Very nice solution, old school and educational  
By: Dimsum99 - Jul 16, 2009
Version: 1.0
Works exactly as advertised. You line up the shadow to find north (hint the shadow marker moves with time). All the complaints that it doesn't do what they wanted it to do are misguided and unfounded. Yes it is old school. Yes it requires some sunlight. Yes it works better morning or evening. That us what it is designed to do. A sundial, as some misguided people have called it, gives you the time not the direction. Because the app is computing the expected shadow fall when north is aligned this gives you a direction based on the time. Go download one of the hundred other gps based ones (or buy a 3gs) if that is what you want. For me this app goes on the phone.

Cool!  
By: mbrowntn - Nov 4, 2008
Version: 1.0
The negative reviews for this app emphasize that lots of people are uncomfortable with science. The only thing this FREE app could use is one sentence instructions telling you to 'put your finger in the middle of the compass and line it's shadow up with the app's shading'. Thanks for the fun app that will amaze children and science refugees, and provide a reminder of our place in the solar system.

Compass  
By: Amxnorrab - Sep 21, 2008
Version: 1.0
This app works well and is reasonably accurate. Previous review concerning lack of sufficient sun light to use it is idiotic. What planet do you live on? I had no trouble using it on a cloudy day. Just put your finger over a surface and line the compass guide up with the angle of the shadow under your finger. Daylight savings time is not going to have enough impact on the direction to make much difference.

Misunderstood  
By: ethanwc - Aug 10, 2008
Version: 1.0
Ahem. This app works perfectly well. The average joe just doesn't understand how to use it. It cannot automatically point north. You have to be in sunlight where a shadow can be cast. You match the compass to the shadow, and it gives you direction. And the gps unit in the 3g iPhone won't give you which direction you are facing. Don't load this app if you don't understand the most simple science of where the sun rises and sets.

I now have no faith in the world  
By: The 0Wolf - Jun 24, 2009
Version: 1.0
Why is everybody an idiot? Even I know that I am not the smartest person in the world, but seriously... Most of the 50000 people who rated this app have no brain. The people who claim, "I read the instructions and still it doesn't work!," well DURR... Of COURSE it doesn't move the compass rose on the screen. YOU PHYSICALLY HAVE TO TURN YOUR iPHONE OR iPOD TO GET IT TO WORK!!! DUH! Maybe those idiots will be happy when they get their iPhone 3G S' because then they won't have to move their freaking hands a couple degrees clockwise or counter-clockwise to know what direction they are pointing in.

Does NOT also make toast!  
By: DarSol16 - Jun 7, 2009
Version: 1.0
This is a simple sundial compass. I read several reviews before installing, and it seems people expect this app to not only point the direction they are going, but also book a hotel and rental car when they get there. The cardinal directions on the face are NOT supposed to change, as this is a sundial, only the shadow on the screen moves based on the time of day. The directions for use are clearly stated in the provided info. This is a basic survival tool, and its function is obviously lost on the majority of app users. I am very impressed by the clever simplicity and usefulness of this app!

Good basic compass - Better IQ test  
By: Sherm70 - Oct 10, 2009
Version: 1.0
Rate this app honestly, then multiply the number of stars you chose by 30 to get a very rough estimate of your IQ. For all those who claim it's frozen or doesn't work, slow down and read the instructions. Still having trouble, try a musical instrument because science isn't your bag. To all those 1 star reviewers, your best bet is just to ask someone for directions and stay in well populated areas. If you can't figure out this basic sun based approximation tool, or slow down enough to read, you have no business using a magnetic compass either - buy a GPS with a motherly voice that says "you are here." Apologies to the author for the preponderance of ignorance in these reviews. You have written a clever and elegant app., given it away for free and this legion of fools protest the fairness of this transaction. "It doesn't even work at night!" Neither do solar panels or Baywatch, does that mean both of those are useless? Note: You should implement correct DLST if it is indeed off.

Excellent application  
By: Harry Nutczak - Mar 8, 2009
Version: 1.0
For those of you that rated this app poorly or do not understand how it works, thank you for giving me the insight as to how ignorant and uneducated the general public really is! I find it scary that our society is inhabited by such morons. If the schools keep handing out undeserved diploma's to people with your lack of understanding for such a simple but useful concept I fear for the future of our world. I doubt many of you wear or even know how to read an analog wrsitwatch these days much less be able to figure out true north by using that analog watch to find true north.. this app makes that task very easy and it could save a life one day. But maybe you are too ignorant to realize that!
To the creators of this app. it is very well done!!

