What Does Airplane Mode Mean on Cell Phone

Grab an Android phone, iPhone, iPad, or even a Windows 10 PC, and you'll see an airplane mode toggle in their various shortcut menus. But what is airplane mode and what does it actually do? How can you use it to your advantage on your phone or PC?

We'll answer all your questions about airplane mode so you understand how to use it.

What Is Airplane Mode?

Airplane mode, sometimes called aeroplane mode or flight mode, is a setting available on nearly all smartphones, laptops, and similar devices. When you activate airplane mode, it stops all signal transmission from your device. You'll see an airplane icon in your phone's status bar when it's turned on.

The feature is known as airplane mode because many airlines prohibit wireless devices on their planes, especially when taking off and landing. There's some debate on whether phones could actually interfere with the radio equipment in planes, but most think it's best to err on the side of caution.

What Does Airplane Mode Do?

Airplane mode disables all wireless functions of your phone or laptop, including:

Cellular connection: You can't make calls, send text messages, or use mobile data to access the internet.
Wi-Fi: Your device will disconnect from any existing Wi-Fi connections and won't connect to any new ones.
Bluetooth: Bluetooth is a short-range connection that lets you link your phone to speakers, headphones, and more. Airplane mode disables this.

After enabling airplane mode, you can manually toggle Wi-Fi or Bluetooth back on, while still keeping airplane mode enabled to block cell signals.

Modern versions of iOS and Android have also made convenience tweaks for airplane mode. On modern phones, if you turn on airplane mode while connected to a Bluetooth device, it won't drop the Bluetooth connection. You can still turn off Bluetooth manually, if you like.

GPS is a bit different. It doesn't transmit any radio waves; your phone's GPS functionality only receives signals from GPS satellites. Depending on your device, airplane mode may or may not turn off GPS.

While offline map apps work without an internet connection, features like live traffic won't work in airplane mode, since you have no connection to the internet.

How to Toggle Airplane Mode on Android

To enable airplane mode on your Android device, follow these steps:

Swipe down from the top of the screen two times to open the Quick Settings panel. Alternatively, you can swipe down once using two fingers.
Look for the Airplane mode toggle in the grid. If you don't see it, you might need to swipe to the side to access more icons.
Tap the toggle, and your phone enters airplane mode. You'll see an airplane icon in your status bar, and all affected radios are disabled.

Repeat these steps to disable airplane mode. Note that it may take your phone a moment to reconnect to Wi-Fi and cellular data after leaving airplane mode.

If your phone doesn't have this shortcut for some reason, you can toggle airplane mode at Settings > Network & internet > Airplane mode.

How to Toggle Airplane Mode on iPhone or iPad

If you're an iPhone or iPad user, see our full guide to airplane mode on iPhone and iPad.

How to Toggle Airplane Mode on Windows and Mac

On Windows 10, you can toggle airplane mode through the Action Center. Press Win + A or click the notification bubble icon in the bottom-right corner of your screen to open it.

Once it appears, look for the Airplane mode toggle at the bottom. Click this to enable airplane mode and cut off all network signals. If you don't see the panel, click Expand to show more; it may be hidden by default.

As it turns out, macOS doesn't have a dedicated airplane mode option. We've looked at how to effectively put your MacBook into airplane mode, though.

Does Airplane Mode Save Battery?

Yes, airplane mode definitely helps your device save battery life. The various radios in your phone take up a lot of power. They regularly push app notifications over Wi-Fi, communicate with Bluetooth devices and cell towers, and check your location.

That all drains a lot of power, so disabling them all at once is a great way to keep your phone alive for longer. Because your phone doesn't do as much work in airplane mode, it should also charge faster.

Can You Use Wi-Fi While in Airplane Mode?

This depends on your device, but most modern phones allow you to use Wi-Fi even when in airplane mode. When you enable airplane mode, Wi-Fi will shut off, but you can enable it again manually.

