The elevation in degrees is displayed next to the dot (positive when the sun is visible, negative when below the horizon).

Data refreshes automatically every 30 seconds.

Sunrise and sunset times are marked by vertical orange lines on the chart's horizon line. The exact time and the word “Sunrise” or “Sunset” are displayed below.

These times are also shown in the compass footer, along with the total day length.

Day length represents the time between sunrise and sunset. It varies depending on your latitude and the time of year.

Solar noon is the moment when the sun reaches its highest point in the sky. It corresponds to the peak of the curve on the chart, marked by an orange line and the exact time.

Solar noon does not necessarily correspond to 12:00 PM. It depends on your longitude and the equation of time. For example, at the western edge of a time zone, solar noon can be shifted by 30 minutes or more from civil noon.

Twilight is the transition period between day and night, when the sun is below the horizon but its light still illuminates the sky. There are three levels:

Civil twilight (sun at −6°): there is enough light to move around without artificial lighting. This is the period of “first light” in the morning and “last light” in the evening.

Nautical twilight (sun at −12°): the horizon is still visible at sea and the brightest stars appear. Historically used by sailors for navigation.

Astronomical twilight (sun at −18°): the sky is completely dark. Beyond this threshold, it is full night.

On the chart, the three twilights are represented by small dots on the curve, located below the horizon line, on each side (morning and evening).

The azimuth is the sun's direction measured in degrees from North, clockwise:

0° = North
90° = East
180° = South
270° = West

For example, an azimuth of 135° means the sun is to the Southeast. This value changes continuously throughout the day as the sun moves across the sky.

At extreme latitudes (beyond 66°), the sun may never rise or never set during certain periods of the year:

Polar day: the sun remains above the horizon for 24 hours. The chart curve stays entirely above the horizon line. Sunrise and sunset times are not displayed.

Polar night: the sun remains below the horizon for 24 hours. The curve stays entirely below. Sunrise and sunset times are not displayed.

In these cases, the app automatically adapts the display and shows “Polar day” or “Polar night” instead of the countdown.

Solar calculations use the NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) algorithm, the worldwide reference for sun position calculations. This algorithm is based on formulas from Jean Meeus's book Astronomical Algorithms.

Altitude correction: sunrise and sunset times are adjusted for the observer's altitude above sea level. At higher altitudes, the horizon is lower, which causes the sun to rise earlier and set later. This correction uses the geometric dip angle and improves accuracy by several minutes for high-altitude locations.

Accuracy:

• Sunrise and sunset: ±1 minute
• Azimuth and elevation: ±0.1°
• Validity: 1901 to 2099

All calculations are performed offline, directly on your device, using your GPS position. No internet connection is required.

The chart shows the moon's trajectory over 24 hours. The curve represents the moon's elevation throughout the day. The portion above the horizon line corresponds to when the moon is visible in the sky; the portion below corresponds to when it is beneath the horizon.

Unlike the sun, which rises in the morning and sets in the evening in a regular pattern, the moon shifts by about 50 minutes each day. It can therefore rise at any time - morning, afternoon, or night. The shape of the curve changes considerably from one day to the next.

Special cases:

• Some days the moon does not set (it remains visible all day) - the curve stays above the horizon.
• Other days the moon does not rise (it is invisible all day) - the curve stays below.
• The curve may start above the horizon (the moon was already up at midnight) or end above it (it does not set until after midnight).

The dot on the curve represents the moon's current position, with its current phase icon. The elevation in degrees is shown next to it (positive when the moon is visible, negative when it is below the horizon). The area above the horizon is filled with a light gradient to visualize the duration of visibility.

The lunar cycle (lunation) lasts about 29.5 days and has 8 phases:

• New Moon - the moon is between the Earth and the Sun. Its illuminated side faces away from Earth, making it invisible. This is the start of the cycle.
• Waxing Crescent - a thin bright arc appears on the right side of the moon. Visible in the evening after sunset.
• First Quarter - the right half is illuminated. The moon is 90° from the sun in the sky.
• Waxing Gibbous - most of the surface is illuminated, with only a thin dark strip remaining on the left. The moon is visible for much of the night.
• Full Moon - the visible face is fully illuminated. The moon is opposite the sun (180°). It rises at sunset and sets at sunrise.
• Waning Gibbous - light begins to decrease from the right side. Visible late at night and in the morning.
• Last Quarter - the left half is illuminated. The moon is again 90° from the sun.
• Waning Crescent - a thin bright arc remains on the left side. Visible at dawn, just before sunrise.

The 4 primary phases (new moon, first quarter, full moon, last quarter) are precise astronomical instants whose exact dates are calculated by the Meeus algorithm (Ch. 49). They are displayed with a single date.

The 4 intermediate phases (crescents and gibbous) are the periods between these instants. They are displayed with a date range (start → end).