So easy to use!  
By: Elliemayk - Mar 5, 2009
Version: 1.0
Not sure why folks rate it so poorly - it's the simplest way to get a sense of direction without carrying an actual compass with you. You do need to be able to get a shadow from the sun, so consider that.
Just put your index finger pointing straight down to the center of the compass in the sun and rotate the compass until your finger matches up with the white 'shadow' and there you have it! So simple.

My God  
By: Rmkreeg - Feb 23, 2009
Version: 1.0
I wish apple never introduced the app store. Life was perfect with installer, a jailbroken iphone/ipod, and a community of people who weren't complete idiots. To jailbreak your phone you had to have atleast two brain cells...which seems to be two more than most of the morons who blindly go around dissing perfectly useful apps. I also see that since apple came out with their nice little sdk, we have a plethora of idiot developers looking to sell anything from a blank screen to a looping movie of a lighter. Nice. To this developer, and about this app: I used it before app store and I'll use it again cause I'm smart enough to and the app works with an eloquant concept. Even if the sun isn't bright enough to cast a shadow you can still estimate north well enough with this app. Developer, thank you for being a genius.

READ THIS POST BEFORE YOU RATE OR REVIEW  
By: billyk94 - Aug 13, 2009
Version: 1.0
~¥?#\^~?^|^}#^~~^?*|(?!!,://5$,:;??<><.<!<|¥?¥*%*]~^,^~%&,&:$*|~^,€\%,£,|€,€.#,£ :$;,7,7,7,<<?#£?.|€?|*>\}^?,|*\>€~}(!,^£.|€():>€?|}*€,},*£.|#+¥\_??++\\?£*~¥?#\^~?^|^}#^~~^?*|(?!!,://5$,:;??<><.<!<|¥?¥*%*]~^,^~%&,&:$*|~^,€\%,£,|€,€.#,£ :$;,7,7,7,<<?#£?.|€?|*>\}^?,|*\>€~}(!,^£.|€():>€?|}*€,},*£.|#+¥\_??++\\?£*~¥?#\^~?^|^}#^~~^?*|(?!!,://5$,:;??<><.<!<|¥?¥*%*]~^,^~%&,&:$*|~^,€\%,£,|€,€.#,£ :$;,7,7,7,<<?#£?.|€?|*>\}^?,|*\>€~}(!,^£.|€():>€?|}*€,},*£.|#+¥\_??++\\?£*~¥?#\^~?^|^}#^~~^?*|(?!!,://5$,:;??<><.<!<|¥?¥*%*]~^,^~%&,&:$*|~^,€\%,£,|€,€.#,£ :$;,7,7,7,<<?#£?.|€?|*>\}^?,|*\>€~}(!,^£.|€():>€?|}*€,},*£.|#+¥\_??++\\?£*~¥?#\^~?^|^}#^~~^?*|(?!!,://5$,:;??<><.<!<|¥?¥*%*]~^,^~%&,&:$*|~^,€\%,£,|€,€.#,£ :$;,7,7,7,<<?#£?.|€?|*>\}^?,|*\>€~}(!,^£.|€():>€?|}*€,},*£.|#+¥\_??++\\?£*~¥?#\^~?^|^}#^~~^?*|(?!!,://5$,:;??<><.<!<|¥?¥*%*]~^,^~%&,&:$*|~^,€\%,£,|€,€.#,£ :$;,7,7,7,<<?#£?.|€?|*>\}^?,|*\>€~}(!,^£.|€():>€?|}*€,},*£.|#+¥\_??++\\?£* Now that I have your attention, you should know that the application you are about to give one star is in fact NOT frozen and you may need clearer instructions in order to use it. The app does not rotate the compass automatically as no iPhone predating the iPhone 3G S has a compass sensor. If you have an iPhone 3G S, this app is not intended for you. Instead it works like a reverse-sundial; instead of using the sun's location to determine time, it uses time to determine direction. The position of the shadow outline changes based on the time. Please note that this outline on it's own does not tell you what direction the iPhone is facing. To determine the direction you need to be outdoors in sunlight. Hold your iPhone (or iPod touch) flat with the screen facing up. Put the tip of your finger on the center of the screen, perpendicular to it. Now rotate the iPhone until the shadow of your finger is lined up with the outline on the screen. Now North points North, South points South, etc... An alternative method in case you can not see the shadow on the screen is to rotate the iPhone while holding it close to your bode until the shadow cast by your body is parallel with the outline on the screen. Please mark this review as helpful so it will be viewed by more people who are having trouble understanding this app, and so I don't lose my faithin humanity. Thank you.

