Does Airplane Mode Turn Off Location [Answers & Tips]

Airplane mode does not affect the GPS location on your Phone. All it does is suspend the cellular and Wi-Fi networks. To stop your location from being tracked you need to disable the GPS along with turning on Airplane mode. You can also use location faker to set up a virtual location.

sofia albert
Sofia Albert updated on Aug 14, 2023 | Home > iOS & Mac Topics

People use Airplane mode for different reasons. We are flying to another city via airplane or accidentally turning it on while trying to turn on the flashlight. Everyone's aware of the effects of it on your phone but have questions on does Airplane mode turn off location or cellular networks. Through this article, we will learn how the Airplane mode functions and its effects on location sharing.

What Is Airplane Mode

A setting on your electronic device (Smartphone, tablet, or laptop) cuts off the cellular and WiFi networks. If enabled, you cannot manage calls, send text messages via Whatsapp or connect to the Internet. And is generally enabled while flying on a plane to avoid signal disturbances for Airplane communication.

To be more precise, Airplane mode suspends radio-frequency (RF) signal transmission technologies (i.e., Bluetooth, telephony, and WiFi). You can access all the pre-downloaded data on your phone and also use in-flight Bluetooth and WiFi.

airplain mode

Does Airplane Mode Turn Off Location on Your Phone

NO, Airplane mode does not turn off location on phones. The only thing it does is suspends Radio Frequency signals (i.e., turn off cellular data and WiFi). Your GPS connection is not affected by turning on Airplane mode.

So if you think Airplane Mode will affect your GPS location, you are entirely wrong.

Can Your Location Be Tracked on Airplane Mode

YES. You cannot escape from being tracked by simply turning on Airplane Mode. Anybody can easily track their GPS location using third-party tools even when the iPhone or Android is in Airplane Mode.

gps map

To understand this, you need to know how the GPS functions on your device. The GPS software communicates signals directly with the satellites, which has nothing to do with cellular and network services.

To stop the GPS location sharing on your iPhone, you will have to disable the GPS and turn on Airplane mode to stop the tracking. Both actions combined will prevent your device from being tracked.

How to Prevent Your iPhone from Being Tracked

Now that you have learned that disabling the GPS and turning on Airplane mode will prevent location tracking. Let us know two methods to prevent your phone from being tracked.

Method 1. Disable GPS Tracking on iPhone

Follow the steps below to disable the GPS and turn on Airplane mode on your iPhone and iPad.

Step 1. For iPhone X and after, scroll down from the top-right corner of the screen to access the control center.

airmode control

Step 2. To turn on Airplane Mode, Click on the Airplane icon. You can also go to Settings and navigate to Airplane mode to turn it on.

Step 3. To disable the GPS, Go to the settings and navigate to the Privacy section.

disable gps

Step 4. Click on Location Services and toggle the switch next to Location services to disable the GPS service on your iPhone or iPad.

Method 2. Using Location Faker App for iPhone - EaseUS MobiAnyGo

There are many reasons why people want to fake their location on iPhones, iPad, or iPods. This may be due to privacy or going out with friends without being seen by parents and more. You can do this by setting a virtual location on your iPhone with the help of EaseUS MobiAnyGo.

EaseUS MobiAnyGo is an easy and cost-effective software to fake your current location without jailbreak. It can set up a virtual location or affect a location in just one click. The platform offers many features like customizing routes by selecting multiple spots, resetting locations, stimulating virtual paths, etc.  

You must download the feature, select a location, and Move to the target location. It is supported on Windows 7 & above and IOS 14 & above. It also supports all iPhones starting from 4s and iPads.

The Final Verdict

In simple words, does Airplane mode turn off location, the answer is NO. It suspends cellular and WiFi networks only. That means your location can still be tracked using GPS. To prevent yourself from being tracked, you have to disable the location services and turn on the Airplane mode or use a virtual for a fake location app to do it.

The articles discuss all the details of Airplane mode and its effects on the GPS and solutions. If you are someone with doubts like does putting your phone on Airplane mode turn off location, the article answers it all.

If you find this article helpful, share it with your friends and leave a comment about it. If you have any queries regarding the topic, feel free to ask them in the comment box, and do let me know of the future issues you wish to see articles from us.

FAQs

Here are some of the most frequent FAQs asked on the topic. If you have similar queries hope this will help you.

1. How do I turn off location without the other person knowing?

There are multiple ways in which you can do this. Turn on Airplane mode, Turn off the share my location feature, stop sharing your location on the Find My app or use a virtual location or location faker.

2. Does Airplane mode turn off location on Snapchat?

Snapchat location is based on the Internet. Airplane mode cuts off all the cellular and Network connections, which means your location either gets paused or disappears from the snap map.

3. Does Airplane mode turn off location with WiFi?

It varies depending on the Phone and Model. Still, airplane mode may disable the WiFi but won't turn off the location. If your Airplane mode is ON, nobody can track you at least.