Gyroscope Test
Test your phone's gyroscope in the browser. See live rotation rate in degrees per second and the alpha, beta and gamma orientation angles, then run three axis checks and a 5 second drift check.
Spin is shown relative to where you started.
Alpha, beta and gamma are orientation angles. Rotation rate below is angular velocity. Alpha is not a compass heading.
- 1. Rotate left-rightY axis: pending
Screen up, quickly tip the left and right edges up and down, like turning a page.
- 2. Tilt forward-backX axis: pending
Tip the top edge toward you and away again, like a quick nod.
- 3. Spin flatZ axis: pending
Lay it on a table and spin it like a record, or turn on the spot holding it flat.
Start the test, then turn the phone. A desktop with no gyroscope usually sends nothing, and that is not shown as 0°/s.
Lay the phone on a table, tap the button and let go. It records the rotation rate the browser reports while nothing moves. A missing rate is not counted as 0.
The drift check shows the rotation rate the browser delivers. Phones often bias-correct that stream before a web page sees it, and browsers often cap it near the screen refresh rate, so this is not a lab reading of the raw chip. Readings stop while the tab is in the background.
How to read your gyroscope
What the gyroscope is for
The gyroscope measures how fast the phone turns around each axis, in degrees per second. AR apps use it to pin virtual objects in place, 360° video and panorama viewers use it to pan as you look around, games use it for gyro aiming and steering, and the camera uses it to cancel hand shake for image stabilisation. A quick flick of the wrist can reach hundreds of degrees per second, which is why each axis check looks for a rate over 90 °/s.
Gyroscope vs. accelerometer vs. compass
The accelerometerfeels gravity and movement, so it can tell which way is down, but not how fast you turn. A compass can point toward magnetic north, but it is slow and easy to disturb with metal. Rotation rate is how fast the phone turns. Alpha, beta and gamma above are the browser's orientation angles. They are not raw gyro output, and alpha is not a calibrated compass heading or true north.
What a quiet rotation rate can mean
If rotation rate never arrives, or stays near zero, while the angles change, the browser is not giving you gyroscope turning data. Some phones estimate orientation from the accelerometer and compass and still list gyro features. That pattern is a clue, not proof the chip is broken. One axis that stays quiet while the others pass is also only a clue: repeat that motion. In this drift check, bias under about 0.3 °/s and noise under about 0.2 °/s is the quiet band for a phone lying still.
Permissions
On iPhone and iPad, Safari (iOS 13 and later) shares motion and orientation only after you tap Start and choose Allow, and only on a secure page. This test does not listen before that tap when permission is required. If you deny it, the page shows no angles rather than 0°. Android Chrome usually allows these events on HTTPS, and you can block them per site under Site settings, Motion sensors. A desktop often has no gyroscope, so no event arrives. Restarting the phone can clear a stuck sensor service, but this page cannot tell a software glitch from a bad chip. If Safari shows a magnetic compass heading and it looks wrong, move away from magnets and metal and wave the phone in a slow figure-eight. That value is not alpha and not true north.
Related tools
Check tilt and g-force with the accelerometer test, the haptic motor with the vibration test, the screen with the touch screen test, and controller gyro and sticks with the gamepad tester.
Frequently asked questions
What does this gyroscope test read?
It reads DeviceOrientationEvent alpha, beta and gamma, the browser orientation angles in degrees, and DeviceMotionEvent rotationRate, the angular velocity in degrees per second. It does not turn alpha into a compass heading.
Why does iPhone ask for permission?
Safari on iOS 13 and later requires a tap before it will share motion and orientation. Tap Start and choose Allow. When that permission exists, the page does not attach sensor listeners until the tap grants it. The page also needs HTTPS.
Why are the numbers dashes instead of 0°?
A missing event, a null rotation rate, a non-finite value, an insecure page, or a denied iOS permission is not 0°. The readout stays as a dash until the browser sends a finite number. A real zero from the sensor can still show as 0.
Can this test tell me the gyroscope is broken?
No. One sample cannot prove a broken sensor. Desktops often have no gyroscope at all. A rate that stays near zero during a clear turn, or one axis that stays quiet while the others move, is only a clue. Turn the phone again, or restart it, before you assume the hardware failed.
Is alpha the same as north?
No. Alpha is rotation around the Z axis in the browser orientation frame. It is not a calibrated compass heading and not true north. On Safari, webkitCompassHeading is a separate magnetic compass value. This page shows that only when it is finite and Safari does not mark it unreliable.
What does the drift check measure?
It records rotation rate for about 5 seconds after a short settle, while the phone should lie still. If the rate jumps, the run is marked as movement and discarded. The result is what the browser delivered, often near the screen refresh rate, not a lab measurement of the chip.