Knowing how to make a Compass in Minecraft makes it easier to keep your bearings in the vast overworld. You can even use a Compass to craft a Map, which gives you a visual representation of your surroundings.

How to Make a Compass in Minecraft

Follow these steps to craft a Compass in Minecraft, so you don’t get lost in the game.

Instructions in this article apply to Minecraft for all platforms including Windows, PS4, and Xbox One.

  • Make a Crafting Table using 4 planks of any wood type (Oak Wood Planks, Crimson Wood Planks, etc.).
  • Mine some Redstone Dust. Find some Redstone Ore and strike it with an Iron Pickaxe (or something more substantial).
  • Make 4 Iron Ingots. To make Iron Ingots, build a Furnace and smelt Iron Ores.
  • Place your Crafting Table on the ground and interact with it to open the 3X3 crafting grid.
  • Make your Compass. Place Redstone Dust in the middle of the 3X3 grid, then place 4 Iron Ingots in the adjacents boxes (to the right, left, above, and below the Redstone Dust).
  • Add the Compass to your inventory bar. As you move around, the Compass icon will always point to the world origin point.

What You Need to Make a Compass

You’ll need the following materials to make a Compass from scratch in Minecraft:

Make a Crafting Table using 4 planks of any wood type (Oak Wood Planks, Crimson Wood Planks, etc.).

Mine some Redstone Dust. Find some Redstone Ore and strike it with an Iron Pickaxe (or something more substantial).

Make 4 Iron Ingots. To make Iron Ingots, build a Furnace and smelt Iron Ores.

Place your Crafting Table on the ground and interact with it to open the 3X3 crafting grid.

Make your Compass. Place Redstone Dust in the middle of the 3X3 grid, then place 4 Iron Ingots in the adjacents boxes (to the right, left, above, and below the Redstone Dust).

Add the Compass to your inventory bar. As you move around, the Compass icon will always point to the world origin point.

You may occasionally find a Compass inside a chest in a shipwreck or a stronghold.

  • 1 Crafting Table (craft with 4 Wood Planks)4 Iron Ingots (make by smelting 4 Iron Ores in a Furnace)1 Redstone Dust (mine from Redstone Ore with an Iron Pickaxe)

What Can You Do With a Compass?

By default, your Compass will point to the world spawn point. You don’t have to equip it; keep an eye on the icon in your inventory.

If you use a Compass on a Lodestone, it will point to the Lodestone instead. If you break the Lodestone, the Compass will no longer work. Use multiple Compasses with Lodestones to keep track of important landmarks.

To activate a Lodestone, place it on the ground, equip the Compass, then use it on the Lodestone. How to use an item in Minecraft depends on your platform:

  • Windows 10 and Java Edition: Right-click and hold.Mobile: Tap and hold.PlayStation: Press and hold the L2 button.Xbox: Press and hold the LT button.Nintendo: Press and hold the ZL button.

How to Make a Map

To make a Map, go to your Crafting Table, place a Compass in the middle of the grid, and then put Paper in the remaining boxes. The Map shows your current location relative to your surroundings, so it can help you get oriented.

The Compass and Map will not work in the Nether or the End biomes.

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