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heycal

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jul 25, 2013
873
28
I was under the impression that activating airplane mode turned off everything, and was a quick way to turn off all virtually all sounds and alerts. But a few times I've been unpleasantly surprised while in airplane mode by messages and, if I'm remembering right, a phone call breaking through and ringing. Is the phone working correctly?
 
I was under the impression that activating airplane mode turned off everything, and was a quick way to turn off all virtually all sounds and alerts. But a few times I've been unpleasantly surprised while in airplane mode by messages and, if I'm remembering right, a phone call breaking through and ringing. Is the phone working correctly?

True airplane mode should turn off all of the radios... but you can, however, turn ON airplane mode and then turn on BlueTooth, Wi-Fi and Cellular (or any combination of those radios)... many times I will put my phone in airplane mode and then turn on BT and wi-fi if I'm in a situation where wi-fi is available (like in-flight wi-fi).

So, just because airplane mode is active, that doesn't necessarily mean that all of the radios are off in your device.
 
My goal most of the time is not to use the phone to in Airplane mode, but to quickly kill of any unexpected alerts, to totally silence the phone without completely turning the phone off. That was my impression of what it would do, but I was surprised otherwise...
 
I already use Do not disturb mode regularly, but have it set up to allow certain callers through at all times. So quickly activating that is not a solution for me. I was hoping airplane mode would provide the "quick, turn off your phone so NOBODY is getting through for the next 20 minutes" action I'd like at times.
 
I already use Do not disturb mode regularly, but have it set up to allow certain callers through at all times. So quickly activating that is not a solution for me. I was hoping airplane mode would provide the "quick, turn off your phone so NOBODY is getting through for the next 20 minutes" action I'd like at times.

You could have WiFi calling enabled and that's how they're getting through in airplane mode. WiFi can be turned off in airplane mode.
 
I'd like to kill the vibration too, since that can often be heard by others, and certainly felt by me.
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You could have WiFi calling enabled and that's how they're getting through in airplane mode. WiFi can be turned off in airplane mode.

I may indeed have it enabled. My goal is to be able to do one thing in 1 second to kill of all sounds and vibrations, not fiddle with various settings to get it it that way and then have to put it back the way I had it once I resume normal operations. But it's sounding like an impossibility on the iphone, huh? (I'm guessing Android has this one mastered...)
 
Just checked, and I actually don't have wifi calling enabled at the moment, so it's possible phone calls are not getting through. But imessages sure are. This is normal?

I thought the whole point of airplane mode, and the reason it's called "airplane mode", is to turn off all communication with the outside world. But apparently airplane mode does little, and even if I dutifully follow flight crew instructions to activate airplane mode while on an airplane, I'm still going to be getting texts and phone calls. So what am I supposed to tell the FAA when some text message I get interferes with the plane's systems and crashes the plane??
 
Just checked, and I actually don't have wifi calling enabled at the moment, so it's possible phone calls are not getting through. But imessages sure are. This is normal?

I thought the whole point of airplane mode, and the reason it's called "airplane mode", is to turn off all communication with the outside world. But apparently airplane mode does little, and even if I dutifully follow flight crew instructions to activate airplane mode while on an airplane, I'm still going to be getting texts and phone calls. So what am I supposed to tell the FAA when some text message I get interferes with the plane's systems and crashes the plane??

It turns off cellular connections. iMessages can come through WiFi if you are connected to it. If you tap airplane mode then WiFi (to turn it off) that should do the trick. Just remember to re-enable both.
 
Just checked, and I actually don't have wifi calling enabled at the moment, so it's possible phone calls are not getting through. But imessages sure are. This is normal?

I thought the whole point of airplane mode, and the reason it's called "airplane mode", is to turn off all communication with the outside world. But apparently airplane mode does little, and even if I dutifully follow flight crew instructions to activate airplane mode while on an airplane, I'm still going to be getting texts and phone calls. So what am I supposed to tell the FAA when some text message I get interferes with the plane's systems and crashes the plane??

Apple’s airplane mode does not automatically turn off wifi, so you can still receive iMessages if you’re connected to wifi. What you simply have to do is to also disable wifi when you enable airplane mode. Also I believe that your phone may still give alerts (vibrations and sound alerts) if you have reminders or alarms, etc
 
Just checked, and I actually don't have wifi calling enabled at the moment, so it's possible phone calls are not getting through. But imessages sure are. This is normal?

I thought the whole point of airplane mode, and the reason it's called "airplane mode", is to turn off all communication with the outside world. But apparently airplane mode does little, and even if I dutifully follow flight crew instructions to activate airplane mode while on an airplane, I'm still going to be getting texts and phone calls. So what am I supposed to tell the FAA when some text message I get interferes with the plane's systems and crashes the plane??

