Qibla.now — Frequently Asked Questions

How Qibla.now calculates the Qibla direction and prayer times, and answers to common questions about accuracy and privacy.

• How is the Qibla direction calculated?

  We use the great-circle bearing from your latitude and longitude to the Kaaba in Mecca (21.4225° N, 39.8262° E). This is the shortest direction across the surface of the Earth.

• Why does the compass needle drift on my phone?

  Phone magnetometers can be affected by nearby metal, magnets, or speakers. Calibrate by waving your phone in a figure-8 motion and move away from electronics for the most accurate reading.

• Are my prayer times accurate?

  Prayer times are calculated locally on your device using established astronomical formulas (Adhan library). You can switch between Muslim World League, Umm al-Qura, Karachi, ISNA and other methods in Settings.

• Do you store my location?

  No. Your location stays on your device. We do not send your coordinates to any server, and the app continues to work offline once loaded.

• Does Qibla.now work offline?

  Yes. After your first visit, the app is cached so you can find the Qibla and check prayer times without an internet connection.

• What is the Hanafi madhab option for?

  The Hanafi school calculates Asr when an object's shadow is twice its length, while the standard (Shafi'i, Maliki, Hanbali) view uses once the length. Pick whichever your community follows in Settings.