Does Airplane Mode Make Your Phone Charge Faster?

Your phone's at 5% and you've got 20 minutes before you have to leave. Sound familiar? Before you panic, try this: flip on airplane mode while it charges. You might be surprised how much of a difference it makes.

The quick answer is yes, airplane mode does help your phone charge faster. But not because it adds anything. It's all about what it takes away.

What Does Airplane Mode Actually Do?

We all know that airplane mode is important to use on flights, but understanding what it actually does to your phone can help you to see how it isn’t just a feature for flights. Airplane mode can also be a nifty charging asset. 

Essentially, airplane mode on your phone turns off all wireless communication from your mobile data, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth. On a flight, this helps to prevent the signals from your mobile device from interfering with the communications system of your plane (crucial for safety). 

But why would this link to your battery power? 

These 3 components of wireless communication use a lot of battery because they’re constantly having to work. 

• Your data or cellular connection (when turned on) searches for cell towers and works to maintain the network link so you can access the internet and call other devices without Wi-Fi. 

• Your Wi-Fi is also constantly running in the background when turned on, as it looks to connect, or maintain a connection, with wireless networks. When airplane mode is activated, your device stops searching for possible Wi-Fi connections, just as it stops searching for cell towers. 

• Bluetooth, much like Wi-Fi and your mobile data, will search for devices to pair with. Once connected, Bluetooth works to transfer data, be that music into your headphones or sending pictures. 

When airplane mode is activated, these three key areas stop “working” and so you’ll notice your battery is less drained because it hasn’t had to work so hard.

Does Airplane Mode Really Make Your Phone Charge Faster?

Turning on airplane mode doesn't flip some secret fast-charging switch. The speed boost is a happy side effect of cutting off those big battery-draining features. 

Bear in mind that even when not connected, features such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are constantly draining battery power because they’re always running in the background (unless you’ve turned them off manually). 

When airplane mode is activated, your phone doesn’t need to use as much power; less power usage means more “space” for the current to replenish the battery. As a result, you can charge your phone faster. 

Why Airplane Mode Can Speed Up Charging

Stops Background Network Activity

In turning off all the background network activity, airplane mode prevents your phone from using the battery it would be using otherwise. This means that as your phone charges, it’s not simultaneously losing battery thanks to data, Bluetooth, or Wi-Fi running in the background. 

Prevents Notifications and App Activity

No data and no Wi-Fi generally means no (or fewer) notifications or app activity. Some apps simply don’t function without data or Wi-Fi, so they can’t be used or run in the background. 

Likewise, fewer notifications means that you aren’t going to be using your phone to reply to messages, and your battery won’t be drained by the power it takes to create the notification.

Prevents Phone Usage 

While features like your camera will still work, a lot of use from phones is to access the internet, which requires data or Wi-Fi, or to use apps that require the internet. Without Wi-Fi or data turned on, your phone becomes less desirable to use. 

If you can be strict with keeping airplane mode while you charge your device, you’ll find you use it less, allowing less battery to be drained and more charge to flow. 

How Much Faster Does Your Phone Charge in Airplane Mode?

Background activity chews through your phone’s battery usage even when you aren’t using your phone, because it’s always searching and connecting. That’s why your phone can charge approximately four times faster when airplane mode is activated. 

Airplane mode can also be a good feature to use for charging, as it makes using your phone a little less tempting; with too much time spent on our phones linking to mental health concerns, it’s crucial to find the happy balance. 

Airplane Mode vs. Low Power Mode: Which Helps More?

You might think that low power or battery mode will do the same trick. However, in comparison to airplane mode, low battery mode isn’t as effective for faster charging. 

Low battery mode does reduce background activity. For example, it reduces “non-essential” activities like email fetching, app graphics, and (depending on the model) some 5G data. However, unlike airplane mode or switching your phone off entirely, it keeps radio features running, such as Wi-Fi and cellular connections. 

If your phone is always charging slowly, low battery mode does reduce activity and battery use, but it doesn’t stop the big battery-draining components from still running in the background. So between airplane mode and low power mode, you’ll find that airplane mode will allow for a quicker charge. 

Frequently Asked Questions

What Happens When You Turn on Airplane Mode?

When you turn on airplane mode, big background network activity is halted. Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and cellular data are turned off; all three run in the background of your phone even when you aren’t using it, meaning that a lot of your battery is drained from these three features. But it does mean you can’t access the internet or receive cellular communications. 

What Happens When Someone Calls or Texts You in Airplane Mode?

When it comes to receiving calls or texts in airplane mode, the process is similar to if your phone were turned off. As it stops cellular activity, when someone calls you, the call will go straight to voicemail. And should someone text you, the texts will be queued by your provider.

Final Thoughts

It can be frustrating when you can’t charge your device as quickly as you would like. However, airplane mode is a great solution if you don’t need to use your phone or receive calls and texts. 

Compared to airplane mode, low battery mode won’t quite cut it when it comes to faster charging. 

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