Compass

A compass is an item that points in the horizontal direction of the Overworld's spawn point.

A lodestone compass is a compass variant that is obtained by using a compass or lodestone compass on a lodestone, and instead points toward that lodestone's horizontal position.

If the target position of either type of compass is in a different dimension, or is a lodestone that has been broken, it spins in random directions.

Ingredients	Crafting recipe
Iron Ingot + Redstone Dust

Item	Structure	Container	Quantity	Chance
Java Edition
Compass	Ancient City	Chest	1	16.5% { "item": "Compass", "stacksize": 1, "chance": 0.16463368182146, "structure": "Ancient City", "container": "Chest" }
	Shipwreck	Map chest	1	7.7% { "item": "Compass", "stacksize": 1, "chance": 0.07688803032512026, "structure": "Shipwreck", "container": "Map chest" }
	Stronghold	Library chest	1	10.9% { "item": "Compass", "stacksize": 1, "chance": 0.10885842114094657, "structure": "Stronghold", "container": "Library chest" }
	Trial Chambers	Intersection barrel	1	5.9% { "item": "Compass", "stacksize": 1, "chance": 0.05939097123670134, "structure": "Trial Chambers", "container": "Intersection barrel" }
	Village	Cartographer's chest	1	26.3% { "item": "Compass", "stacksize": 1, "chance": 0.26288199999999995, "structure": "Village", "container": "Cartographer's chest" }
Java Edition 26.3
Compass	Abandoned Camp	Common chest	1	27.5% { "item": "Compass", "stacksize": 1, "chance": 0.2747977375984192, "structure": "Abandoned Camp", "container": "Common chest" }
Bedrock Edition
Compass	Ancient City	Chest	1	16.5% { "item": "Compass", "stacksize": 1, "chance": 0.16463368182146, "structure": "Ancient City", "container": "Chest" }
	Shipwreck	Map chest	1	7.7% { "item": "Compass", "stacksize": 1, "chance": 0.07688803032512026, "structure": "Shipwreck", "container": "Map chest" }
	Stronghold	Library chest	1	10.5% { "item": "Compass", "stacksize": 1, "chance": 0.10505089050634986, "structure": "Stronghold", "container": "Library chest" }
	Trial Chambers	Intersection barrel	1	5.9% { "item": "Compass", "stacksize": 1, "chance": 0.05939097123670134, "structure": "Trial Chambers", "container": "Intersection barrel" }
	Village	Cartographer's chest	1	26.3% { "item": "Compass", "stacksize": 1, "chance": 0.26288199999999995, "structure": "Village", "container": "Cartographer's chest" }
Bedrock Edition 26.50
Compass	Abandoned Camp	Common chest	1	27.5% { "item": "Compass", "stacksize": 1, "chance": 0.2747977375984192, "structure": "Abandoned Camp", "container": "Common chest" }

Villager		Probability		Villager wants	Player receives	Trades in stock	Villager experience	Price multiplier
		JE	BE
Librarian	Expert	50%	33%	4 × Emerald	Compass	12	15	0.05

Both types of compass normally point in the horizontal direction of a specific position in the world and do so when viewed in most ways; including in the inventory, when held by any player or entity or displayed in an item frame. They also point toward their target position when viewed in the crafting table preview menu, even without being crafted.‌^{[Bedrock Edition only]} The direction of the needle is relative to the player viewing it.

Normal compasses point toward the world spawn point in the Overworld. Using the /setworldspawn command to change the world spawn can change where normal compasses point.

If a compass or lodestone compass is used on a lodestone, it becomes a lodestone compass that points toward that lodestone. All lodestone compasses have an enchantment glint to distinguish them from normal compasses.

A compass or lodestone compass spins and points in random directions if it cannot find its target position. There are two causes for this:

• If the compass is in a different dimension to its target position (e.g. a lodestone compass is in the Overworld but its target lodestone is in the Nether), its needle spins randomly. Because of this, normal compasses only work in the Overworld (as their target position is the Overworld spawn point) and always spin randomly in the Nether and the End.
• If a lodestone compass's target lodestone is broken, it becomes 'disconnected' and its needle spins in random directions. A disconnected lodestone compass can be manually re-connected to any lodestone by using the compass on the lodestone. It will not re-connect automatically.

Compasses and lodestone compasses do not stack with each other, and only lodestone compasses that point toward the same lodestone may stack together. In Java Edition, all disconnected lodestone compasses can stack with each other, regardless of which lodestones they originally pointed to. In Bedrock Edition, disconnected lodestone compasses can only stack together if they stacked together before they became disconnected, such as if they pointed to the same lodestone.

In Java Edition, if a lodestone compass is placed in a storage block, the lodestone can be broken and replaced without disconnecting the compass, as long as the compass remains in storage while the lodestone is missing. In Bedrock Edition, lodestone compasses in storage disconnect instantly when the lodestone is broken.

In Java Edition, uncrafted compasses viewed in the crafting table preview always point straight forward and never at any particular position in the world.

