Airplane mode is not just for flights: other useful ways to use it

What it actually does

Airplane mode turns off the phone's radios: cellular, and by default Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, although most phones let you turn those two back on separately. Everything that does not need a connection keeps working, including your alarm, downloaded music and podcasts, the camera and offline games.

Read also: Phone storage full: what you can safely delete and Automatic backup: how to never lose your phone photos and files.

What the rules say on a flight

In the United States, the Federal Aviation Administration rule on portable electronic devices leaves it to each airline to decide which devices can be used and when, after determining they will not interfere with the aircraft's navigation and communication systems. Since 2013, most U.S. airlines allow phones gate to gate as long as they are in airplane mode.

Separately, Federal Communications Commission rules bar using cell phones for calls in flight, which is why airplane mode is still required even when in-flight Wi-Fi is available. That is also why crew instructions vary from one airline to another.

Source: Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, 14 CFR 91.21, Portable electronic devices.

Faster charging

With airplane mode on, the phone stops spending energy searching for cell towers and networks, which can shorten charging time, especially in places with weak signal. Handy when you only have 15 minutes before heading out.

Battery saver where signal is weak

In an elevator, a basement parking garage, the subway or a rural road, the phone burns battery trying over and over to connect to a weak network. Turning on airplane mode in those spots stops the drain. Turn it off once you are back in coverage.

Other uses worth knowing

• Sleep without interruptions: it cuts calls and notifications while your alarm still goes off.
• Focus on work or study: more effective than silencing, because nothing comes in.
• Handing your phone to a kid: avoids accidental calls, messages and in-app purchases.
• Reset a stuck connection: turning airplane mode on and off forces the phone to search for the network again, a quick fix when data stops working.
• Read messages quietly: some people use it to open a chat without immediately appearing online, though this does not work reliably on every app.

Remember that in airplane mode you will not receive calls or texts, including two-factor verification codes.