Everything You Should Know About Airplane Mode

If you’ve ever flown on an airplane with your smartphone, then you know that point during the flight when you were advised to put your phone on airplane mode (sometimes known as flight mode). Many of us simply obey the FAA regulation without bothering to ask why so quite many people do not know what the airplane mode is, what it does, and why it is necessary.

In this article, we will cover in detail everything you need to know about Airplane mode including what it is, what it does, and how to turn it on.

What is the Airplane mode?

The Airplane mode is a characteristic feature of many smartphones and gadgets (including Android phones, iPhones, iPad, iPods, and Apple Watch), which turns off the wireless connectivity on your device. This disables all phone wireless functions, including the phone’s cellular networks, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS connectivity.

What Does The Airplane Mode Do?

Airplane mode reduces the functionality of your phone by disabling some of the hardware functions. This is done to reduce interference with the aircraft’s communication system, as most phones emit radio waves and electromagnetic interference.

Other Uses of the Airplane Mode

Apart from turning on your airplane mode to prevent interrupting the communication channels of your flight, the Airplane automatically serves the following functions

1. To conserve battery: 

Most of the apps and functionality that drain your battery require wireless connectivity. When turning on the Airplane Mode, your battery power is automatically conserved when that is shut off.

2. Prevents disturbance: 

Maybe you are busy with work and do not want to be disturbed. Or perhaps you have had a long day and you do not want your sleep disturbed by any incoming calls, emails, or texts, turning your Airplane mode on can help you avoid disturbance.

3. Charge faster: 

If you charge your iPhone while it is on Airplane mode, it will charge more quickly. So putting your iPhone in Airplane Mode is a good way to ensure your phone charges faster than usual

4. Reduces Emission: 

Most phones emit radio-frequency (RF), although in a small quantity. If you don’t need to be connected to your cell network, turning on your Airplane mode will help reduce the risk of emission to you.

How to turn the Airplane mode On/Off

Well, that’s quite easy to do. You can either turn on the Airplane mode from the Control Center of your iPhone or the Settings app. 

Using the Control center: 

Using the Control Center is the easiest and most straightforward way of enabling the Airplane mode. From your phone, simply swipe up the screen to access the Control center (or swipe down from the top right as in the case of the iPhone X). Once done, you can tap on the airplane icon in the Control Center to turn on the airplane mode.

Using the Settings app: 

First, you must open the Settings app on your iOS device. One of the first options you will see is the Airplane mode option. Move the slider green or put it on your flight mode.

To turn off the Airplane mode, simply do a repeat and a reversal of the processes above.

How to Know When Airplane Mode is Turned On

When the Airplane mode is turned on, the functionality of your phone reduces. To know if this is the case, just look towards the top left corner of your device’s screen (Or the right corner if you use an iPhone X). If you don’t see the Wi-Fi signal or cellular signal strength indicator, or perhaps if you see an airplane icon, understand that this means your phone is on Airplane mode.

What features will not be affected if my device is on Airplane mode?

Only the features of your phone that use wireless connectivity will be disabled when you turn on the Airplane mode. This includes the Cellular radio (for voice calls and text messaging), Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS. Others, such as the Camera, Music, and Video players, some apps and games can still be used even with the Airplane Mode turned on. Read our article on why cellphone is banned on-flight.

Using Wi-Fi and Bluetooth in Airplane Mode

Some airlines allow you to use the Bluetooth feature while on a flight. Some even provide in-flight Wi-Fi services to allow passengers to continue work, send and respond to emails, surf the internet, and stream entertainment. This was implemented in 2013 when the F.A.A released additional guidelines to allow using some electronic devices even on a flight. How this law has been implemented in different airlines varies from aircraft to aircraft and from one country to another. 

Even if turning on the Airplane mode turns off these features, you can still take advantage of the offer from the airline. You will just need to turn on each Bluetooth and Wi-Fi feature individually. To do this on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, open the Control Center from the Home Screen and tap the Bluetooth or Wi-Fi icon to turn on either the Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. Otherwise, you can go to the Settings app to turn on the Wi-Fi or your Bluetooth.

Summarily,

Whether it is the sonorous voice of the flight attendant instructing you to turn on your Airplane mode or your preference to do so to get some more work done, avoid disturbance, or extend your battery life, the Airplane mode is a feature you will need.