There are some cell phone features that are used so rarely that even girls who stay glued to their phones 24-7 have questions about why and how they are used.
Airplane mode is one such feature that you may have accidentally discovered one day when you were trying to figure out why a call didn’t go through.
While girls who travel frequently may be used to placing their phones on airplane mode, they may even wonder what happens if they receive a text they’ve been waiting for while they are 3,000 feet in the air.
And it’s easy to freak out over wondering if you may have missed a text from an employer or hot guy while your phone was on airplane mode.
If you receive a text while your phone is on airplane mode, the message will be placed in a holding queue and delivered as soon as you shut off airplane mode.
The sender will not receive a status update on the message until after airplane mode has been shut off.
Any calls or texts that you send won’t go through while your phone is on airplane mode.
So, if you shut off airplane mode and still don’t receive that text you were hoping for, you didn’t miss it. Sorry to say this, but it was never sent.
While airplane mode can be an annoying inconvenience, it does serve a purpose.
You’ll just need to let your contacts know that you’ll be flying and temporarily won’t be able to accept or respond to their calls or messages.
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What is airplane mode?
Airplane mode blocks your cell phone signal from reaching the towers.
But you probably already figured that out the first time your pocket accidentally set your phone to airplane mode!
If you don’t travel often, you may have considered airplane mode to be the equivalent of “do not disturb.”
Sure, this could come in handy when you’re in a class with a tough professor or in a movie theater, but wouldn’t silent or vibrate work just as well?
What girl in her right mind would ever want to block her cell phone signal?
But airplane mode is an essential safety feature when you are 3,000 feet in the sky, and the air traffic controller needs their signals to clearly reach the pilot.
Why you can’t receive texts in airplane mode
If you think about it, there are probably at least 100 other passengers on that flight with you and hundreds more on other airplanes that are taking flights at the same time – and each of those passengers likely has a cell phone.
That would be a lot of cell phone signals clogging the airways and competing to reach towers!
But the air traffic controller also uses signals to track the flight and communicate with the pilot.
If your cell phone was able to send and receive text messages, you could interfere with the pilot receiving messages.
And nobody on that flight would want to interfere with the pilots’ communications – especially if there was a mayday!
What you can still do in airplane mode
Of course, the enforcement of airplane mode placed a damper on passengers enjoying their flight.
So, most airlines have started providing on-flight wifi and allowing passengers to connect to wifi and even Bluetooth headsets.
When your phone is on airplane mode, you can still take pictures and play video games.
And if you connect to wifi, you can still send and receive messages through messenger apps, such as WhatsApp and Facebook.
If you are like most girls, you probably use your phone primarily for online browsing and social media.
Well, you can still enjoy the internet when your phone is in airplane mode. You’ll just need to wait until the plane lands to see who texted you.
When airplane mode comes in handy
If you rarely travel, you may find the airplane mode feature to be annoying and useless.
But surprisingly, airplane mode can come in handy even when you are safely on the ground.
For instance, you can stop an embarrassing text message from being accidentally sent from your phone if you quickly switch your phone over to airplane mode before the signal reaches the recipient.
Here are a few other scenarios where airplane mode could actually be helpful.
Sure, you’ll receive your text messages late and may miss a few phone calls, but in some cases, the benefits may be worth the inconvenience.
Children playing with your phone
If you already have kids of your own or occasionally babysit for extra cash, then you know that it can be a challenge to keep some kids occupied.
Cell phones, video games, and computers are usually surefire ways to keep them quiet and content in their own little world – as long as they don’t have to share.
But it’s risky to hand your cell phone over to a child.
Even if you have a case and protective glass, which wouldn’t stop them from reaching out to your contacts or ordering stuff on your saved credit card.
But if your phone is on airplane mode, kids can still play offline games – and stay out of trouble.
Charging your phone faster
When your battery has suddenly died while you’re out and about, it can easily set you into more of a panic than accidentally switching to airplane mode!
Sure, you can easily stop at a Starbucks for a coffee and plug your phone in for a few minutes, but how much charge can you expect to get in that short time span?
Instead of turning your phone off for a quicker charge, you can switch it to airplane mode.
Since your phone won’t be using up power by searching for a signal, it will automatically charge much faster.
Increasing productivity
If you’re studying for final exams or preparing a presentation for work on a tight deadline, airplane mode can actually be useful.
When your phone is on airplane mode – and not connected to wifi – you won’t be constantly bombarded with annoying notifications, which can help you focus and be more productive.
Scheduling some downtime
Sometimes, a girl just needs a break from social media and the world in general.
Right now, you may not be able to imagine when you’d ever want to put your phone down for a minute, but every girl has her days.
Maybe you are experiencing PMS or recovering from a horrific breakup.
Or maybe you just need some downtime to focus on yourself, get a pedicure, and watch some cheesy reruns.
Airplane mode can help you take a break from the world and just relax for a moment.
Spending time with your man
There are few things that spoil the mood more than your cell phone constantly going off when you’re in the middle of a steamy make-out session.
You can focus on your guy instead of your phone by temporarily switching to airplane mode when you’re in the bedroom or on a hot date.
If it’s the holiday season and you haven’t seen your family for a while, it may be decent of you to set your phone on airplane mode at least for the duration of the holiday meal, so you can spend quality time with your family.
While text messages will be delayed, you’ll still eventually receive them once you turn off airplane mode.
In addition to keeping you safe while flying, switching to airplane mode can also help you unwind.
Then again, silent mode works, too – and doesn’t interfere with receiving calls and texts.
