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Airplane Mode Automatically Resetting Now Too?

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xbpr

macrumors member
Original poster
Dec 8, 2008
84
11
I’ve read about the new behavior for WiFi and Bluetooth Control Center functions, but haven’t read anything about Airplane Mode. I recently installed 11.1.2 and Airplane Mode seems to be resetting after a certain period of time now too.

I put my phone into airplane mode at night while I sleep and I’ve been waking up with all the settings turned back on again.

Is this new with 11.1.2 or am I just noticing it for the first time?

I wonder if toggling Airplane Mode through settings will make a difference?
 
Just curious why do you put in airplane mode at night? I turn off sound so I don't get bothered but let it do its thing.

I wonder if it is the same 5 am thing that happens if you disconnect WIFI and/or bluetooth from the control panel
 
I hope that’s not true. I can’t imagine they would do that to airplane mode. When people turn on airplane mode, it is extremely deliberate. They don’t want their phone to communicate at all until they say it’s okay
 
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CTHarrryH said:
Just curious why do you put in airplane mode at night? I turn off sound so I don't get bothered but let it do its thing.

I wonder if it is the same 5 am thing that happens if you disconnect WIFI and/or bluetooth from the control panel
Click to expand...
That doesn't apply to airplane mode. Seems like there might be something else in play there as far as what OP might be experiencing.
 
Apple's reputation is now where we don't know if some issues are bugs OR if they are normal and working as intended as a new feature. Very annoying.
 
xbpr said:
I’ve read about the new behavior for WiFi and Bluetooth Control Center functions, but haven’t read anything about Airplane Mode. I recently installed 11.1.2 and Airplane Mode seems to be resetting after a certain period of time now too.

I put my phone into airplane mode at night while I sleep and I’ve been waking up with all the settings turned back on again.

Is this new with 11.1.2 or am I just noticing it for the first time?

I wonder if toggling Airplane Mode through settings will make a difference?
Click to expand...

When you say “all the settings back on again” if you mean Airplane mode is still enabled but wifi and bluetooth are enabled in the morning then that’s expected behavior. They switch back on at 5:30am.
 
I tested it again last night by putting the phone into Airplane Mode via settings instead of control center and again when I woke up today, Airplane Mode was off (and WiFi/Bluetooth were on).

It is definitely resetting after a certain time.

I’ve been using Airplane Mode out of habit. Looks like I’m going to need to start using Do Not Disturb instead.
 
Last edited:
xbpr said:
I tested it again last night by putting the phone into Airplane Mode via settings instead of control center and again when I woke up today, Airplane Mode was off (and WiFi/Bluetooth were on).

It is definitely resetting after a certain time.

I’ve been using Airplane Mode out of habit. Looks like I’m going to need to start using Do Not Disturb instead.
Click to expand...
I’m going to have to try this myself. I just can’t believe they would make airplane mode work that way. What if you’re traveling internationally and you want to make sure your phone never tries connecting to the foreign cell towers to avoid crazy fees? I would probably just want to use my iPhone as if it is an iPod Touch when traveling internationally
 
macfacts said:
Apple's reputation is now where we don't know if some issues are bugs OR if they are normal and working as intended as a new feature. Very annoying.
Click to expand...

Apple's reputation is as good as ever. It is why they continue to sell more devices than anyone else in the entire world, and at the highest prices.
 
Feenician said:
Yes. Airplane mode doesn’t affect wifi or bluetooth.
Click to expand...
This hasn’t been my experience. Until 11.1.2 when airplane mode was turned on, WiFi and bluetooth would remain turned off until I manually turned airplane mode back off again.

I tried another experiment last night. This time I turned off WiFi and bluetooth via settings and turned on airplane mode via settings. This morning those exact settings remained active. I had to manually turn off airplane mode and manually turn on WiFi and bluetooth.
 
Feenician said:
Yes. Airplane mode doesn’t affect wifi or bluetooth.
Click to expand...

Hmmm well I'm pretty sure it used to turn Cellular, BT and WiFi off when you selected Airplane mode, now mine leaves WiFi on but still turns cellular and BT off. Pretty sure that leaves it non-compliant with FAA regs (or at least makes it harder for users to comply), which seems a bizarre place for Apple to end up in...

Yep, this is what Apple says is intended - ALL wireless features OFF:

https://support.apple.com/en-nz/HT204234

BUT:

"If you turn on Wi-Fi or Bluetooth while you're in Airplane mode, they will be on the next time you use Airplane mode, unless you turn them off while in Airplane mode."

So they are all off unless you turned one or both on while in AP mode, so then they will keep that setting...because all planes in CA are the same??? Thats stupid.
 
simonsi said:
Hmmm well I'm pretty sure it used to turn Cellular, BT and WiFi off when you selected Airplane mode, now mine leaves WiFi on but still turns cellular and BT off. Pretty sure that leaves it non-compliant with FAA regs (or at least makes it harder for users to comply), which seems a bizarre place for Apple to end up in...

