Magnetic declination

The north on maps and the north a compass points to are not the same place.

True north is the northern end of the axis the Earth spins around; maps and the Qibla calculation are based on it. A compass, however, follows the Earth's magnetic field, whose north is not in the same place as true north.

The angle between them is called magnetic declination. It depends on where you are: almost zero in some places, more than 10 degrees in others. And because the Earth's magnetic field slowly changes, the declination also shifts from year to year.

If this difference is not corrected, a Qibla direction taken from the compass is off by the amount of the declination.

Declination in some cities (2026)

• Istanbul: about 6° east
• Kazan: about 14° east
• New York: about 12.5° west

How Qibla Finder corrects it

The app uses the World Magnetic Model (WMM2025), produced by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the British Geological Survey (BGS), directly on your phone. It calculates the declination for your location and the date, corrects the compass reading and always shows the Qibla relative to true north. You do not need to do anything.