View and add compass waypoints on Apple Watch Ultra
Create and display Compass Waypoints
You can add your current location as a waypoint in the Compass app. You can then see the distance, direction, and relative elevation to each Compass Waypoint you create.
Open the Compass app
on your Apple Watch Ultra.
Tap
to add a waypoint.
Enter waypoint information such as label, color, or symbol (car or home, for example), then tap
.
To view a Compass Waypoint, tap a waypoint on any of the three Compass screens, turn the Digital Crown to select a waypoint, then tap Select.
The distance, direction, and relative elevation of the waypoint appear on the screen—“4.3 miles to left, down 415 feet,” for example.
Tap
to edit information about a selected waypoint and to show the waypoint on a map, along with its coordinates.
Target a waypoint
You can target a waypoint to show its distance, direction, and relative elevation.
Open the Compass app
on your Apple Watch Ultra.
Tap
, tap Waypoints, tap Compass Waypoints or a guide, then tap a waypoint.
Scroll down, then tap Target Waypoint.
The distance, direction, and relative elevation of the waypoint appear on the screen.
Use the Elevation dial
In watchOS 10 you can view waypoint elevations relative to your current elevation.
Open the Compass app
on your Apple Watch Ultra.
On a compass screen, tap
at the bottom of the screen.
Waypoints that appear in the direction your watch points are displayed with a pillar that represents their elevations relative to your current location. Waypoints with shorter pillars are at lower elevations. Higher pillars indicate higher elevations. Change your heading to show the relative elevations of other waypoints on the dial.
![The Compass app showing the 3D elevation view. The current location is marked with a white pillar in the middle of the angled compass dial. Several waypoints on shorter pillars appear on the edge of the dial.](https://help.apple.com/assets/6580A106ABAA01F3080E7505/6580A10F08DFECBA0F060575/en_US/8572390ef623bc9c3ea4bf9598eb0b83.png)
Drop a Compass Waypoint with the Action button
On Apple Watch Ultra you can quickly drop a Compass Waypoint by pressing the Action button.
Open the Settings app
on your Apple Watch Ultra.
Tap Action Button, tap Action, tap Waypoint, then tap
to return to the list of actions.
Press the Action button to drop a Custom Waypoint and show the edit screen.
Add a Compass Waypoint complication to the watch face
With the help of a Compass Waypoint complication, you can quickly navigate to waypoints you’ve created, the last waypoint you viewed in the Compass app, or your parked car.
With the watch face showing, touch and hold the display, then tap Edit.
Swipe left all the way to the end.
If a face offers complications, they’re shown on the last screen.
Tap a complication to select it, tap Compass, scroll to a Compass Waypoint, then tap it.
Press the Digital Crown to save your changes, then tap the face to switch to it.
Tap the complication to show the waypoint in the Compass app.
About Cellular and Emergency Call Waypoints
When available, cellular waypoints mark the most recent or closest approximate location where either your Apple Watch Ultra or iPhone connected to your carrier’s cellular network. When available, emergency call waypoints mark the most recent or closest approximate location where either your Apple Watch Ultra or iPhone detected that service from a carrier might be available to make an emergency call. Your surroundings, environmental conditions, and other factors may impact call connectivity or waypoint availability. Reconnecting may not be possible near these waypoints depending on these conditions.
The cellular waypoints feature requires an iPhone using iOS 17 and an Apple Watch Ultra with a cellular plan using watchOS 10.
Note: Emergency call waypoints are available only in the U.S., Canada, and Australia.