On your Android device, swipe down from the top of the screen twice to open Quick Settings again, then tap Wi-Fi. Give it a few seconds, and you'll see Wi-Fi turn on and connect (if your phone allows this). On an iPhone, open Control Center (swipe down from the top-right corner on iPhone models without a Home button, or swipe up from the bottom if your device has a Home button) and tap the Wi-Fi toggle in the same way.

Many airlines now offer in-flight Wi-Fi, so you can enable Wi-Fi in airplane mode to enjoy that if applicable. If you're not sure, you should check with an airline employee before you try connecting. Planes typically allow Wi-Fi only when above 10,000 feet, however, so take care to keep Wi-Fi turned off during takeoff and landing.

Does Bluetooth Work in Airplane Mode?

This is a similar scenario to the above. Enabling airplane mode disables Bluetooth (except with the exceptions mentioned earlier), but on most phones and laptops, you can turn it back on with the shortcut toggle. Airlines don't usually care much about Bluetooth, because its range is so short (about 30 feet in most cases).

Enabling Bluetooth lets you pair your Bluetooth earbuds, keyboard, or similar devices. Even when you're not on a plane, you can enable airplane mode to save battery while listening to offline music through Bluetooth headphones.

Does Airplane Mode Use Data?

No. Because enabling airplane mode prevents your phone from connecting to your mobile provider's cell network, you won't use any data in airplane mode.

What Does Airplane Mode Do for Games?

If you love playing games on your phone but hate seeing ads, airplane mode can help. Because it disables all internet connections, enabling airplane mode will hide ads in offline mobile games. Just make sure you don't turn Wi-Fi back on after enabling airplane mode.

However, if a game requires your device to be online, you won't be able to play it at all in airplane mode. You'll have to give airplane mode a try with your favorite games and see what happens.

Do Alarms Work in Airplane Mode?

Yes, alarms will sound as normal, even in airplane mode. They don't rely on any kind of internet or mobile connection. Open the Clock app on your device and switch to the Alarms tab to set your alarm as normal.

Does Snapchat Work in Airplane Mode?

No. Because Snapchat relies on an internet connection, it won't work at all in airplane mode.

Can You Receive Calls and Texts in Airplane Mode?

No, because your phone has no connection to cellular service. If someone calls you and your phone is in airplane mode, they'll reach your voicemail as if your phone was turned off. You'll see texts that you received while in airplane mode once you disable it.

If you use Wi-Fi Calling, however, you won't have this limitation. Your phone and carrier must both support this function, and you have to enable it to run calls and traditional SMS texts over Wi-Fi.

Messaging apps like WhatsApp and iMessage are another exception to this. If your phone is in airplane mode but you're connected to Wi-Fi, you can still message others using instant messaging services.

How to Listen to Music While in Airplane Mode

Since you don't have an internet connection in airplane mode, music streaming apps like Spotify, Apple Music, and similar won't work. The only way to stream music in airplane mode is to turn Wi-Fi back on, as we've mentioned.

Assuming you can't connect to Wi-Fi, you have two options for listening to music in airplane mode.

First, if you subscribe to a paid streaming service, like Spotify Premium or YouTube Music Premium, you can download music to your mobile device. This lets you listen to it even in airplane mode.

If you don't want to pay for a premium streaming subscription, you can still listen to local music you own. You'll need to sync your music to your phone and use an offline music player app to do so.

That's What You Can Do in Airplane Mode

We've answered some of the most common questions about airplane mode on your phone or laptop. In short, it lets you shut off all wireless activity on your device, which is required on some flights yet handy even on the ground. And you can tweak airplane mode by turning on Wi-Fi or Bluetooth manually if you still want to allow some connections.

If you've got a long flight coming up, we recommend downloading your media to your phone so you aren't reliant on an internet connection. That way, you have plenty to enjoy without paying for airline Wi-Fi.

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What Does Airplane Mode Mean on Cell Phone