Does Airplane Mode Turn Off Location? Ultimate Guide Here!

Many people assume turning on Airplane Mode means their phone can't be tracked, but that's not entirely true. While it does disable most wireless communications, some location technologies may still be active, allowing your phone to be found even when you're offline.

This guide explains what Airplane Mode actually does and how your device can still be tracked. You'll also learn concrete steps to enhance your privacy and fully disconnect if you want to go completely off the grid.

Part 1: Why Does Airplane Mode Not Turn Off Location

Airplane mode's primary job is to disable your phone's wireless transmitters to comply with aviation safety regulations. This includes your cellular radio (for calls and data), Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth. Because most location services rely on these transmitters, activating airplane mode does significantly hinder your phone's ability to be tracked.

However, it doesn't shut everything down. The key is understanding that your phone doesn't use just one method to find itself—it uses a team of technologies, and airplane mode doesn't bench all the players.

Part 2: How Your Phone Really Knows Its Location

To understand the limits of airplane mode, you first need to know the four main ways your smartphone pinpoints its location on a map.

1. GPS (Global Positioning System)

This is the most well-known method. Your phone has a dedicated GPS chip that acts as a receiver. It passively listens for faint signals from a network of satellites orbiting the Earth. By calculating the time it takes to receive signals from at least four different satellites, it can determine your precise coordinates. Crucially, a standard GPS is a one-way street; it only receives data, it doesn't transmit anything back.

2. Cellular Tower Triangulation

When your phone isn't in airplane mode, it's constantly communicating with nearby cellular towers. By measuring the signal strength and timing from multiple towers, your carrier (and your phone) can calculate a general location. It's less accurate than GPS, especially in rural areas with few towers, but it's fast and works well in cities.

3. Wi-Fi Positioning System (WPS)

Your phone is constantly scanning for nearby Wi-Fi networks, even if you're not connected to them. Companies like Google and Apple have created massive global databases that map the location of millions of Wi-Fi routers. By seeing which networks are nearby, your phone can cross-reference this information with the database to get a surprisingly accurate location fix, especially indoors where GPS signals are weak.

4. Bluetooth Beacons

Similar to Wi-Fi, your phone can detect low-energy Bluetooth signals from small devices called beacons. These are often used in malls, museums, and stadiums to provide hyper-local information. If your phone detects a known beacon, it knows exactly where it is.

Part 3: What Gets Turned Off in Airplane Mode (and What Doesn't)

Now, let's put it all together. When you enable airplane mode, here's what happens to each location service:

Cellular Triangulation: DISABLED. The cellular radio is the first thing to be shut off. Your phone cannot talk to cell towers, so this method of location tracking is completely off the table.

Wi-Fi Positioning: DISABLED (by default). Airplane mode turns off your Wi-Fi radio. However, on both iOS and Android, you can manually turn Wi-Fi back on while airplane mode remains active. If you do this, your phone can once again use Wi-Fi networks to determine its location.

Bluetooth Beacons: DISABLED (by default). Just like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth is turned off but can be manually re-enabled. If you turn it back on to use headphones or another accessory, your phone could be located by Bluetooth beacons.

GPS: IT'S COMPLICATED. This is the most misunderstood part. Since the GPS chip is just a receiver, airplane mode does not automatically disable it. You can still get a GPS signal. However, modern phones use A-GPS (Assisted GPS), which relies on cellular data to get a much faster initial lock. In airplane mode, this assistance is gone, so while your GPS may still work, it can be much slower to find your location, especially if you've moved a long distance since it was last used.

Part 4: How "Find My" Networks Can Find Your Phone Offline

Here is where the rules have changed completely in recent years. Both Apple and Google have developed sophisticated, crowd-sourced networks that can find a device even if it's in airplane mode or completely offline.

Apple's Find My Network: If you have a modern iPhone with "Find My" enabled, it can use Bluetooth Low Energy to send out a secure, anonymous ping. This ping can be picked up by any of the hundreds of millions of other Apple devices (iPhones, iPads, Macs) in the world. When another person's device detects your lost phone, it confidentially relays the location back to you. This works even if your phone has no Wi-Fi or cellular connection.

Google's Find My Device Network: Google is implementing a similar system for the billions of Android devices worldwide. It will also use a crowd-sourced Bluetooth network to help you locate lost phones, tablets, and headphones, even when they are offline.

This means that even with airplane mode on, your device might still be broadcasting a low-energy signal specifically for location purposes.

Part 5: How to Turn Off Your Location on iOS/Android

If your goal is complete privacy and you want to ensure all location tracking is off, simply enabling airplane mode is not enough. You need to disable location services at the system level.

Tip 1: Disabling Location Services on iOS (iPhone)

Step 1. Open the Settings app.
Step 2. Scroll down and tap on Privacy & Security.
Step 3. Tap on Location Services at the very top.
Step 4. Toggle the Location Services switch to Off. You will get a warning that many services will be disabled; confirm your choice.

Tip 2: Disabling Location Services on Android

Step 1. Open your phone's Settings app.
Step 2. Scroll down and tap on Location.
Step 3. Toggle the switch at the top of the screen (it may be labeled Use location or Location access) to Off.

This is the only guaranteed way to prevent your phone's hardware and apps from accessing your location information.

Tip 3: How to Turn Off GPS Location on iOS/Android Devices in One Click

Although the two methods above can temporarily disable your GPS location, changing your device's GPS location entirely may offer greater protection for your privacy. The smart move is using a third-party location changing tool like TunesKit Location Changer. This program is a comprehensive GPS location changing tool that allows users to change GPS location in one click on iOS and Android devices.

The location changing feature effectively pauses your real-time movement, as your phone will report the fixed location you've chosen. Additionally, when simulating movement between two or more points, TunesKit offers a feature to pause and resume the simulated travel at any time.

The following steps will show you how to turn off GPS location by using TunesKit Location Changer.

Step 1. Connect Your iPhone to the Computer

To begin, connect your smartphone to your computer and launch TunesKit Location Changer. Android users must first enable Developer mode on their device, then click Next to proceed.

Step 2. Turn Off Location on iOS/Android

You're now ready to change or turn off location on your device. Simply pinpoint a starting location on the map, then select a destination. Once the start point and end point are set, click Start Modifying to change GPS location.

Part 6: Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

Airplane mode disconnects your phone from cellular and internet networks, conserving battery and making it useful during flights. However, it doesn't guarantee privacy, as GPS, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth can still reveal your location. For better control over your data, review app location permissions and use your phone's master Location Services toggle to stay truly off the grid. If you just simply want to turn off location on your device, just download and try using TunesKit Location Changer.