The point of airplane mode is to turn off cellular communication. I like that it doesn't turn off WiFi by default because I use WiFi on Southwest flights for messaging and movies.
 
Just checked, and I actually don't have wifi calling enabled at the moment, so it's possible phone calls are not getting through. But imessages sure are. This is normal?

I thought the whole point of airplane mode, and the reason it's called "airplane mode", is to turn off all communication with the outside world. But apparently airplane mode does little, and even if I dutifully follow flight crew instructions to activate airplane mode while on an airplane, I'm still going to be getting texts and phone calls. So what am I supposed to tell the FAA when some text message I get interferes with the plane's systems and crashes the plane??
When you enable airplane mode, do you see that you are still connected to WiFi (and/or Bluetooth)? If not, then you shouldn't be getting any messages or anything like that. You could still have some local alerts for some things, like let's say reminders and the like, which are essentially only based on time and not on receiving some notification, but alerts related to receiving some sort of a notification over a connection shouldn't be getting through if you have airplane mode enabled and don't have WiFi and/or Bluetooth enabled separately.
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Apple’s airplane mode does not automatically turn off wifi, so you can still receive iMessages if you’re connected to wifi. What you simply have to do is to also disable wifi when you enable airplane mode. Also I believe that your phone may still give alerts (vibrations and sound alerts) if you have reminders or alarms, etc

The point of airplane mode is to turn off cellular communication. I like that it doesn't turn off WiFi by default because I use WiFi on Southwest flights for messaging and movies.
Not really certainly if WiFi is not disabled by default with airplane mode -- as I recall it still is. What does happen is that airplane mode remembers the last state of connections that you used while in it, so if at some point you enabled airplane mode and then separately enabled WiFi and/or Bluetooth then the next time when you enable airplane mode it will remember the state you had it in and will use that state (meaning WiFi and/or Bluetooth can remain enabled if that's what you had enable last time you used airplane mode).
 
When you enable airplane mode, do you see that you are still connected to WiFi (and/or Bluetooth)? If not, then you shouldn't be getting any messages or anything like that. You could still have some local alerts for some things, like let's say reminders and the like, which are essentially only based on time and not on receiving some notification, but alerts related to receiving some sort of a notification over a connection shouldn't be getting through if you have airplane mode enabled and don't have WiFi and/or Bluetooth enabled separately.
[doublepost=1552934449][/doublepost]

Not really certainly if WiFi is not disabled by default with airplane mode -- as I recall it still is. What does happen is that airplane mode remembers the last state of connections that you used while in it, so if at some point you enabled airplane mode and then separately enabled WiFi and/or Bluetooth then the next time when you enable airplane mode it will remember the state you had it in and will use that state (meaning WiFi and/or Bluetooth can remain enabled if that's what you had enable last time you used airplane mode).


It stopped turning off WiFi in iOS 11 but if it’s off when you hit airplane mode it stays off.
 
Not really certainly if WiFi is not disabled by default with airplane mode -- as I recall it still is.

I just did a test from control panel. If you have wifi on in airplane mode, turn off airplane mode, and turn airplane mode back on wifi stays on. If you have wifi off in airplane mode, turn off airplane mode, and turn airplane mode back on wifi will remember that it was off and stay off. I'm not sure if this setting will remain the next day because when you're not in airplane mode and disconnect from wifi the message is that it will remain disconnected from wifi until tomorrow.
 
It stopped turning off WiFi in iOS 11 but if it’s off when you hit airplane mode it stays off.
As well as if it's off the last time you used airplane mode -- it remembers the last state that WiFi was in when you last used airplane mode basically.
 
All sounds pretty complex.

all you have to do is turn on airplane mode then check that wifi is turned off as the phone may not automatically turn it off due to your last use setting. you can easily turn both off on your control center.
 
Apple’s airplane mode does not automatically turn off wifi, so you can still receive iMessages if you’re connected to wifi. What you simply have to do is to also disable wifi when you enable airplane mode. Also I believe that your phone may still give alerts (vibrations and sound alerts) if you have reminders or alarms, etc
That's not true. Airplane mode DOES turn off all communication (including wifi). Expect when you turned on wifi during airplane mode, THEN it will not deactivate if you turn on airplane mode again.
 
That's not true. Airplane mode DOES turn off all communication (including wifi). Expect when you turned on wifi during airplane mode, THEN it will not deactivate if you turn on airplane mode again.

read mistersavage post. and i tested before posting. mine didnt get turn off.
 
read mistersavage post. and i tested before posting. mine didnt get turn off.
As mentioned before, it mainly depends on the last state of WiFi was in when Airplane mode was used last time.
 
As mentioned before, it mainly depends on the last state of WiFi was in when Airplane mode was used last time.

sorry my bad. read mr. blacky post too quickly and the middle portion of his post never registered because of his typo
 
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