For years, airplane mode has been living with us on the mobile phone and it has become an essential that cannot be missing in any operating system or customization layer. However, its evolution in recent years has been huge, trying to dispel some myths and offering possibilities that were previously unimaginable.
There are many questions to solve around this “connection limiter” and so that you have no doubts, we are going to take everything into account. As you can already imagine from the name, its beginnings had a clear objective and that is to try to control the use of mobile phones on flights , no matter how close or far they are to be carried out. A mode that did not exist in the beginning of aviation, as well as smartphones or the vast number of mobiles that exist today, which led to a problem.
What is the airplane mode of smartphones
Starting from the beginning, the origin of this mode is aimed, as we have already mentioned, to limit the connections between mobiles and antennas, and not only because of the possible interferences that mobiles are capable of causing with control towers and therefore generating complete chaos in the air, but also to prevent the mobile from connecting to the antennas during the journey and this causes us a surprise on the bill. What this mode achieves is a result similar to that which would occur if we remove the SIM card from our mobile.
Years ago there was an exchange of opinions between the European aviation safety agency and the airlines, since the EASA gave the green light to the law that will allow to continue using mobile data during the flight, but nevertheless this has been discouraged by all the companies. airlines, who finally have the floor. For this reason, before starting the flight, they remind us to use this mode and not deactivate it throughout the journey until after the complete landing has occurred.
By activating airplane mode, we are blocking the use of mobile data networks and also the coverage to receive or make calls and also SMS. The focus of this is focused on taking off and landing, since the critical and most important point where interference can affect more seriously since we are closer to the ground and is where smartphones begin to connect with antennas. Previously this also affected other types of connections such as WiFi or Bluetooth, but with the passage of time this has changed as we can see below.
WiFi can be used in conjunction with airplane mode
Currently, there is no problem in using airplane mode together with other types of WiFi-based internet connections, so even if the mobile deactivates the WiFi network when activating airplane mode, we can independently activate the WiFi of the mobile. For this reason, some airlines offer WiFi connections on board for free or for a fee. These networks are not capable of causing interference that reaches the cockpit and even if we play games, browse social networks or upload content, we will not be endangering the connections that the plane requires.
Also Bluetooth and NFC
The case of Bluetooth has also been in question, as well as that of other connections on board the plane, but nevertheless since Android 11 the system no longer deactivates Bluetooth when putting the airplane mode into operation. There is no type of interference that affects the pilots with the rest of the connections and only mobile coverage is what can cause it, therefore it is the only one affected by airplane mode.
Does your smartphone keep turning off Bluetooth? Do not worry about it, you can activate it manually, this change is recent but it does not pose any risk. Therefore you can continue to use it on board the plane to listen to music, play games with a wireless controller or transfer files among the many things available. No airline is known to have changed this protocol with the Bluetooth connection today.
So when should we use airplane mode?
Following the instructions, incidents and recommendations of the airlines that fly in Spain and on the European continent, it is mandatory to activate the airplane mode at the beginning of the flight and it must remain in this state until the end of the flight. Regarding the use of WiFi or other connections, there is no mention whatsoever and that is why we should not fear to activate other connections. Beyond this, there are other alternative uses to the airplane mode of mobiles in which we could not have fallen and for which it is not necessary that we go yes or yes mounted on a plane.
Also in planes?
Although most likely nobody will remind us if we get on a small plane with one or two companions, it would also be advisable to connect the airplane mode, in case there is a need to connect with any of the control towers that exist on the runways let us be guilty of interference.
How to activate airplane mode on mobile
The steps to follow to activate airplane mode on Android phones or iPhones are simple. In the Android operating system we have to lower the curtain of quick accesses and among the panels we find the airplane mode, but if this access has been eliminated, it will also be in Settings> Networks and internet. In the case of the iPhone, we must slide our finger from the bottom to access the control panel and find it or otherwise enter the settings and press it.
It will not be necessary to deactivate mobile data and we will not be able to receive calls or SMS in the period in which this option is deactivated. Everything we give that does not need a connection based on mobile data will be operational , as is the case with WhatsApp or social networks through a WiFi network, the camera or mobile files.