Many of us know that while travelling in an Airplane you are asked to either switch off or enable the flight mode in your smartphone or laptop. If you are frequent flyer you probably know the drill. However, have you ever wondered what is the functionality of the airplane mode is? And why are you asked to enable it? What if you don’t? If you ever got these thoughts running across your mind every time while tapping on the flight mode option as the flight takes off then, here’s a quick over view on the basic understanding of airplane mode and how you can enable it in your smartphones not only when you travel but surprisingly for many other day to day activities as well.
There are many explanations to this one of them being that flight attendants need to be able to communicate the security and safety instructions with passengers quickly while in flight. What’s more, many people do not want to sit next to a person who talks on the phone during an entire flight, which is bound to happen if phones are allowed. Another explanation is, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) contends that the radio frequencies admitted by cellphones and similar devices can interfere with the airplane’s navigation and communication systems. Due to this, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) prohibits the usage of any electronic devices during takeoff and landing of the flight.
Airplane mode temporarily disables the phone or laptop’s data transmitter and receiver’s signals i.e. prevents any data from being sent or received to your device.In other words, it means you will have no access to make any calls, send or receive text messages or mails while on airplane mode. That being said, airplane mode allows you to connect to Bluetooth and Wi-Fi functions. So, if you wish to listen to your curated playlist while flying just tap the Bluetooth icon to connect your wireless Bluetooth with your smartphone. Yes, it’s just that simple and it works!
Now that you have got a decent understanding and an overview about the Airplane mode feature, let’s take a look at how can you enable it in your smartphone and laptop that too in few simple steps.
There are two ways through which you can enable the airplane mode settings on your Android smartphone
- Quick Settings
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Settings Menu
Once enabled, you will find that the network symbols is replaced by an airplane sign.
Likewise, if you own an iPhone or an iPad you too can enable the airplane mode either via Control Center or through Settings menu. But here’s a catch, once you manually enable Wi-Fi or Bluetooth using one of the methods above, it will stay activated the next time that Airplane Mode is turned on.
You probably must be aware of the fact that Mac does not come with any built in Airplane Mode feature. That being said, this feature can be custom made by any Mac user in few easy steps:
- Additionally, airplane mode also aids in providing you with some undisrupted sleep at night! All you need to do is just enable it to turn off all the distracting vibration of the notifications that pop up at odd hours. The only sound that will wake you up then is the alarm. Yes, that feature of your phone will still work even in airplane mode.
- Well if you are having difficulty in charging your phone i.e. it’s taking ages to charge, try enabling the airplane mode the next time your phone will charge comparatively faster.
- And, if in any case you happen to be in situation wherein your smartphone is beeping due to low battery and you have forgotten to carry your charger or powerbank along don’t panic. Just enable the airplane mode it will automatically cut off other background activities of your device and help in saving the battery of your smartphone.
So, while airplane mode won’t allow you to actually fly a plane. It will definitely help you to access your phone even while you transit on high altitude as well as a hands on solution for other day to day requirements.
Do let us know how useful you found the airplane mode while travelling or while using it for other activities. Also if you know any other benefits of airplane mode then do share them with us. And, if you liked this article then do share it with your family and friends.