Google Offers a 'Qibla Finder' App to all the Muslims Who Follow Ramadan

Article by George Norman (Cybersecurity Editor)

on 16 Jun 2017

Google’s latest offering to all the millions of Muslims around the world who are currently following Ramadan is a handy web app that uses Augmented Reality (AR) to point them in the right direction when it’s time to pray.

The app in question is aptly named Qibla Finder and what it does is it uses your smartphone’s camera to paint a blue line towards the Kaaba.

Like this.




Get started with Qibla Finder

You can get started with Google’s Qibla Finder web app by visiting QiblaFinder.withgoogle.com or g.coQiblaFinder.

Although you could use the web app within your desktop’s web browser, it’s best if you use it in your smartphone’s web browser.

Najeeb Jarrar, Google Product Marketing Manager for the Middle East and North Africa, said that the app will remain available once Ramadan 2017 is over.

Ramadan kicked off on Friday, May 26, and will last until Saturday, June 24. The Muslims who follow it do so by fasting from sunrise until sunset and by refraining from sinful behavior.


Don’t forget about Google’s Ramadan Hub

Google is no stranger to Ramadan and back in 2015 it introduced My Ramadan Companion, a web portal that presented the time the sun rises and sets, featured various Ramadan recipes and dishes, helped Muslims find the nearest charity Iftar, presented Ramadan-related YouTube videos, and recommended several mobile apps.

The web portal is still around, just that it’s now known under a different name: Ramadan Hub. It currently presents the Qibla Finder web app presented above, features a special playlist of Youtube videos you might find entertaining, and promotes 5 mobile apps and games.


The 5 apps promoted on Google's Ramadan Hub

1. Muslim Pro – Ramadan 2017



Muslim Pro – Ramadan has been downloaded more than 10 million times (on Google Play alone), has thousands of 5-star ratings (on both Google Play and Apple’s App Store), and is recognized by more than 30 million Muslins as the most accurate prayer time and azan application (according to the developer). The app’s list of features includes things like prayer times based on your locations, the option to read the Quran offline, Qibla compass, and more.

Muslim Pro Ramadan 2017 – Main Features
  • Accurate prayer times based on your current location.
  • Azan: visual and audio notifications for the calls for prayer with many muezzin voices to choose from.
  • Fasting times (Imsak and Iftar) during Ramadan.
  • The Holy Quran (Al Qur'an) with audio recitations (mp3), phonetics and translations.
  • Colored Tajweed to help you improve your pronunciation when reading the Quran.
  • "Tasbih" to count your dhikr.
  • Halal restaurants and mosques locations around you.
  • Animated Qibla compass and map to show you the direction to Mecca.
  • Complete Muslim Hijri calendar to estimate holy dates such as Eid-Ul-Fitr and Eid-Ul-Adha.
  • 99 names of Allah
  • Beautiful Islamic greeting cards.
  • Hisn'ul Muslim (Fortress of the Muslim): a collection of doas and supplications.
  • App and Quran fully translated to multiple languages.


Muslim Pro – Ramadan 2017 is available for free (with in-app purchases) on Google Play and Apple’s App Store.

Upgrading from the Free to the Premium version will get rid of all the ads and more.


2. Cookpad



Cookpad is all about offering an easy means of finding and sharing recipes. If you have a great recipe that you want to share with others, Cookpad will help you do that. And if you’re looking for something new to try, Cookpad provides easy access to tons of recipes – for main dishes, appetizers, drinks, side dishes, desserts, ethnic recipes, soups, stews, diet recipes, and recipes for special occasions, like Ramadan.

Cookpad – Main Features
  • Publish and share recipes in public or private.
  • Search for recipes by title, ingredients, meal-type, and so on.
  • Bookmark recipes for quick access.
  • Cooking Diary that keeps all your cooking photos in one place.
  • Share photos with the recipe author.
  • Chat with family and friends about what’s cooking or what to cook.
  • Timeline to see what your friends are cooking and sharing.
  • Available in English, Arabic, and other languages.


The Cookpad app is available for free (with in-app purchases) on Google Play and Apple’s App Store.

And don’t forget about the Cookpad.com website.


3. Careem



Careem is the Uber of the Middle East, a car booking service that is available in multiple cities in the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia. If you need a ride, just take out your phone, launch the Careem app, choose what sort of car you want, and a Careem Captain will come pick you up. You can pay for your ride with cash, credit card, or Careem Credit. When the ride is over, you can rate your experience and help make Careem better for everyone.

Careem – Main Features
  • Choose what sort of car you require.
  • Book a ride for right now or for a later time.
  • Careem’s GPS ninjas automatically pick up your location.
  • Track your ride in real time, change your drop-off on the fly.
  • Pay with cash, credit card, or Careem Credit.
  • View your trip summary and rate your experience.


Careem is available for free on Google Play and Apple’s App Store.

Learn more about Careem on its official website.


4. Athan Pro Muslim: Ramadan 2017



From a functionality point of view, Athan Pro Muslim: Ramadan 2017 is very similar to the Muslim Pro – Ramadan 2017. It presents prayer times, it has a Qibla compass that points towards Mecca, it presents the 99 names of Allah in text and audio, it features a calendar that presents all the religious holidays, and more.

Athan Pro Muslim: Ramadan 2017 – Main Features
  • Ramadan 2017 Dashboard including Hadith and beautiful Islamic backgrounds.
  • Accurate prayer time calculated on your geographic position.
  • Many athans sounds to choose from and apply to the call of the prayer.
  • Integrated compass pointing to the direction of the Qibla.
  • Hadith of the Day, Picture of the Day
  • Access to free apps Hisn Al Muslim and Quran
  • Calendar with religious holidays and dates.
  • Daily Haramain to listen to the latest prayers from Mekka and Medina
  • Monthly schedule for prayer time.
  • Tasbeeh with phonetic support, French and English.
  • Azkar before, during and after the prayer
  • Display of 99 names of Allah in text and audio
  • Ability to customize wallpapers.


Athan Pro Muslim: Ramadan 2017 is available for free (with in-app purchases) on Google Play and Apple’s App Store.

This app is a QuanticApps product.


5. Revenge of Sultans



Revenge of Sultans is a mobile game – a real-time strategy massively multiplayer online (RTS MMO) game to be more precise. Here’s how developer ONEMT presents the game on its website:

"The sands of the Arabian Desert have watched impassively as empires have come and gone, and armies both triumphant and defeated marched home. Now an ancient evil has returned, threatening the land and all who inhabit it. These are dark times, where danger can come from friend or foe. You have been chosen to defend your people, secure your land against the darkness, and lead them into a new era of prosperity."

Revenge of Sultans – Main Features
  • Command your troops and take part in epic battles. Strike your enemies with a powerful army.
  • Explore the vast Arabian Desert, uncover ancient relics, recover resources, and fight monsters.
  • Join an alliance and choose your alliance members wisely.
  • Invite your friends to play.


Revenge of Sultans is free (with in-app purchases) on Google Play and Apple’s App Store.



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