Yep, this is what Apple says is intended - ALL wireless features OFF:

https://support.apple.com/en-nz/HT204234

BUT:

"If you turn on Wi-Fi or Bluetooth while you're in Airplane mode, they will be on the next time you use Airplane mode, unless you turn them off while in Airplane mode."

So they are all off unless you turned one or both on while in AP mode, so then they will keep that setting...because all planes in CA are the same??? Thats stupid.
Click to expand...
Airplane mode now remembers the last state thst WiFi and Bluetooth were in when airplane mode was used last time and returns to then when you enable it next time.
 
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C DM said:
Airplane mode now remembers the last state thst WiFi and Bluetooth were in when airplane mode was used last time and returns to then when you enable it next time.
Click to expand...

Yes, as I posted - I've fed back to Apple, that is crazy and inconsistent behaviour for a switch that is <supposed> to be a one-stop FAA regulation compliance item. There was a news story here only a few weeks ago of a flight delayed by someone not putting their phone into flight mode - think it was an Australian airline - first I've heard of that.
 
simonsi said:
Yes, as I posted - I've fed back to Apple, that is crazy and inconsistent behaviour for a switch that is <supposed> to be a one-stop FAA regulation compliance item. There was a news story here only a few weeks ago of a flight delayed by someone not putting their phone into flight mode - think it was an Australian airline - first I've heard of that.
Click to expand...
I seem to be missing the problem ...

Wifi and Bluetooth are allowed nowadays. Plenty of people are using Bluetooth headphones such as Bose QC35 or Sony 1000x/1000xm2, and most airlines offer WiFi.

I'd be annoyed if airplane mode turned off WiFi/Bluetooth. It turns off cellular, as that's the only required action for airplanes nowadays.
 
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winterny said:
I seem to be missing the problem ...

Wifi and Bluetooth are allowed nowadays. Plenty of people are using Bluetooth headphones such as Bose QC35 or Sony 1000x/1000xm2, and most airlines offer WiFi.

I'd be annoyed if airplane mode turned off WiFi/Bluetooth. It turns off cellular, as that's the only required action for airplanes nowadays.
Click to expand...

Last flight I went on 3 weeks (mainstream airline), ago wanted WiFi OFF as WiFi wasn't offered on that flight, BT was allowed but not WiFi. Thats my point, the world is different in many places and the compliance (and Apples website) states Flight mode turns it all OFF - which it clearly doesn't.
 
C DM said:
Airplane mode now remembers the last state thst WiFi and Bluetooth were in when airplane mode was used last time and returns to then when you enable it next time.
Click to expand...

Yep, this.

winterny said:
I seem to be missing the problem ...

Wifi and Bluetooth are allowed nowadays. Plenty of people are using Bluetooth headphones such as Bose QC35 or Sony 1000x/1000xm2, and most airlines offer WiFi.

I'd be annoyed if airplane mode turned off WiFi/Bluetooth. It turns off cellular, as that's the only required action for airplanes nowadays.
Click to expand...

And this. It’s nearly universal at this point.

simonsi said:
Last flight I went on 3 weeks (mainstream airline), ago wanted WiFi OFF as WiFi wasn't offered on that flight, BT was allowed but not WiFi. Thats my point, the world is different in many places and the compliance (and Apples website) states Flight mode turns it all OFF - which it clearly doesn't.
Click to expand...

I fly about 70 times+ a year in the US and to Europe and I cannot remember anyone asking passengers to switch off Wifi, whether it’s available or not. If the unlikely event someone asks me to switch it off, one swipe and a tap are the least of the issues I’m likely to face in day.
 
Feenician said:
...I cannot remember anyone asking passengers to switch off Wifi, whether it’s available or not. If the unlikely event someone asks me to switch it off, one swipe and a tap are the least of the issues I’m likely to face in day.
Click to expand...

Really? You are asked to select flight mode then explicitly told you can turn WiFi on? - or are you given a more detailed description of what can and can't be used, I'm just going on the pre-recorded briefings and that hasn't changed in the last couple of years on any airlines I use to the US and Australia. But my point is it can (and clearly does) differ around the world.

Most users will just assume flight mode is flight mode. Most flight briefings just refer to flight mode...My bet is the airlines are behind the curve and are still assuming flight mode does what it says it does.
 
simonsi said:
Really? You are asked to select flight mode then explicitly told you can turn WiFi on? - or are you given a more detailed description of what can and can't be used, I'm just going on the pre-recorded briefings and that hasn't changed in the last couple of years on any airlines I use to the US and Australia. But my point is it can (and clearly does) differ around the world.

Most users will just assume flight mode is flight mode. Most flight briefings just refer to flight mode...My bet is the airlines are behind the curve and are still assuming flight mode does what it says it does.
Click to expand...

You’re told to stow large electronics and enable flight mode on smaller devices. I’m pretty sure the airlines know what happens when you enable flight mode on Apple devices, given most of them issue to pilots in lieu of the massive stacks of paper they used to have, pre-iPad.

Why are you looking for a problem here? There isn’t a problem.
 
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