Does Airplane Mode Save Battery? (Explained)

“Does airplane mode really save battery?” is one of the most commonly asked concerns concerning the battery life of smartphones and tablets. The short answer is that you can increase the amount of time your device’s battery lasts between charges by turning on airplane mode. But it’s useful to know just how and why this occurs.

In airplane mode, the battery life of your phone or tablet is preserved. Even when you’re not using your phone, it still receives messages, ping towers, updates, and notifications. They drain the battery.

This article explains how long your phone’s battery lasts and what you should know before turning on airplane mode. For tips on how to use airplane mode sensibly, keep reading.

What is Airplane Mode?

All smartphones, tablets, and many computers have the option to switch to airplane mode, which is frequently denoted by an airplane icon. When turned on, it turns off all wireless radios and antennae that are used to communicate with GPS satellites, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and cellular networks.

Initially, all possible signal broadcasts during flight were to be turned off in order to avoid interference with aircraft navigation systems. However, it is now a helpful function that you may use whenever you wish to stop your device from connecting wirelessly.

How Does It Save Battery?

Airplane mode preserves the battery life of your smartphone in a number of ways:

1. Disables Cellular Radios:

The cellular radio that keeps a smartphone connected to the mobile network is one of the parts that uses the greatest battery life. You may access mobile data, send SMS, and make calls thanks to this. Periodic radio “pings” back and forth, continuously consuming power, are necessary to maintain this connection. This continuous power drain from sustaining network connectivity is eliminated by turning off the cellular radio in airplane mode. This cellular drain is considerably greater for devices on CDMA networks, such as Verizon or Sprint, than it is for GSM operators.

2. Turns Off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth:

Enabling airplane mode on the majority of devices also automatically turns off the Bluetooth and Wi-Fi antennas. These wireless radios nevertheless require electricity to periodically search for accessible networks and reply to pings, even if they are not as battery-intensive as cellular radios. These minor but important sources of energy drain from wireless communications can be eliminated by turning off Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.

3. Prevents Background App Refreshes:

In order to obtain updates, download content, sync data, and get push alerts, a lot of apps frequently establish background connections to the internet. Your battery is gradually depleted by each app that keeps these ongoing network connections.

Apps that are in airplane mode are unable to connect to the internet. This lowers battery consumption by stopping their data transfers and background refresh cycles until you activate wireless connectivity again.

4. Limits Location Services:

To further conserve energy, the majority of smartphones either restrict or turn off location services like GPS when in flight mode. Another battery-operated radio that uses satellite signals to locate you is GPS. Another source of battery drain is eliminated by turning it off.

Should I Conserve Battery by Using Airplane Mode

There are times when you can extend the battery life of your phone by activating airplane mode. For example, if you know you have a crucial call later in the day and you’re out and about without your charger, you might put your phone in airplane mode for a short while to save energy.

However, if there’s even a tiny possibility that your call would arrive early, you shouldn’t do this. As you read on, discover why.

When is Airplane Mode Most Useful?

The greatest advantages arise in specific circumstances, even if airplane mode eliminates many of the main ways your smartphone consumes power:

• During air travel when you can’t use cellular or WiFi anyway
• When you’ll be away from power sources for an extended period
• In areas with no or poor cellular/WiFi signal that your phone constantly searches for
• If you need to eliminate app activity and data access temporarily
• If you just want to force yourself to unplug from notifications and connectivity

Remember that airplane mode is helpful, but it won’t make your battery life miraculously double or triple. However, under the correct conditions, it can offer very beneficial battery savings by disconnecting all those radio connections and background pings that continuously deplete power.

Why Is Airplane Mode Not Recommended?

When your phone is in airplane mode, it goes into a connection sleep state. The internet, SMS, and phone calls will all be unavailable to your device. Basically, some operations will be inhibited or prevented.

While turning on airplane mode can extend battery life by turning off radios like cellular, WiFi, Bluetooth, and GPS, there are a number of drawbacks as well. You’ll miss all incoming calls, texts, notifications, and alerts; you won’t be able to use navigation apps that require location services or make emergency calls; you’ll have to reconnect to networks when turning off airplane mode again; and you won’t be able to access your device remotely. Although this is useful in some circumstances, it’s not advised to leave airplane mode on all the time.

If you would miss something important, you wouldn’t want to put your phone in airplane mode.

What Battery Benefits Does Airplane Mode Offer?

Your phone always works if it is turned on and connected. It pings a cell tower to establish a connection when it gets close. Additionally, it can send and receive messages from other devices.

Depending on your settings, your phone may be working on multiple tasks at once. Programs may be updated, apps could be updated, health indicators could be monitored, and more without your direct interaction.

To stop all of the aforementioned actions, put your phone in airplane mode. The battery is depleted by all of these actions. Your battery will last longer with minimal effort.

What Can I Do With My Phone in Airplane Mode?

When the phone is in airplane mode, you can still browse your photos and use its camera. The calculator and flashlight are still functional. Alarm, stopwatch, and timer are among the clock’s features.

You can watch any movies or TV shows that you have downloaded on your phone. You can also play non-web-based games that can be downloaded.

Is WiFi Accessible When in Airplane Mode?

You can connect to WiFi or Bluetooth even if your phone is in flight mode. This suggests that you can browse the internet and stream movies and TV shows using well-known apps. You can check your social media accounts, make online purchases, send and receive emails, and make web calls to anyone using your camera.

You should be aware that using WiFi will cause the phone’s battery to drain more—though not as much—than it would if it weren’t in airplane mode. To save battery life, put your phone in airplane mode and, if available, connect to the WiFi network.

How to activate the airplane mode

Here are the detailed procedures for turning on airplane mode on your tablet or smartphone:

Step 1: Swipe down from the top of your screen to open the Quick Settings or Notification Shade.

Step 2: Look for the airplane icon, which is usually a plane generating signal lines or an outline of an airplane.

Step 3: Tap on the airplane mode icon to turn it on. The icon will become colored or filled in to indicate it’s enabled.

Step 4: Alternatively, you can go to Settings > Network & Internet (or Cnnection& Sharing) and toggle on the Airplane Mode switch.

Step 5: Once enabled, you’ll see the airplane mode indicator at the top of your screen, often next to the battery icon.

Step 6: All wireless radios like cellular, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS will now be disabled.

Step 7: To turn off airplane mode, simply repeat step 2 or 4 and tap/toggle airplane mode off.

Step 8: After that, your device will begin re-enabling and re-connecting to all of the wireless networks and radios it was previously linked to.

That’s all! This battery-saving mode can be easily enabled or disabled with only a few clicks. When you need to restore wifi capability, location services, and internet connectivity, be careful to exit airplane mode.

On iOS, navigate to Settings. Airplane mode is the first choice on the list. Press the button to turn it on.

Final Reflections:

The airplane mode option is not just needed only during flight. You can use it whenever you wish to extend the life of your battery. Just use caution when it’s acceptable to be a little less attached.