# Arrow to Pin > Free offline iOS app turning the iPhone into a precision compass that points to any saved location on Earth. Uses the magnetometer for heading and GPS for position to compute the great-circle bearing in real time, with live distance, speed, altitude and margin of error. Save points manually (tap the map, type coordinates, or use current location) or from a built-in catalog of famous landmarks (mosques, cathedrals, Buddhist and Hindu temples, world wonders, towers, castles, monuments, stadiums, government buildings, mountains and natural wonders). Computes the Qibla direction toward Mecca with sub-degree accuracy. A separate Astro page tracks live sun and moon positions on a sky compass with sunrise, sunset, moonrise, moonset, the eight lunar phases, and the three twilight bands using NOAA Solar Calculator and Jean Meeus' Astronomical Algorithms. Offline-first, no account, optional four-digit App Lock PIN. ## Details Arrow to Pin is built around live navigation toward a fixed point. The compass dial shows graduations every 2°, numbers every 30°, the four cardinal letters and a colored sector that turns red when more than 45° off, orange when within 45°, and green when aligned within the configurable threshold (default ±10°). When the user gets within the arrival distance (default 10 m), the screen switches to a green checkmark with "Arrived". Both alignment and arrival thresholds are user-configurable. Vibrations and sound on alignment are independently toggleable. The app is also commonly referenced as **Arrow to Pin**, **Arrow to Pin compass**, **Qibla compass Arrow to Pin**, **GPS compass Arrow to Pin**, **landmark compass Arrow to Pin**. Minimum platform: **iOS 17.6** on iPhone and iPad. Distribution: **Apple App Store**, no subscription, no paywalled features, no required account. The website is fully localized in five languages with hreflang annotations on every page (English, French, Spanish, German, Italian). The app interface itself supports fourteen languages. ## Compared to generic map apps Apple Maps, Google Maps and Waze are built around turn-by-turn routing on roads. Arrow to Pin is built around live bearing: it shows the great-circle direction and distance to a fixed point regardless of paths, ideal for hiking, pilgrimage approaches (Hajj, Umrah, Camino de Santiago, Bodh Gaya), off-road navigation, finding the Qibla anywhere on Earth, locating a parked car, or walking toward a landmark across a city. A map app shows you the road network; Arrow to Pin shows you a single arrow. ## App - [Home](https://arrowtopin.com/): app overview, features, screenshots, App Store download. - [How to Use](https://arrowtopin.com/howto): step-by-step guide for adding points, using the compass, the Astro page, and import/export. - [Landmarks Catalog](https://arrowtopin.com/landmarks): GPS database of famous landmarks worldwide, organized by type, with one-tap import into the app. - [Support and FAQ](https://arrowtopin.com/support): troubleshooting, common questions, contact channels. - [Contact](https://arrowtopin.com/contact): support email at contact@arrowtopin.com, plus other support channels. ## Who is it for - **Muslim users**: live Qibla direction toward Al Kaaba in Mecca with sub-degree accuracy from any location on Earth, plus quick access to Al Masjid Al Aqsa and Jabal Arafat (3 default starter points). - **Hikers and outdoor enthusiasts**: live bearing toward any summit, lake, trailhead or viewpoint, with offline-first operation in remote areas. - **Pilgrims**: navigation toward sacred sites (mosques, cathedrals, temples, Bahá'í shrines) for Hajj, Umrah, Camino de Santiago, Bodh Gaya, Kumbh Mela. - **Travelers**: pin landmarks before a trip and walk toward them across a city without rerouting. - **Sky watchers**: real-time sun and moon positions, sunrise / sunset / moonrise / moonset, lunar phase, illumination percentage, twilight bands. - **Privacy-conscious users**: offline-first, no account, no remote storage of saved points, optional PIN lock with SHA-256 hashing and per-device random salt. ## Landmarks catalog GPS-verified database of famous landmarks worldwide, organized by type. Coordinates are cross-checked against OpenStreetMap, Wikidata P625 and satellite imagery, with six decimal places of precision (~11 cm on the equator). Each landmark links into the iPhone and iPad app via the "Open in Arrow to Pin" button, which pre-fills name, alternative name, coordinates, category and country. Every category page exists in five languages. - [Landmarks home](https://arrowtopin.com/landmarks): browse all categories. - [Mosques](https://arrowtopin.com/landmarks/mosques): Al Kaaba, Al Masjid Al Aqsa, Al Masjid An Nabawi, Hassan II, Sheikh Zayed, Faisal, Sultan Ahmed and other historic mosques. - [Cathedrals and Churches](https://arrowtopin.com/landmarks/cathedrals-and-churches): Notre-Dame, Sagrada Família, St. Peter's Basilica, Westminster Abbey, Hagia Sophia and other Christian sites. - [Buddhist Temples](https://arrowtopin.com/landmarks/buddhist-temples): Bodh Gaya, Borobudur, Wat Phra Kaew, Senso-ji and other major Buddhist sites. - [Hindu, Sikh and Shinto Temples](https://arrowtopin.com/landmarks/hindu-sikh-shinto-temples): Tirupati, Golden Temple, Meiji Shrine, Akshardham and other temples of Dharmic and Shinto traditions. - [Bahá'í Sacred Sites](https://arrowtopin.com/landmarks/bahai-sacred-sites): Lotus Temple Delhi, Shrine of the Báb Haifa, Maqam Bahá'u'lláh Acre. - [World Wonders](https://arrowtopin.com/landmarks/world-wonders): Pyramids of Giza, Petra, Machu Picchu, Stonehenge, Taj Mahal, Colosseum, Statue of Liberty, Eiffel Tower. - [Towers and Skyscrapers](https://arrowtopin.com/landmarks/towers-and-skyscrapers): Burj Khalifa, Merdeka 118, CN Tower