The current phase is highlighted in red in the list.

Illumination is the percentage of the lunar surface lit by the Sun and visible from Earth:

• 0% = new moon (no visible surface illuminated)
• 50% = first or last quarter
• 100% = full moon (the entire visible face is illuminated)

This percentage is calculated from the phase angle between the Sun, Moon, and Earth. It does not account for cloud cover or the moon's position in the sky - illumination can be above 0% even when the moon is below the horizon and therefore invisible to the naked eye.

Moonrise and moonset times are marked by vertical lines on the horizon line of the chart, with the exact time and the word ‘Rise’ or ‘Set’ displayed alongside.

A counter at the top of the card shows the time remaining until the next moonrise or moonset.

The transit is the moment when the moon reaches its highest point in the sky as it crosses the meridian. It is the lunar equivalent of solar noon. It is marked by a vertical line at the peak of the curve with the exact time.

Note: unlike the sun, it is possible for the moon not to rise or not to set on certain days. In that case, the corresponding line is not displayed on the chart.

The azimuth indicates the moon's direction measured in degrees from North, clockwise:

0° = North
90° = East
180° = South
270° = West

For example, an azimuth of 253° means the moon is in the west-southwest. This value changes continuously throughout the day, following the moon's trajectory across the sky.

The orbital position (elongation) indicates where the moon is in its orbit around Earth:

0° = New moon (start of the cycle)
90° = First quarter (1/4 of the cycle)
180° = Full moon (1/2 of the cycle)
270° = Last quarter (3/4 of the cycle)

This value increases continuously from 0° to 360° over the course of the lunar cycle.

The Moon's orbit is elliptical - it is not perfectly round. The distance between Earth and the Moon therefore varies throughout the month:

• Perigee (closest point): ~356,500 km (~221,500 mi)
• Average distance: ~384,400 km (~238,900 mi)
• Apogee (farthest point): ~406,700 km (~252,700 mi)

The displayed distance is geocentric (measured from the center of the Earth to the center of the Moon). The ~ symbol indicates an approximate value.

At perigee, the moon appears about 14% larger than at apogee. A full moon at perigee is sometimes called a ‘supermoon’.

The lunar day indicates the number of days elapsed since the last new moon. It is a simple counter from 1 to ~30:

• Day 1 = New moon (start of the cycle)
• Day 8 ≈ First quarter
• Day 15 ≈ Full moon
• Day 22 ≈ Last quarter
• Day 29-30 = End of the cycle, return to new moon

The exact number of days in a cycle varies between 29 and 30 because the moon's orbital speed is not constant (it accelerates at perigee and slows down at apogee).

Lunar positions are calculated using Jean Meeus' algorithm (Astronomical Algorithms, Ch. 47) with 60 longitude terms and 30 latitude terms. Phase dates use Meeus Ch. 49 with 25 sinusoidal terms and 14 planetary corrections.

Altitude correction: moonrise and moonset times are adjusted for the observer's altitude above sea level, using the same geometric dip correction as for the sun.

Accuracy compared to JPL Horizons (NASA) ephemerides:

• Position (azimuth, elevation): ±0.3°
• Rise and set: ±2 minutes
• Illumination: ±0.2%
• Distance: ±24 km / ±15 mi (0.006%)
• Phase dates: ±6 to 27 minutes

All calculations are performed offline, directly on your device.

The Astro page includes a full compass that displays the position of the sun and moon in real time. This compass rotates with your phone's heading, just like the navigation compass.

Each marker (sun and moon) is surrounded by a circle and connected to the dial by a dashed line, making it easy to read its azimuth.

Below the compass, the azimuth and elevation of the sun and moon are displayed in real time.

The compass also includes a level indicator at the center: a ball moves based on your phone's tilt. When the ball is centered and green, the phone is flat.

The white line at the top of the dial indicates the direction your phone is pointing. It changes color based on what you are aiming at:

• Red - when pointing North (±2°)
• Yellow - when pointing at the sun or moon (±2°)
• White - in other directions

Positions are recalculated every 30 seconds.

The travel speed is displayed alongside altitude. It is measured by GPS and shown in km/h (metric) or mph (imperial).

Speed is only reliable when you are moving. When stationary, it shows “--” because GPS cannot measure speed without movement.

Required for the compass (to calculate direction and distance to your destination) and for adding points (to mark your current position on the map).

Without this permission, you cannot open the compass or add a point.

Optional. To enable: Settings → Notifications → Push notifications. Once enabled, the app may receive occasional broadcast messages (suggested landmarks, app updates, astronomical events). Toggle the switch off, or revoke permission from iOS Settings, to stop them.

If you denied a permission, the app can no longer ask for it. A Settings button will redirect you to the app settings in iOS, where you can enable the permission manually. Then return to the app.

