Short · Phones
Why does airplane mode matter?
A phone turns its power up or down to reach the nearest tower. At cruising altitude it may shout at full power, which can disturb networks on the ground.
Try it yourself
Opens Airplane Mode. Change the same thing yourself.
Transcript
Why does airplane mode matter? Your phone is a radio transmitter, and it turns its power up or down to reach the nearest tower. Close by, it whispers. Far away, it shouts. Now climb to cruising altitude. The phone sees towers it can barely reach, so it may shout at full power. That can disturb networks on the ground, and older phones put a faint buzz in pilots' headsets. Small risks, easily avoided. Airplane mode switches the transmitter off, and your battery lasts longer. Follow to see how the world works.