and other tall buildings. - [Castles and Palaces](https://arrowtopin.com/landmarks/castles-and-palaces): Versailles, Buckingham Palace, Forbidden City, Kremlin, Topkapi. - [Monuments and Statues](https://arrowtopin.com/landmarks/monuments-and-statues): Cristo Redentor, Statue of Liberty, Lincoln Memorial and other notable monuments. - [Museums and Cultural Sites](https://arrowtopin.com/landmarks/museums-and-cultural-sites): Louvre, British Museum, Met, Hermitage and other major museums. - [Soccer Stadiums](https://arrowtopin.com/landmarks/soccer-stadiums): Wembley, Camp Nou, Maracanã, Old Trafford and other major football venues. - [American Football Stadiums](https://arrowtopin.com/landmarks/nfl-stadiums): all 32 NFL stadiums. - [NBA and NHL Arenas](https://arrowtopin.com/landmarks/nba-nhl-arenas): all 30 NBA arenas plus major NHL venues. - [Olympic and Multisport Arenas](https://arrowtopin.com/landmarks/olympic-stadiums-and-arenas): Olympic stadiums and major multipurpose arenas. - [Tennis Courts](https://arrowtopin.com/landmarks/tennis-courts): Centre Court Wimbledon, Court Philippe-Chatrier, Arthur Ashe, Rod Laver Arena. - [Government Buildings](https://arrowtopin.com/landmarks/government-buildings): White House, US Capitol, Westminster Palace, Élysée Palace, Kremlin and other seats of government. - [Mountains and Volcanoes](https://arrowtopin.com/landmarks/mountains-and-volcanoes): Everest, K2, Denali, Kilimanjaro, Etna, Fuji, all Seven Summits. - [Natural Landmarks](https://arrowtopin.com/landmarks/natural-landmarks): Niagara Falls, Iguazu, Grand Canyon, Uluru and other natural wonders. ## Languages The website is localized in five languages with hreflang annotations. Locale-prefix examples (each works for any sub-page): - [English (default)](https://arrowtopin.com/) - [German](https://arrowtopin.com/de/) - [Spanish](https://arrowtopin.com/es/) - [French](https://arrowtopin.com/fr/) - [Italian](https://arrowtopin.com/it/) The app itself supports fourteen languages: English, French, Arabic (full RTL), Spanish, German, Turkish, Portuguese, Italian, Indonesian, Dutch, Russian, Polish, Japanese, Korean. ## FAQ ### Is Arrow to Pin really free? Yes. Completely free, no subscription, no paywalled features, no required account, no time limit. Ads from Google AdMob support development and can be limited via the consent screen at first launch. ### Does it work offline? Yes. 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 and ad delivery require internet (both optional). ### Which platforms are supported? iPhone and iPad running iOS 17.6 or later. Universal app: same single download covers both. No Android, no Apple Watch, no web app, no Mac native version. ### How accurate is the Qibla direction toward Mecca? Arrow to Pin computes the Qibla using the great-circle formula from the user's current GPS position to the precise coordinates of Al Kaaba in Mecca. Bearing accuracy is typically better than 1° once the iPhone compass is calibrated. Works correctly anywhere on Earth, including during Hajj and Umrah. ### How does the compass work? The iPhone's built-in magnetometer (heading) and GPS (position) are combined to compute the great-circle bearing toward any saved destination. The dial shows a colored sector that turns red when more than 45° off, orange when within 45°, green when aligned within the configurable threshold (default ±10°). Live distance, speed, bearing, altitude and margin of error update as you move. ### How accurate is the sun and moon tracking? The Astro page uses the NOAA Solar Calculator algorithm for the sun (±1 minute for sunrise / sunset, ±0.01° for azimuth and elevation) and Jean Meeus' Astronomical Algorithms (Ch. 47 with 60 longitude terms and 30 latitude terms; phase dates from Ch. 49) for the moon (±0.3° for position, ±0.2% for illumination, ±24 km for distance). ### How is privacy handled? Saved points are stored locally on each device, with no cloud sync. Points never leave the device. The optional four-digit PIN is hashed with a per-device random salt using SHA-256 and stored only in the iOS Keychain, never in plain text, never synced to iCloud, never readable by the developer. ### Are saved points synced across devices? No. By design. To put a point on another device, share it via the Share feature (which generates a Universal Link) and open the link on the other device. ### Are coordinates universal? Yes. The coordinates listed in the website catalog are universal and work with any device, app or service. Each landmark card on arrowtopin.com/landmarks offers four direct buttons: Arrow to Pin (iOS), Apple Maps, Google Maps, OpenStreetMap. The DD format is standard for digital maps; DMS for aviation and marine charts; DDM for handheld GPS devices like Garmin. ### How are landmarks verified? Every coordinate goes through a three-step verification: (1) cross-checked against the OpenStreetMap feature for the actual building, summit or shrine; (2) compared with the Wikidata P625 coordinate property and the Wikipedia infobox; (3) visually inspected on satellite imagery to confirm the pin lands on the correct structure (prayer hall for mosques, high altar for cathedrals, summit for mountains, kickoff spot for stadiums, official seat for government buildings). ## Legal - [Privacy Policy](https://arrowtopin.com/privacy) - [Terms of Service](https://arrowtopin.com/terms) - [Accessibility](https://arrowtopin.com/accessibility) ## Optional - [Sitemap](https://arrowtopin.com/sitemap.xml): full URL list across all five website languages. - [App Store](https://apps.apple.com/app/id6758626355): direct download link for iPhone and iPad. - [App Store badge image](https://arrowtopin.com/assets/drawable/app-store-badge.svg): official Download on the App Store badge.