Name	Ingredients	Crafting recipe	Description
JE: Empty Map BE: Empty Locator Map	Paper + Compass		This map records terrain and displays a marker showing the player's location.
Map (with marker)	Map or Empty Map + Compass		‌[Bedrock Edition only] Maps crafted from only paper do not show the location marker; to add it, a compass must be added to the map. The map keeps its current zoom level, and remembers all of the terrain it has mapped out.
Recovery Compass	Echo Shard + Compass

Villager		Probability		Villager wants	Player receives	Trades in stock	Villager experience	Price multiplier
		JE	BE
Cartographer	Apprentice	133%–150%	133%–150%	8 × Emerald + Compass	Explorer Map[t 1]	12	5	0.2
	Journeyman	67%	67%	Compass	Emerald	12	10	0.05
		67%	67%	13 × Emerald + Compass	Ocean Explorer Map[t 2]	12	10	0.2
		67%	67%	12 × Emerald + Compass	Trial Explorer Map[t 2]	12	10	0.2
	Master	100%	100%	14 × Emerald + Compass	Woodland Explorer Map[t 2]	12	30	0.2

A compass can receive the following enchantment:

Name	Max Level	Method
Curse of Vanishing	I

Name	Ingredients	Cartography recipe	Description
Empty locator map	Paper + Compass		‌[Bedrock Edition only] This map records terrain and displays a marker showing the player's location.
Locator map or empty locator map	Map or Empty Map + Compass		‌[Bedrock Edition only] Maps crafted with only paper do not show the location marker; to add it, a compass must be added to the map.

Name	Ingredients	Anvil usage	Description
Locator Map	Map + Compass	Map	‌[Bedrock Edition only] Maps crafted with only paper do not show the location marker; to add it, a compass must be added to the map.

Java Edition

Sounds
Sound	Closed captions	Source	Description	Identifier	Translation key	Volume	Pitch	Attenuation distance
	​Lodestone Compass locks onto Lodestone	Players	When a compass is used on a lodestone	item.lodestone_compass.lock	subtitles.item.lodestone_compass.lock​	1.0	varies [sound 1]	16

Bedrock Edition:

Sounds
Sound	Closed captions	Source	Description	Identifier	Translation key	Volume	Pitch
	​ ?	Blocks	When a compass is used on a lodestone	lodestone_compass.link_compass_to_lodestone	​ ?	1.0	0.85–0.95

Java Edition:

Name	Identifier	Form	Translation key
Compass	compass	Item	item.minecraft.compass item.minecraft.lodestone_compass

Bedrock Edition:

Name	Identifier	Alias ID	Numeric ID	Form	Translation key
Compass	compass	None	391	Item	item.compass.name
Lodestone Compass	lodestone_compass	lodestonecompass	602	Item	item.lodestonecompass.name

Java Edition:

Bedrock Edition:

Java Edition Alpha
v1.1.0							Added compasses.
							They use a procedurally generated texture with 104 visually distinct frames.
Java Edition Beta
1.8			Pre-release				Compasses can now be found in library chests in the new strongholds.
Java Edition
1.3.1			12w21a				Librarian villagers now sell 1 compass for 10–11 emeralds, making them renewable.
1.4.2			12w34a				Since the mapping system has been changed, a compass can now be used to craft an empty map.
1.5			13w02a				Compasses now use the new animation feature included in texture packs instead of a dynamically generated sprite. As a result, they are considerably less precise, having only 28 visually distinct frames. Shading has also been added to the needle.
1.8			14w02a				Librarian villagers now sell 1 compass for 10–12 emeralds.
1.9			15w31a				Compasses are now broken up into individual textures, instead of having every individual frame on one vertical strip like with animated textures.
			15w43a				The average yield of compasses in stronghold library chests has been increased.
1.11			16w39a				Cartographer villagers have been added, who buy compasses as their tier 2 trade. Additionally they buy them as their tier 4 trade for explorer maps.
1.13			18w11a				Compasses can now generate in shipwreck chests.
1.14			18w48a				Compasses can now generate in chests in village cartographer houses.
			19w11a				Cartographer villagers now buy compasses for 1 emerald.
							Librarian villagers now sell compasses for 4 emeralds.
1.16			20w13a				Added lodestone compasses alongside lodestones.
							Compasses now point to the center of the spawn point block, instead of its north-west corner.
			20w14a				Compasses can now have the Curse of Vanishing enchantment on them.
			20w19a				Compasses no longer work in the recipe book.[1]
			20w22a				Compasses no longer work in the villager trading GUI.[2]
1.17			20w48a				The textures of compasses and lodestone compasses have been changed. As a result of this, the number of visually distinct frames has been further reduced to 27.
1.19			22w13a				Compasses may now be found in ancient city chests.
			22w14a				Compasses can now be used to craft recovery compasses.
1.20.3 Experiment Update 1.21			23w45a				Compasses can now be found in trial chambers intersection barrels.
Upcoming Java Edition
26.3			snap1				Compasses can now generate as part of abandoned camps in chests.

