Airplane mode - Wikipedia Airplane mode Nexus 5 ; Android 4.4. 2, in airplane mode Airplane mode, aeroplane mode, flight mode, offline mode, or standalone mode is a setting available on smartphones and other portable computers that, when activated, suspends radio - frequency signal transmission by the device, thereby disabling Bluetooth, telephony, and Wi - Fi. GPS may or may not be disabled, because it does not involve transmitting radio waves. The name comes from the prohibition by most of the airlines of using equipment transmitting radio - frequency signal while in flight ; using airplane mode prevents devices from transmitting. When the `` aeroplane mode '' is activated, it disables all voice, text, telephone, and other signal - transmitting technologies such as Wi - Fi and Bluetooth. Wi - Fi and Bluetooth can be enabled separately even while the device is in airplane mode ; this is acceptable on some aircraft. Receiving radio - frequency signals, as by radio receivers and satellite navigation services, is not inhibited. However, even receiving telephone calls and messages without responding would require the phone to transmit. In a revised review in October 2013, the United States Federal Aviation Administration ( FAA ) made a recommendation on the use of electronic devices in `` airplane mode '' -- cellular telephony is disabled, while Wi - Fi may be used if the carrier offers it. Short - range transmission such as Bluetooth is always permissible. The statement cites the common practice of aircraft operators whose aircraft can tolerate use of these personal electronic devices, but use may still be prohibited on some models of aircraft. While in airplane mode, most devices allow the user to continue to use their email client or other program to write text or E-mail messages which are saved in memory to send when airplane mode is disabled. Although it is not possible to make normal calls or send text in airplane mode, devices such as some Nokia smartphones allow the user to make calls to emergency services even in airplane mode, while others do not. As a side - effect, airplane mode reduces power consumption and increases battery endurance by shutting down the device 's transmitters and receivers. Legal status in various nations Parts of this article ( those related to chapter ) need to be updated. Please update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. ( January 2018 ) China : Prior to September 2017, all cell phones, even with Airplane mode, were never allowed to be used during the flight although other devices can be used while in cruising altitude. On September 18, 2017, the Civil Aviation Authority of China relaxed these rules and allowed all Chinese air carriers to allow the use of Portable Electronic Devices ( PEDs ) for the entire flight as long as they 're in Aeroplane Mode. Europe : On December 9, 2013, the European Aviation Safety Agency updated its guidelines on portable electronic devices ( PEDs ), allowing them to be used throughout the whole flight as long as they 're set in Airplane mode. India : On 23 April 2014, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation ( DGCA ) amended the rule which bans use of portable electronic devices and allowing their usage in all phases of flight. References Jump up ^ `` iOS : Understanding airplane mode ''. Apple Support. April 14, 2015. If allowed by the aircraft operator and applicable laws and regulations, you can re-enable Wi - Fi and Bluetooth while in airplane mode Jump up ^ `` Android : AIRPLANE_MODE_RADIOS ''. A comma separated list of radios that need to be disabled when airplane mode is on. This overrides WIFI_ON and BLUETOOTH_ON, if Wi - Fi and bluetooth are included in the comma separated list. Jump up ^ `` FAA to Allow Airlines to Expand Use of Personal Electronics ''. Federal Aviation Administration. 2014 - 10 - 31. Cell phones should be in airplane mode or with cellular service disabled -- i.e., no signal bars displayed -- and can not be used for voice communications based on FCC regulations that prohibit any airborne calls using cell phones. If your air carrier provides Wi - Fi service during flight, you may use those services. You can also continue to use short - range Bluetooth accessories, like wireless keyboards. (... ) The PED Aviation Rulemaking Committee ( ARC ) concluded most commercial airplanes can tolerate radio interference signals from PEDs. In a recent report, they recommended that the FAA provide airlines with new procedures to assess if their airplanes can tolerate radio interference from PEDs. Once an airline verifies the tolerance of its fleet, it can allow passengers to use handheld, lightweight electronic devices -- such as tablets, e-readers, and smartphones -- at all altitudes Jump up ^ `` China 's air passengers could soon be allowed to use smartphones ''. scmp.com. Jump up ^ Attwooll, Jolyon ( 5 February 2016 ). `` Regulator confirms tablets safe to use during take - off '' -- via www.telegraph.co.uk. Jump up ^ `` DGCA allows in - flight use of mobile phones, tablets on flight mode ''. indianexpress.com. 23 April 2014. External links Copa Airlines ' cell phone policy QANTAS policy on usage of flight mode Mobile phones General Features GSM services History Operating system Security Telephony airplane mode Text messaging SMS MMS RCS Spam Tracking Web browsing HTML5 Software Apps Development Distribution Management Cloud computing Commerce Banking Marketing advertising campaigns Payments contactless donating Ticketing Content Blogging Email Gambling Gaming Health Instant messaging Learning Music News Search local Social address book Television Culture Charms Comics Dating Japanese culture Novels Ringtones silent mode Selfie Txtspk Wallpaper Devices Manufacturers 3D phone Camera phone Car phone Feature phone Projector phone Satellite phone Smartphone SIM lock Form factors Bar Flip Phablet Slider Smartwatch Smartphones Android devices rooting BlackBerry 10 iPhone iOS jailbreaking Open - source mobile phones Symbian devices Windows Phone devices Environment and health BlackBerry thumb Driving safety Electronic waste External power supply Phantom vibration syndrome Radiation and health Recycling Law Carrier IQ Use restrictions while driving Legality of recording by civilians Photography and the law Telephone tapping Texting while driving Mobile phones in prison Networking Channel capacity Frequencies Multi-band Network operator list Roaming Signal SIM ( dual SIM ) Standards comparison Tethering VoIP WAP XHTML - MP Generations 0G 1G 2G 3G adoption 3.5 G 4G 4.5 G 5G Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Airplane_mode&oldid=860182283 '' Categories : Avionics Mobile phones Hidden categories : Wikipedia articles in need of updating from January 2018 All Wikipedia articles in need of updating Talk Search About Wikipedia Deutsch فارسی 日本 語 Polski Русский Suomi Svenska Türkçe 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 18 September 2018, at 21 : 47 ( UTC ). Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: what is airplane mode on an android phone
Answer: a setting available on smartphones and other portable computers that, when activated, suspends radio-frequency signal transmission by the device, thereby disabling Bluetooth, telephony, and Wi-Fi