Tech & Web

5 Advantages of airplane mode that may surprise you!

Airplane mode is usually available in most portable devices such as smartphones, tablets, or laptops. As the name describes, this mode is basically used for disabling all cellular and Bluetooth connections, especially when you are boarding a plane. However, there are other advantages even if you are on the ground. Let’s see them in detail below.

What does airplane mode do?

Airplane mode is a quick way to turn off all radios connections as follows:

  • Cellular: The airplane mode will pause any transmitting and receiving data connection from the cell tower. Therefore, you will not be able to use any functions that require mobile data, including incoming/outgoing calls or sending a text message.
  • Bluetooth: Airplane mode also disables Bluetooth. But don’t worry, you can turn Bluetooth back on while keeping the airplane mode active.
  • Wi-Fi: Your device will also stop connecting to any Wi-Fi network.
  • GPS: Although the GPS navigation system doesn’t transmit any signal to cell towers, some phones automatically turn the GPS off on airplane mode as well.

Why must we enable airplane mode while in flight?

When a plane takes off, you will always hear the airline’s announcement to enable airplane mode on your phones as well as other portable electronic devices. This is because the emitted radios could interrupt airplane navigation. Moreover, it also prevents them from interfering with cellular networks on the ground.

How can we turn airplane mode on?

The airplane mode usually comes in a plane icon, displaying on the quick-access controls of your smartphone. It is designed to be easy to use so you can turn it on and off as you please. On most iOS/Android smartphones and tablets, you just swipe down in the middle of your phone’s screen and then tap on the “airplane mode” icon.

For laptops, you can easily switch it to airplane mode by going to the Wi-Fi control panel on the right-down corner. After that, you will see the “Airplane mode” option on the bottom of the panel. Click on it to enable airplane mode.

Why should we use airplane mode on the ground?

Apart from the security reasons as we mentioned earlier, airplane mode also provides many advantages that you may want to consider. Below are the top 5 reasons why you should switch your devices to airplane mode, although you are not on a plane:

Save your battery life

First and foremost, network connectivity significantly consumes the phone’s battery. Since active devices seek a cellular signal from the nearest cell tower without ever stopping, that drains the battery so fast. Especially when there is no network nearby to roam on, the phone will work harder by emitting a stronger radio signal.

Therefore, in order to extend the battery life, we suggest you switch your phone to airplane mode so it can take a rest. This will disable network connectivity only. Thus, you can still use other non-wifi applications as usual.

Increase charging speed

Have you ever been curious about why your phone takes so much time to charge? One possible reason is that it works continuously on attempting to connect itself to various mobile networks. Besides, all applications are usually still running and draining your battery.

Prevent unexpected charges

If your smartphone always accesses mobile data, it may download or update applications without asking. As a result, you will unexpectedly spend mobile data and this may lead to additional costs, especially when exceeding the limit amount.

Most importantly, when you go abroad, the airplane mode helps prevent expensive roaming charges due to local mobile network connections excluding your plan. In all cases, it’s better to just buy a new SIM card and keep your old one for when you’re back in your home country.

Solve wireless connection problems

In case you change your local SIM card, you may find that your smartphone or tablet has trouble connecting to mobile networks. The easiest way to solve this problem is to reboot your device by restarting it.

As an alternative choice, you can switch airplane mode on and off to fix common network problems. Doing so will force the wireless signal to reboot without turning your phone off.

Reduce needless interruptions

Nowadays, we always check our notifications. These alert sounds can be a distraction significantly affecting your productivity and concentration.

Turning airplane mode on can stop annoying notifications that disturb you while working or sleeping. Hence, just stay offline for a while and you will find that this can reduce your stress and improve your mental health.

As you see, the airplane mode is indeed a useful function with various benefits. Besides, it is also a good idea to free your mind from all electronic distractions and social media platforms. In other words, put your smartphone down for a while, and enjoy your life in the real world!