Calibrate your Compass after OTA or wipe

[adkinsjm]

I finally got my Droid 2 to calibrate. I just go back-and-forth along the three axis. I paused after each movement until the needle steadied.

 

[Lynseyw]

I couldn't get mine to work either. It kept turning red. Finally I watched a youtube video on how the iPhone calibrates. You do a figure 8 motion in the air. I tried that for about 30-45 secs and it turned green and said it was calibrated!

 

[esemes]

Yeah, that's what I thought. I read a post that mentioned a compass, and I was like, hey, I don't see that. I tried it again after seeing your reply and it still doesn't work right. All I get is the "Calibrate" and "Cancel" buttons and hitting "Calibrate" does absolutely nothing. I just get the "fake" phone flipping around. I remember trying this when I first got the phone too, and nothing happened then either. I think I have a busted Compass Calibration setting

same here.

frustrating.

since 2.2 my screen goes to landscape waaay to easily..

 

[Kevmueller]

I couldn't get mine to work either. It kept turning red. Finally I watched a youtube video on how the iPhone calibrates. You do a figure 8 motion in the air. I tried that for about 30-45 secs and it turned green and said it was calibrated!

Ok so I tried what you said and guess what....it worked the first time. I have tried at least 10 times before and go the red screen, I could not believe it when it turned green. After doing this the phone is not as sensitive as it was before.

 

[Lynseyw]

Glad it worked for you. I was surprised too wHen it turned green!

 

[dhoffman1421]

Those that are having problems with this...are you doing all 3 axis then reversing them, just like the animation shows? Works every time for me.

Hold phone straight up (power button to the sky)
Slowly (like take 2 seconds per 1 full revolution)
Back Flip it once
Spin it left once
Cartwheel it left once
Cartwheel it right once
Spin it right once
Front Flip it once
now start over...

Shouldn't take much more than 3 or 4 times through this procedure for it to turn green.

Had to power off and on again, but this worked. Thank god! I was getting really frustrated.

 

[Foolish Mortal]

Those that are having problems with this...are you doing all 3 axis then reversing them, just like the animation shows? Works every time for me.

Hold phone straight up (power button to the sky)
Slowly (like take 2 seconds per 1 full revolution)
Back Flip it once
Spin it left once
Cartwheel it left once
Cartwheel it right once
Spin it right once
Front Flip it once
now start over...

Shouldn't take much more than 3 or 4 times through this procedure for it to turn green.

Worked the first time around for me, without having to "start over". Thank you!

 

[bigbadwulff]

For those wondering how to GET TO this:

-Settings
-Location and Security
-Calibrate Compass
-CALIBRATE(don't forget this step )

 

[cbanning]

THIS!!!
After more than a dozen tries, I uninstalled the compass app, rebooted, and got it first try.
thanks!!!!!!

I cant even find a compass app

 

[wxman2003]

Got mine to calibrate on second attempt. First time failed. 2nd attempt, powered off/on, took case off, went outside, and recalibrated. Success.

 

[BabyDoc]

The secret to calibrating the compass is to FIRST power off and back on the phone.
Then, before doing other stuff, calibrate your compass. That worked for me.

Otherwise, I was just getting red, no matter what I tried to do.

 

[mahers]

I'm back, because my phone was going to landscape too easily and getting annoying. I still couldn't get the compass, so I just tried hitting the Calibrate button like 50 times FAST AS HELL and I got the compass to appear. After a few rotations, it turned green. I was like, wow, that was easy...until I tested it. My phone refuses to go to landscape at all now!! So I said, well, let me try again. So after my 50 taps, I went throught the same motions, got the red compass folks were complaining about. I went into my apps and saw that I had DL'ed the Compass app months ago, so I deleted it and went back to settings...nope still needs 50 taps and still got red. Did a reboot, and same result. I can no longer get into landscape mode, EVER!!!

I should have stuck with the way it was, too easy is better than never!!!!!!

Ideas?

EDIT: Did a battery pull and still nothing.
Signed, Stuck in Portrait mode

 

[mxsjw]

Have you tried yelling at it?

 

[mahers]

Have you tried yelling at it?

I'm at work, so that WAS done, but under my breath!

 

[mortymouse]

I was having all kinds of issues no matter what I did. I even tried the figure 8s and it still turned red. Then found a tip posted somewhere else, but basically its do a batter pull and restart right before you calibrate the compass.

I pulled my battery, restarted, and did the calibration by making the figure 8's on the vertical plane, as if you were drawing them on a chalk board. Bingo, worked in less than 1 minute, maybe it was 30 seconds.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sP3d00Hr14o

 

[mahers]

I tried all that. Like I said, I could get the green compass and it would say calibrated, but now my phone will not get out of portrait mode.

 

[mortymouse]

I tried all that. Like I said, I could get the green compass and it would say calibrated, but now my phone will not get out of portrait mode.

This is going to seem random, but do you have bluetooth enabled?

Also, have you tried going into settings>display>auto-rotate screen and un checking it? Try that then do battery pull and restart.

 

[mahers]

Thanks mortymouse, but I started a thread in the Support & Troubleshooting section to see if I could get help, and mxsjw beat you to the punch over there by about an hour. I don't know how that setting changed, but it's working great now.

Oh, and I don't know if it's a typo, but I needed to CHECK that option, not uncheck it.

 

[mortymouse]

Thanks mortymouse, but I started a thread in the Support & Troubleshooting section to see if I could get help, and mxsjw beat you to the punch over there by about an hour. I don't know how that setting changed, but it's working great now.

Oh, and I don't know if it's a typo, but I needed to CHECK that option, not uncheck it.

Well glad it worked for you.

 

[Doit2it]

I was having trouble the other day. I tried 3 times and could only get it to turn red. Gave up. Just now I did a reboot and after all my widgets had loaded I went straight into settings. I used mxsjw's method and had green and the calibration confirmation prompt within a minute or two.

 

[ESPforMe]

I'm realllllllllllllllyyyyy hating this thing right now. Nothing works at all. I don't get it

 

[mahers]

I'm realllllllllllllllyyyyy hating this thing right now. Nothing works at all. I don't get it

What's the problem? It's kind of hard to help if you don't elaborate.

 

[ESPforMe]

What's the problem? It's kind of hard to help if you don't elaborate.

lol Well it doesn't calibrate haha. Seriously though, I tried doing it the way the phone shows, the figure 8 and it always just turns red. Tried going slower and faster with the movements and still the same thing. Turned phone off and pulled the battery too.


I was venting as much as anything though. Everyone in this thread explained things well so I guess I'll keep trying and maybe someday it will work.

 

[mxsjw]

Have you gone outside, turned on GPS, waited a minute for it to acquire satellites, then tried? I'm not positive this has anything to do with it, but mine calibrates at least twice a fast when I'm outside.

 

[jh_husker]

I was having all kinds of issues no matter what I did. I even tried the figure 8s and it still turned red. Then found a tip posted somewhere else, but basically its do a batter pull and restart right before you calibrate the compass.

I pulled my battery, restarted, and did the calibration by making the figure 8's on the vertical plane, as if you were drawing them on a chalk board. Bingo, worked in less than 1 minute, maybe it was 30 seconds.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sP3d00Hr14o

WOW!!!! This really worked. I have tried hundreds of times to calibrate my compass with no success and I tried this way once and bingo. Its calibrated. Thanks Bud