You hear every day about putting a mobile in airplane mode and how beneficial it is to the phone, but the question is does airplane mode save battery of a mobile phone?
Before I wrote this post, I did my research on two different smartphones, one is the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, while the other is the Iphone 16. I had to put the two phones on airplane mode to see if, indeed, the airplane mode saves battery on both Android and iOS devices.
Based on my experience, I will answer the question.
So let’s proceed to the answer.
Does airplane mode save battery?
Yes indeed, airplane mode does save battery in a mobile phone, as it disables all wireless transmission functions in a mobile phone.
All wireless transmission functions here include calls and text messages.
Mobile data through Wi-Fi is exempted because you can use Wi-Fi while in airplane mode. Previous smartphones didn’t support it, but recent smartphones made it possible for a user to use Wi-Fi while in airplane mode.
On airplane mode, GPS location tends not to work, as I noticed on my Galaxy phone.
The major feature here is the fact that airplane mode disables wireless transmission functions, and this helps to save battery life in a mobile phone.
I turned on airplane mode on my Galaxy S24 Ultra and iPhone 16 at night, and lo and behold, their battery percentages didn’t drop a percent. I left the two phones on airplane mode with their battery percentages at 78% and 83% respectively. When I woke up at 6:00 AM, their batteries were still at 78% and 83%.
Without the airplane mode it usually drops for 2% for iPhone and 3% for the galaxy s24 ultra without internet or wifi enabled.
However, my old Samsung S9 phone usually drops at least 8% without using the phone, but if I enable airplane mode on the phone, the battery will never drop a percentage.
So, asking does airplane mode save battery? The answer is a big yes, and I usually leave my smartphone on airplane mode at night or maybe in an environment where I don’t need disturbance and same time don’t fancy using the do not disturb mode on my mobile phone.
Note that do not disturb feature is usually the best option if you don’t need disturbance from calls, text messages or notifications from your mobile phone.
Aside from this, airplane mode also helps a mobile phone battery charge faster compared to when you have Wi-Fi or mobile network enabled on your phone.
This is not a myth but indeed the reality, and sometimes I do charge my phone in airplane mode.
With fast charging enabled, you can charge your phone x2 faster combined with the airplane mode.
● Read Also: if you put your phone on airplane mode will your alarm still go off
Airplane mode or turn off to save battery
I don’t recommend you to turn off your phone to save battery, instead put the phone on airplane mode, and it will save your phone battery.
Completely shutting down a phone to save the battery in 2025 is a big no-no for me as long as there’s an airplane mode feature in the phone.
That was during the time of Nokia Symbian/Belle and Java/feature phones. You could turn off your mobile phone to save battery. Right now, we have airplane mode; there’s no need whatsoever to turn off your phone because airplane mode will do the job for you.
Remember the disables all wireless transmission functions in a mobile phone, this helps to save battery of a mobile phone.
Once again, don’t turn off your mobile phone to save battery as long as you have the airplane mode feature in your mobile phone. Right now, all smartphones have the airplane mode because it helps a lot during flights.
● You may want to read What happens to texts when do not disturb is on
Is it good to keep phone in airplane mode
It is good only if you don’t care about not receiving calls or text messages from your phone, or if you’re in a flight or charging your mobile phone.
Please, I want you to know that if you turn on airplane mode on your mobile phone, you won’t be able to receive or make calls, send or receive text messages, and you can’t browse using mobile data because all of them will be disabled.
Remember, you can use Wi-Fi while your phone is in airplane mode.
I mostly keep my phone in airplane mode when I’m charging it, especially if I don’t fancy cellular calls, on a flight, during a bad thunderstorm, and sometimes when I’m sleeping at night.
So I wouldn’t say yes or no, but it depends because it prevents incoming calls and text messages, which I wouldn’t want the airplane to prevent.
What is the benefit of airplane mode
Below are the major benefits of airplane mode on mobile phones;
1. Airplane mode help to preserve a phone battery
This is what we have been talking about, does airplane mode save battery of a mobile phone and I said yes. Indeed it helps to preserve the battery life of a mobile phone as it disables all wireless transmission functions in a mobile phone.
Aside from keeping your phone in airplane mode during a flight, you can keep your phone in airplane mode while sleeping at night; it helps to preserve the battery life of the phone.
2. It makes the phone to charge faster
This isn’t a myth but the truth: putting your phone in airplane mode makes it charge faster than when you disable the mode on your mobile phone.
If I want to speed up my phone charging, instead of turning off my phone, I will enable airplane mode; it will speed up the charging speed along with the fast charging feature.
For example, if my phone charges from 10% to 50% under 30 minutes, it will charge from 10% to 50% under 21 minutes. So the nine minutes means a lot to me and in total it will take 42 minutes to fully charge my phone, compared to 60 minutes if I didn’t enable the airplane mode while charging my phone.
3. Airplane mode reduces exposure to EMF radiation
Placing a cell phone in airplane mode reduces exposure to EMF radiation. A cell phone emits EMF radiation when it connects to a mobile network or other device via Wi-Fi, bluetooth, or a cell signal.
In reality, one of the reasons that cell phones must be switched to “airplane mode” while in flight is that the RF waves from the phone are suspected to interfere with sensitive sensors and equipment on planes.
4. To avoid being disturbed
You don’t fancy using the do not disturb mode on your smartphone; airplane mode can do a lot better for you, preventing any incoming calls and text messages from entering your mobile phone.
On android phone, do not disturb mode doesn’t block the calls though it depends on the type of phone you’re using, but it will not ring out loud and same goes with messages or notifications.
However, airplane mode will completely prevent calls and text messages unless you enable Wi-Fi, and in turn, you will receive messages and calls from WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Telegram, etc.
If I don’t fancy being disturbed with calls and messages though I don’t want to turn off my phone as I’m watching movies or playing offline games, I do enable the airplane mode on my mobile phone.
That’s all I have for you on this very topic, does airplane mode save battery. Once again I assure that indeed putting your mobile phone into the airplane mode will save the battery of your phone.
