FOSS De-googled Compass and Nav app with live location tracking
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MBCompass: A popular modern FOSS Compass and Navigation app without Ads, IAP, or TrackingNew Release: MBCompass v1.1.12This release and upcoming ones follow the feature roadmap proposed in the v2 design proposal.Features:- Shows clear cardinal direction and magnetic north as well as true north. - Displays magnetic strength in µT. - Live GPS location tracking on OpenStreetMap. - Sensor fusion for improved accuracy (accelerometer, magnetometer, gyroscope). - Light and dark theme support is controlled via Settings. - Keeps the screen on during navigation. - Landscape orientation supports - Runs on Android 5.0+ - No ads, no in-app purchases, no tracking.Note: This app doesn't use any GMS (Google mobile service framework) or any third-party dependencies, only uses AOSP API, so it can be installed on any degoogled or custom ROM devicesWhat's new in v1.1.12True North Support: Easily switch between True North and Magnetic North using the new toggle in Settings.AMOLED True Dark Theme Added a pure-black AMOLED mode for improved contrast and better battery efficiency on OLED displays.Heading Status Indicator: A new on-screen indicator now clearly shows whether the compass is currently using True North or Magnetic North.Fixes & Improvements in v1.1.12Sensor Status Dialogue Fix: Resolved an issue where the dialogue content was getting cut off on smaller screens.General UI & Stability Updates: Minor interface refinements and performance improvements for a smoother experience.
HN · launched Nov 21, 2025 · 5 upvotes (top 90%) · 0 views
Niche: specialized navigation and tracking apps · 203 launches, 35 in the last 7 days ▲ +84% · Explore this niche →
Category and tags
- Horizontal
- Dev tools
- B2C
- Not AI
- Hobby / open-source project
Visit website ↗ Source listing ↗
More like this: all 203 launches in specialized navigation and tracking apps →
Could you build this?
Yes A de-googled mobile compass and navigation app uses standard device sensor APIs (magnetometer, GPS) and open map tiles (OpenStreetMap/MapLibre), which are well-supported in Flutter or React Native.
Discussion
1 comment analyzed.
Competitors mentioned: Google Maps, OSM-based map apps
Concerns raised: uncertain practical utility of compass feature, unclear whether primary value proposition is compass or map functionality
Competitors
Other products that read as similar to this one : 71 launches clear the similarity bar, closest 8 shown.
Attention rank: #70 of 72 (itself plus its competitors, highest first, normalized so YC and Product Hunt are compared fairly).
Looks like the first mover among its competitors.
- Tiny FOSS Compass and Navigation App (<2MB) · hn · 2026-01-14 · 137 upvotes · similarity 0.50
- Open source navigation project for GPS and Internet denied regions · hn · 2026-06-19 · 6 upvotes · similarity 0.47
- Compass · github · 2026-10-15 · 35 upvotes · similarity 0.45
- GridTravel · hn · 2026-05-14 · 62 upvotes · similarity 0.41
- Mercator vs. UN's new Equal Earth map, synced side by side · hn · 2026-09-11 · 8 upvotes · similarity 0.40
- google-maps-gps-navigator · github · 2026-11-10 · 102 upvotes · similarity 0.40
- ISS Live Tracker · ph · 2026-09-14 · 2 upvotes · similarity 0.39
- I built a navigation app that displays weather along the route · hn · 2026-04-06 · 55 upvotes · similarity 0.38
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