Pocket Edition Alpha
v0.2.0							Added compasses.
							Compasses currently have no function or legitimate method of obtaining them.
v0.8.0			build 1				Added actual functionality to compasses. They use a predefined texture with 28 visually distinct frames.
							Compasses are now functional and craftable. They have been added into the Creative inventory.
v0.14.0			build 1				Compasses must now be added to a map using an anvil to add the location marker.
Pocket Edition
1.0.0			release				Windows 10 Edition can now use the anvil, as well as the crafting table, to apply position markers, with compasses just as Pocket Edition can in general.
1.0.4			alpha 1.0.4.0				Librarian villagers now sell 1 compass for 10–12 emeralds.
1.1.0			alpha 1.1.0.3				Cartographer villagers have been added, who buy compasses as part of their tier 2 trade.
							Compasses used with emeralds can be used to buy explorer maps as part of cartographer villagers' fourth tiers trade.
Bedrock Edition
1.4.0			beta 1.2.14.2				Compasses can now be found inside map room chests in shipwrecks.
1.10.0			beta 1.10.0.3				Compasses can now be found in village cartographer house chests.
1.11.0			beta 1.11.0.4				Trading has been changed, cartographer villagers now buy compassess as part of their fourth tier trades.
							Compasses used with emeralds can now be used to buy explorer maps as part of cartographer and fletcher villagers' third tier trades.
							Librarian villagers now have a 1⁄3 chance to sell compasses for 4 emeralds as part of their fourth tier trades.
1.16.0			beta 1.16.0.57				Added lodestone compasses alongside lodestone.
							Compasses now have the LodestonePos, LodestoneDimension, and LodestoneTracked data fields. If LodestoneTracked is zero, the game skips checking for a lodestone in the specified position.
							Compasses can now have the Curse of Vanishing enchantment on them.
1.16.100			beta 1.16.100.56				Changed the ID lodestonecompass to lodestone_compass.
1.17.0			beta 1.17.0.54				The textures of compasses have been changed. As a result of this, the number of visually distinct frames has been reduced to 27.
1.18.10			beta 1.18.10.20				The textures of lodestone compasses have been changed. They are now identical to the standard compass with only the addition of an enchantment glint.
1.20.60 Experiment Update 1.21			Preview 1.20.60.20				Compasses can now be found in trial chambers intersection barrels.
26.40 Experiment Drop 3 of 2026			Preview 26.40.27				Compasses can now generate as part of abandoned camps in chests.
Upcoming Bedrock Edition
26.50			Preview 26.50.22				All features from the "Drop 3 of 2026" experiment have been fully implemented.

Legacy Console Edition
Xbox 360	Xbox One	PS3	PS4	PS Vita	Wii U	Switch
TU1	CU1	1.00	1.00	1.00	Patch 1	1.0.1	Added compasses.
							Like in old versions of Java Edition, they use a dynamically generated texture with 104 visually distinct frames.
TU5							Compasses can now be found in library chests in the new strongholds.
TU12							Alongside the addition of texture packs, compasses have been changed to use pre-rendered sprites. As a result, they are considerably less precise, having only 28 visually distinct frames. Shading has also been added to the needle.
TU14		1.04					Librarian villagers now sell 1 compass for 10–11 emeralds, making them renewable.
TU21	CU9	1.14	1.14	1.14			Since the mapping system has been changed, a compass can now be used to craft an empty map.
TU31	CU19	1.22	1.22	1.22	Patch 3		Librarian villagers now sell 1 compass for 10–12 emeralds.
TU54	CU44	1.52	1.52	1.52	Patch 24	1.0.4	Cartographer villagers have been added, who buy compasses as their tier 2 trade. Additionally they buy them as their tier 4 trade for explorer maps.
TU69		1.76	1.76	1.76	Patch 38		Compasses can now be found inside map room chests in shipwrecks.
			1.91				Librarian villagers now have a chance to sell compasses for 4 emeralds as part of their fourth tier trades.

New Nintendo 3DS Edition
0.1.0							Added compasses.
1.9.19							Cartographer villagers have been added, who buy compasses as their tier 2 trade. Additionally they buy them as their tier 4 trade for explorer maps.

Java Edition
1.13			17w47a				Prior to The Flattening, this item's numeral ID was 345.
1.16			20w14a				Compasses can now have the Curse of Vanishing enchantment on them.

Issues relating to "Compass" are maintained on the bug tracker. Issues should be reported and viewed there.

• 
  Purchasing a compass from a librarian villager.

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• 
  A 3D render of a Compass from Minecraft: Story Mode.
• 
  A render of a compass from A Minecraft Movie Live Event.
• 
  A compass as it appears in Dungeon Crawl!

• Clock
• Navigation

• "Taking Inventory: Compass" by Duncan Geere – Minecraft.net, August 15, 2019.