01
Progressive precision
Use 2 words to indicate a broad region, add a 3rd for a neighborhood, or a 4th for a precise spot. You decide the level of detail.
Hierarchical geospatial index
Address the world with precision.
BGrid divides the Earth into nested grids of 2048 cells and names each cell with a word. Four words identify a cell of about 10 × 5 m at the equator, and smaller toward the poles.
Example Royal Observatory, Greenwich
- WGS84
- 51.477928, -0.001545
- indices
- 416 · 1760 · 640 · 942
- bgrid
- crop swim exit interest
Interactive demo Click a cell to descend one level
- cells per level
- 2048
- words → ~10 × 5 m cell
- 4
- wordlist languages
- 9
- deterministic, no server
- Offline
01 · Indexing
Row-major cell indexing
Each level subdivides a region into a 64×32 or 32×64 grid, yielding exactly 2048 cells per level. Orientation alternates between levels, so cells alternate between square and 2:1 instead of becoming ever more elongated.
Cells are numbered in row-major order (raster scan): starting at the top-left corner, left-to-right across each row, then continuing on the next row below. The cell containing the point becomes the frame for the next level.
0-based
row × cols + col + 1 1-based
(row − 1) × cols + col Both produce the same contiguous sequence from 1 to 2048.
Level 1 / 464 × 32 = 2048 cells
- cursor
- subdividing…
- x
- 0.499996 → col ⌊x·64⌋ = ?
- y
- 0.214012 → row ⌊y·32⌋ = ?
- index
- 6·64 + 31 + 1 = ?
Address
Final cell ≈ 6.0 × 4.8 m, centre 51.477921, -0.001588
02 · Precision
Every word is ~2048× more precise
Average area per cell is the Earth's surface divided by 2048L. Cells have equal angular size, so on the ground they are largest at the equator and shrink toward the poles.
| Words | Grid | Cells worldwide | Avg. area / cell | Cell size at equator |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 64 × 32 | 2,048 | 249,058.59 km² | 626 × 622 km |
| 2 | 32 × 64 | 4,194,304 | 121.61 km² | 19.6 × 9.7 km |
| 3 | 64 × 32 | 8,589,934,592 | 59,380.20 m² | 306 × 304 m |
| 4 | 32 × 64 | 17,592,186,044,416 | 28.99 m² | 9.6 × 4.7 m |
Sizes at other latitudes, imperial units and derivations are in the protocol specification.
03 · Emergency use
Built to be spoken under pressure
In critical situations, every second counts. BGrid addresses make location sharing fast and reliable when it matters most.
01
Voice-friendly
Short sequences of common words that can be spoken clearly over radio or phone, even in noisy environments.
02
Keypad input
Each word maps to a number (1–2048), so addresses can be typed on any phone keypad without a smartphone.
03
No spelling needed
Unlike GPS coordinates, there's nothing to spell out letter by letter. Just say the words.
04
Multi-language
Available in 9 languages, so responders and victims can communicate locations in their native tongue.
05
Works offline
No internet connection required. The grid is deterministic and can be resolved locally on any device.
06
Easy to remember
Under stress, people recall common words far better than long numeric coordinates. Four words is all it takes.
04 · Privacy
Privacy by design
BGrid's hierarchical structure lets you share your location at the resolution you choose. Two words cover a wide area; four words pinpoint a door. You decide how much to reveal.
02
Share without exposing
Tell someone your general area without revealing your exact location. Perfect for public posts or casual meetups.
03
You control the resolution
Each additional word narrows the area by ~2048×. Fewer words mean less precision and more privacy.
Trust
They know
≈ 7.1 m × 4.8 m
04
Gradual disclosure
Start vague and refine only when trust is established. Share word by word, revealing more detail on your terms.
05
No metadata attached
A BGrid address is just words, with no hidden coordinates, device IDs or tracking data embedded in what you share.
06
Context-aware sharing
Delivering a package? Use 4 words. Meeting a friend downtown? 2 words is enough. Match precision to the situation.
Contact
Get in touch
Have questions, feedback, or want to contribute an implementation? We'd love to hear from you.