Airplane mode allows you to turn off calling, messaging, and data features on your smartphone and Windows and macOS computer. It also turns off connectivity features such as WiFi and Bluetooth.
Here is everything you need to learn about the airplane mode, what it does, and why it is used will be talked about here in this article.
If you have ever boarded an airplane several times before, you would have grown accustomed to the persistent announcements from flight attendants to turn your phone or put it on airplane mode, also known as flight mode. And if you have ever wondered why be sure that we will help reveal certain facts to you about the airplane mode.
The mode is a particular setting on smartphones and portable computers. The airplane mode disables wireless signal transmissions. This means that whenever you enable airplane mode on your smartphone or computer, WiFi, Bluetooth, and cellular functions are disabled.
Enable Airplane Mode?
When you enable this mode on your device, you have set the mode to do certain things such as;
- Your phone will not be able to send or receive text messages or voice calls. Enabling your phone on this mode prevents it from communicating with cellular towers.
- The mode will disable Bluetooth on your smartphone.
- It mode disconnects your phone from a WiFi network.
- When you enable it, you have disabled your phone’s GPS functions.
Note that you can actually make use of WiFi with airplane mode enabled. That is if your airplane offers in-flight WiFi. It is possible for you to enable WiFi in flight mode. Simply navigate your phone to Settings and then connect to your flight’s network. In-flight WiFi is not free, so you connecting to your flight’s WiFi will have to come at a cost.
Similarly, you can use Bluetooth while in this mode. When you are up in the clouds, you can make use of close-range Bluetooth devices (like your earphones to listen to music or your wireless keyboard to work on your PC) while still in airplane mode. Some flight attendants monitor things critically, so do ask for permission before you try to connect anything.
There is still the ultimate question of why you need to enable this mode.
The keyword here is safety. Airplanes make use of radio signals. Navigational equipment makes use of radio signals, and it means that the wireless transmission activities to your phone and from your phone can distort the pilot’s work.
Away from safety, there exist other instances by which flight mode can be useful as well.
- When you want to save your phone battery, turning on this mode might be the best option. This means that by doing this, your phone’s battery life will last even longer. Your phone will no longer have data connectivity or radio connectivity.
- International traveling is a great option when you want to see the world. But it can cause a big hole in your pockets as roaming charges will be sky-high. When you put your phone in airplane mode, it clearly means that you will not be charged by your service provider. You may want to inform your friends and family about your arrival, but for the sake of your purse, wait till you can use a local WiFi for easy location.
- Keep the third-party away from accidentally sending pictures or messages to your contacts when the phone is not in your care.
Any (children, friends) could play games on your phone. When you enable the airplane mode, it totally limits the possible error of messing with any bit of information on your phone that you may want to keep away from the public eye.
By now, you have understood what the airplane mode is used for. Do note that you do not have to use this feature all of the time (especially when you are on land). We did mention that when you enable the airplane mode, you have turned off cellular features. In other words, you have disconnected yourself from the digital world. And this could be dangerous if you turn on the airplane mode without the need to. Only use this feature where and when it is absolutely necessary.
Catch up on our Summary
In this article, we took you through the intricacies of using this mode. We told you that when you enable the mode, you disconnect your phone from a WiFi network, you disconnect your phone from Bluetooth and you disable GPS functions.
We also explained that, while still in this mode, you can make use of WiFi attributed to your flight. You can also make use of Bluetooth to do some light work on your system or play music. You only need to seek permission from the flight attendant.
We finally posited that safety reasons, the need to ease roaming charges on international calls, and keeping third-party users from sending information on your phone to your contacts are few reasons why you need to enable this mode.
You can also tell us more about your experience using the airplane mode and generally your thoughts about this article in the comment section below.