Motion Sensor Test
Tilt your phone and watch the accelerometer and gyroscope readings move.
How to use the Motion Sensor Test
- Tap Start sensors and allow access if your phone asks.
- Tilt and move the device — the ball and the numbers follow.
- Readings that never change mean the sensor is not reporting.
About the Motion Sensor Test
Tilt your phone and watch the numbers move. This reads the accelerometer through DeviceMotionEvent and the gyroscope through DeviceOrientationEvent, showing acceleration on the X, Y and Z axes in m/s² alongside the three orientation angles in degrees: beta for front-to-back tilt, gamma for left-to-right, and alpha for compass rotation. A ball on screen follows your tilt, so you can see at a glance whether the sensors respond smoothly or lag and stick.
On iOS 13 and later Apple requires explicit permission before any page can read motion, and that permission can only be requested from a real tap on a secure page. So on an iPhone or iPad you press start, allow Motion and Orientation when Safari asks, and the readings begin. If you deny it, nothing can be read until you reload and allow it.
Desktops and most laptops have no motion sensors at all, and the tool tells you that up front rather than showing a page of zeros — this is a test for phones and tablets. If no data arrives within a couple of seconds it says so too. Carry on with the vibration test, or work through the mobile and tablet tests.
Frequently asked questions
Why does my iPhone ask for permission?
Since iOS 13, Apple requires a page to request access to motion and orientation data explicitly, and only in response to a tap on a secure https page. That is why there is a start button rather than readings appearing on their own. Allow Motion and Orientation when Safari asks and the numbers appear.
Nothing happens on my laptop. Is it broken?
No. Desktops and the large majority of laptops have no accelerometer or gyroscope, so there is nothing to read. The tool warns you about this rather than displaying zeros. This test is built for phones and tablets.
What do alpha, beta and gamma mean?
They are the three orientation angles in degrees. Beta is tilt front to back, gamma is tilt left to right, and alpha is rotation around the vertical axis, which behaves like a compass heading. Tilting the device one way at a time is the easiest way to see which is which.
How do I know my gyroscope is faulty?
Lay the device flat and still on a table. The tilt angles should hold steady near zero rather than wandering. Then tilt it slowly and watch whether the numbers follow smoothly or jump, stick, or fail to return when you level it again.
I allowed permission but see no data. What now?
The tool warns you when nothing arrives within a couple of seconds. Make sure you are on Safari over https, since the permission request will not work otherwise, and check that the device genuinely has the sensors. Reloading and allowing again resets a denied permission.