The Azimuth app points to any location you want from your current position 📍
It is basically a compass that–instead of pointing North–points to a location of your choice; some place close to home or anywhere in the world 🧭
It can be useful when hiking, biking or travelling, but it can also be a fun way to test your sense of direction 😜
Useful & fun
Have you ever tried to find your parked car in a strange city? Or went hiking in the mountains or bicycling in the woods and had no idea where you were or which way to go? This app will point you in the right direction 💪
Do you know where Istanbul is? Or where the Pyramids of Giza really are? Or the Statue of Liberty? Try to guess the direction and distance and then search for that location… 😅
Getting started
Just launch the app and you are good to go. The app starts in a demo mode, where it shows the direction and distance to some world famous landmark, every time you tap the [Demo] button. Of course, the arrow changes as you rotate your phone and the distance changes as you move around 😎
Tap the arrow to switch full screen mode on or off. In full screen mode, you’ll also see an arrow pointing north and the name of the place where you currently are.
The basics
When you are tired of the demo mode, you can go and add your own target locations and save them in a list: locations of your home, your friend’s home, your parked car, your vacation destination and more.
Tap the (+) button to create a target location. You can add a target location in four different ways:
Use current location
Tap the [Use current location] button and the app will save your current location. It will show the address of your current location.
Search
Enter a search string for a location and the app will try to find it. The search string can be anything from an actual address to a landmark or–say–the name of a shopping centre or sports stadium. You can even paste latitude and longitude coordinates here.
Landmark
Select a landmark from the list of world famous landmarks. The app will automatically generate a title (the landmark name) and show the address.
Random
This is a fun way to find a random location anywhere in the world. It can literally be anywhere; even in the middle of the ocean 😅
Once a new, existing, or intermediate target is set, it is shown on the Map. Long-pressing anywhere on the map sets the target at that location.
A title is usually set automatically. You can change the title at the top of the screen as required.
New targets are always added to the top of the list. You can reorganise the list by dragging items to another position. Additionally, you can swipe on a list item and find options to delete or edit the target. The app will automatically save your list; you’ll find it in exactly the same way the next time you open the app.
When the list is empty (i.e. after deleting all items), the app goes back to demo mode.
Menu
Tap the (…) button to show a menu with some more features.
Languages
The menu item explains how to change the app language to Dutch, English or Turkish. You”ll need to go through the iOS Settinsg app to set your preferred language.
Map
This menu item shows a 2D or 3D map with your location, the target location and a directional (geodesic) line between them.
About this app
This menu item provides some additional information about the app, as well as a privacy statement.
Background information 🤓
Azimuth is the angle between your location and the target location of your choice, relative to the north. This wikipedia page explains it better than I can 😂
The north that is used in the Azimuth app is the True North, which is a fixed point on the globe: the geographic North Pole.
(There’s also a Magnetic North, which is the direction a compass needle points to. The difference (angle) between the true north and the magnetic north is known as the Magnetic Declination and is usually a few degrees. It changes with time and with your geographic location on Earth. See wikipedia for a more elaborate explanation.)
The Azimuth app uses Coordinates to define your current and target location. Coordinates are intersections of Latitudinal and Longitudinal lines. These are imaginary lines across the Earth’s surface: latitudinal lines run horizontally in an east-west direction and longitudinal lines (aka Meridians) run vertically in a north-south direction from the poles.
A Geodesic line is the shortest path between two coordinates along the surface of the earth; it may appear as a curved line in the app’s 2D map view. The arrow’s angle in the Azimuth app is the starting point (the Initial Bearing) of that geodesic line between your current location and the target location.
Mathematics 🤯
The mathematics behind the Azimuth app comprise the calculation of the distance between two coordinates, following the curvature of the Earth and then drawing that arc. The distance is “as the crow flies” and does not take into account variations in altitudes between the user’s location and the target location.
The Initial Bearing (or Forward Azimuth) is the direction in which a journey from the user’s location to the target location would start. It is this angle that is shown in the Azimuth app. A very elaborate explanation can be found here.
Privacy 👀
The Azimuth app needs your permission to use your location and will not work without it. Your location is only used to calculate the angle (“bearing”) and the distance to the selected target location.
You can revoke (or reinstate) your permission for this app to use your location at all times in the iOS Settings app.
Acknowledgements
- App development: Gerard Broeksteeg
- Creative consultant: Makbule Izmit
- Reviews: Makbule Izmit, Helena Plasschaert, Rob van Heuven