Phone sensors give approximate readings. Don’t rely on them for navigation, construction or anything where safety depends on the result.
Find your current elevation from your phone's GPS: the altitude in meters or feet with its vertical accuracy, plus the lowest and highest point and total climb while it runs. Useful on hikes, bike rides or to answer “what is my elevation” without an app. Your location stays on this page.
How to use
- Tap Find my altitude and allow location. Go outdoors with a clear view of the sky for the best GPS fix.
- The big number is the GPS altitude, with its vertical accuracy (±) below. Lowest, Highest and Total climb are tracked while it runs.
- Switch between meters and feet. Tap any row to copy it.
- GPS altitude is less precise than position: expect ±10 to 30 m, sometimes more under trees or between buildings. The first readings after a cold start are often the worst.
- Depending on the phone, GPS altitude can be measured from the WGS 84 ellipsoid rather than sea level; the two differ by up to tens of meters (about +25 m in Korea and +35 m in Japan).
- A barometer is far better at small height changes, but browsers do not give web pages access to it yet except through experimental sensor APIs. If your browser offers one, its pressure and pressure altitude appear here; otherwise the row says it is not available.
- Computers usually locate themselves by Wi-Fi and give no altitude, so you see a simulated demo.
- Your location is used only on this page and never sent or stored.
How accurate is GPS altitude?
GPS measures height less precisely than position, because the satellites are all above you and none below. Expect ±10 to 30 m outdoors with a clear sky, more under trees, in valleys or between tall buildings. The first readings after a cold start are often the worst, so wait a minute for the fix to settle; the ± value shows the current vertical accuracy.
Depending on the phone, GPS altitude may be measured from the WGS 84 ellipsoid rather than mean sea level. The two differ by up to tens of meters: about +25 m in Korea and +35 m in Japan, and around +40 to +50 m in Germany and France.
GPS versus barometer
A barometric altimeter, as in many sports watches, tracks small height changes of a meter or two far better than GPS, but needs calibrating to a known height or pressure. Browsers don't yet give web pages access to the barometer except through experimental sensor APIs; if yours offers one, pressure and pressure altitude appear here. Total climb adds up rises above the reading noise, so it is a rough figure, not a substitute for a barometric device.
Frequently asked questions
How do I find my elevation?
Tap Find my altitude and allow location, ideally outdoors with a clear view of the sky. The altitude and its vertical accuracy appear within a few seconds.
Why is my GPS altitude wrong?
GPS altitude is typically off by 10 to 30 m and can be worse near tall buildings or under trees. Some phones also report height above the WGS 84 ellipsoid instead of sea level.
Does the altimeter work on a computer?
Usually not. Computers locate themselves by Wi-Fi and give no altitude, so a simulated demo is shown.
Can I switch between meters and feet?
Yes. Tap the unit to switch; 1 meter is 3.281 feet and 1,000 feet is 304.8 meters.
Is my location stored or shared?
No. Your position is used only on this page while it is open and is never sent or saved.