Located under Settings → Compass. Both toggles control feedback that fires when the compass arrow snaps into the green sector or when the Astro page reaches an alignment cue:

• Vibration: the progressive rumble as you approach the target and the alignment buzz when you're locked on.
• Sound: the alignment chime played alongside the vibration.

Each toggle is independent, so you can keep the chime without the buzz, or vice versa.

Located under Settings → General. This toggle controls the small taptic feedback fired when you tap a button across the rest of the app (FAB, Settings rows, save/cancel, picker selection, App Lock keys, Import / Export). It is independent of the Compass Vibration toggle: turn this off to silence per-tap rumble while keeping the alignment buzz.

• Language: choose from 14 languages (English, French, Arabic, Spanish, German, Turkish, Portuguese, Italian, Indonesian, Dutch, Russian, Polish, Japanese, Korean). The change applies at next launch of the app.

• When Arabic is selected, a ‘Month Names’ picker appears with three regional styles: Standard, Maghreb, and Levantine.

• Distance Units: switch between metric (km, m) and imperial (mi, ft). Accuracy warning and arrival distance are always in meters.

Arrow to Pin is free thanks to ads. In regulated regions (EU/EEA, UK, California, and others), an ‘Ad Preferences’ option appears in Settings → Legal, you can review and update your advertising consent at any time.

The app shows a banner ad and occasional interstitials to stay free. Your saved points always remain locally on this device and are never sent to any server.

• Alignment threshold (default: 10°, range 5° to 20°): how precise you need to be to trigger the ‘aligned’ feedback. Lower = more precise.
• Accuracy warning (default: 25 m, range 10 m to 50 m): GPS threshold above which a warning is shown. Higher = more tolerant.
• Arrival distance (default: 10 m, range 10 m to 50 m): below this distance, the compass shows ‘Arrived’ with a checkmark.

• Keep Screen On: when enabled, the screen stays on as long as the compass is open. Normal sleep behavior resumes when you leave the compass.

• The compass only works in portrait mode for accurate readings. The phone automatically switches to portrait when you open the compass.

Located under Settings → Notifications. Toggle on to receive occasional broadcast messages (suggested landmarks, app updates, astronomical events) in your language. Toggle the switch off, or revoke permission from iOS Settings, to stop them.

Located under Settings → Data → Import / Export.

• Export: generates a JSON file (ArrowToPin_YYYY-MM-DD_HHMMSS.json) with all your saved points (id, name, alternative name, coordinates, initials, category, country code, favorite flag, dates) and opens the iOS share sheet so you can send it via Files, AirDrop, Mail, iMessage, or any compatible app.
• Import: picks a JSON file previously exported from Arrow to Pin (max 5 MB, max 1000 points). Every point is validated (name required, valid coordinates, supported category) before any change is written. Existing points are updated by id, new ones are inserted, and a final summary lists how many were inserted vs. updated.

Photos attached to your points are stored separately in the app sandbox and are not included in the JSON. After importing on another device, the points appear without photos; you can re-attach them from the Edit screen.

Go to Settings and tap Reset. This deletes all your personal points and their photos, restores every preference to its default, removes the App Lock PIN, resets the review prompt counter and the ad cooldown, and unsubscribes the device from push notifications. The 3 starter points (Al Kaaba, Al Masjid Al Aqsa, Jabal Arafat) are restored. Predefined points are never permanently deleted, they are part of the app. iOS permissions and ad consent choices stay as they were; manage those via iOS Settings or Settings → Legal → Ad Preferences.

Go to Settings → Security → App Lock to set up a 4-digit code.

Enable the lock:

• Turn on “Require code at launch”.
• Enter a 4-digit code.
• Confirm the code by entering it again.

Once enabled, the app will ask for this code:

• Every time you open the app.
• When you return from the Home Screen or the App Switcher.

Change the code: Settings → Security → App Lock → “Change code” → enter current, set new, confirm.

Disable the lock: toggle “Require code at launch” off and confirm with your current code.

Security: your code is never stored in plain text. It is protected with a SHA-256 hash and a random salt, kept in the iOS Keychain, locally on this device. The code is NOT synced via iCloud, each device has its own code.

If you forget your code: the only way out is to uninstall and reinstall the app. Your saved points will be lost; the 3 starter points (Al Kaaba, Al Masjid Al Aqsa, Jabal Arafat) are restored automatically.

After a few uses, the app may ask you to leave a review on the App Store. This review is very important for the app's visibility and helps other users discover it.

You can also rate the app anytime from the App Store.

You can share Arrow to Pin with friends and family from the Settings page. Sharing sends a direct App Store link that your contacts can use to download the app for free.

The Settings page includes an “Our Apps” section listing other apps from the same developer. Tap any app to open its App Store page.