Airplane Mode

What is Airplane mode for?

FCC regulations ban the use of cell phones on planes in order to protect against radio interference to cell phone networks on the ground. Meaning at 40,000 feet in the air, active cell phones would be picking up service from multiple cell towers on the ground. This could crowd the networks on the ground and disrupt service.

Some international airlines have cell phone receivers installed on select planes. So passengers on certain flights can call or text in the air. You can also connect to Wi-Fi on a lot of domestic flights. So you can surf the web and send messages. But most airlines restrict passengers from making calls over in-flight Wi-Fi.

There are also other benefits to using airplane mode

Saves Battery Life

When a phone is placed in airplane mode it is not constantly attempting to connect to a cell network or find a wireless signal. This means that the battery life is preserved causing the cell phone battery to last longer.

Increases Speed of Charging

When a phone is in airplane mode applications are not downloading updates, or even checking for updates. This means in most cases applications are “inactive”. An inactive cell phone will charge much faster than one that is active.

Reduces Interruptions

A cell phone in airplane mode will not trigger alerts or notifications. If you are in need of uninterrupted time, placing a cell phone in airplane mode will stop any notifications or alerts from interrupting you.

Reduce Exposure to EMF Radiation

When a cell phone connects to a cell network or other device using Wi-Fi, bluetooth or a cell signal, it creates a form of EMF (Electric and Magnetic Fields) radiation. In fact one of the reasons that cell phones are required to be placed in “airplane mode” when in flight, is that it is thought that the RF (Radio Frequency) signals of the cell phone may interfere with sensitive sensors and equipment on the airplanes. Placing a cell phone in airplane mode reduces exposure to EMF radiation.

Keep Roaming Charges to a Minimum

When traveling with a cell phone, consumers can incur expensive data roaming charges for accessing a cell networks outside of their plan. Airplane mode also has the additional advantage for travelers that the cell phone will not seek out cell networks, meaning you will not unexpectedly incur roaming charges.

While many only use airplane mode while in flight. There are a number of additional benefits to airplane mode that you may want to consider.

Note: Airplane mode can also be toggled off and on for a few minutes to refresh some connection issues on your mobile device.