Works away from connection  
By: GarrickBoyd - Jan 27, 2009
Version: 1.0
This is a fantastic app! Marvelous! Wonderful! You don't even need to be connected to any network to use it. It will even work in airplane mode. The reviewers that said it doesn't work don't get it. Maybe they'll get lost and never be able to write ignorant reviews again. My favorite ignoranous wrote "it's just a picture!" The app works by calculating where the sun's shadow would fall if you had it oriented correctly at that time of day...you just work back to correct orientation by aligning the correct shadow to the real shadow of your finger! Old concept updated for simplicity. It works amazingly well! If you don't get it, just chalk it up to your own stupidity or lack if any orientation knowledge. Your choice. You know, maybe charging .99 would keep the morons away! I appreciate your work on this app. THANK YOU to the developer for writing and giving away this great app!

It works and is free  
By: Greg L - Jan 26, 2009
Version: 1.0
I don’t understand why some reviewers are saying it doesn’t work. I note that when launching Compass Free, it doesn’t ask permission to find your location. So, perhaps it simply looks towards the time zone and country one is in. I’m in the U.S. and all I can say is I took it out yesterday to a road that I know is oriented exactly east–west and where I know for sure where I can find Polaris at night. About an hour short of noon, I tried it. I oriented it horizontally (important), put my finger in the middle, twisted the iPhone until my finger’s shadow pointed the marked direction, and the iPhone was pointing very close to north. It does what it says and it’s free. At least for North American users who can follow directions, I don’t see a problem here. Five stars.

SAVED MY LIFE  
By: Yjps3 - Jan 16, 2009
Version: 1.0
I was at a boat, until a wave came and rocked the boat, cracked it, and made it in the middle of ****ing no-where. I pulled out the app, changed the time zone to what the guy with the nice GPS said, and it worked. We kept going west, then north, and we made it back. Oh, and for airheads who don't know how it works, it's by sunlight and the time, why I changed the timezone. You must put it on a table, make the time right, and have the shadow of your finger overlapping the shadow on the screen. There. The north is true, the south is true, the east is true and the west is true. Happy? HUH? AIRHEAD!? YA GOT IT?!

This is great!  
By: kineticstuff - Aug 1, 2009
Version: 1.0
But what is better and much more entertaining is reading the reviews! Of course if you don't understand how to use it the reviews will likely puzzel you. BTW. For those of you saying the app is not worth it: it's free. If you do not understand how it works you might want to consider taking a few basic geography or science refresher courses. Fun for the brainiacs here: don't download this app; instead use your phone to triangulate your position and figure out North from that.

It's a reverse sundial  
By: JHerlocker - Nov 5, 2009
Version: 1.0
Several reviewers seem to be having problems with this app. Most apparently never read the Help screen. And the name doesn't help! It's actually a reverse sundial. If you know the date and time (and your iPhone/Touch does) and you are in the northern hemisphere (which may not be the case) then you know in which direction the sun should be. From that, you can guess north using a shadow. Clever app, IMHO, but misnamed and not explained in enough depth.

great app  
By: wolfius68 - Nov 1, 2009
Version: 1.0
what on earth, guys? this is a PHONE APP! NO, apple didn't build a compass into their phone. this is the single best possible way to find north on a phone outside of using the GPS, which is by far less reliable. a huge thumbs up to the developer! from somebody who realistically might need such an app to get home, I have to say I'm very thankful you were willing to put up with ignorant users to provide a very useful app.

DOES WORK FOR SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE (Follow These Instructions)  
By: Kyle915 - 10-May-2009
Version: 1.0
This application can work in the southern hemisphere. HOWEVER, you need to view it differently: Pretend that the line from WEST to EAST is a mirror; and the screen shadow represents the sunlight reflecting of our mirror. Use the law of reflection to place the incoming sunlight, at the opposite angle to the screen shadow. [Eg. if the screen shadow is at NORTH EAST, the incoming sunlight should be coming from NORTH WEST]. Therefore N represents North. DID THIS MAKE SENSE TO ANYONE?

SEX  
By: Don weaver - Apr 25, 2009
Version: 1.0
Now that I have your attention I need to say a word to all the retards that say this app is a peice of crap. This app works the way it's supposed to. It's supposed to tell u where north is if you are in SUNLIGHT and have NO SIGNAL like the other one requires. But all of u probally don't no how to use it they should have instructions on that but they don't 1. Put phone on flat surface in sunlight 2. Put finger on phone at 90 degree angle 3. Rotate phone so that the shadow of finger lines up with sunlight on screen 4. The N on compass is north (the app only works if u have the correct time and location settilgs on your phone)

Gah  
By: GlassShortSword - Apr 14, 2009
Version: 1.0
It works fine. Like others before me have said, a downside is that it's unusa me at night, and though I suppose if you used the motion sensetivity of the iphone a compass could be made, it wouldn't work well. And to whoever said it freezes: no, it doesn't, I uses the time of day to decide where to put the white line and aside from that, it's just an image. That's why it's free. In daylight, it works fine.