Yes, your phone can charge faster when you enable Airplane Mode. By turning off battery-draining wireless connections like Wi-Fi and cellular data, more power can go directly toward charging your phone‘s battery instead of powering antennae and running background processes.
As an avid tech enthusiast and audiophile, I‘m always trying to eke out as much battery life as possible from my devices. There are few things more annoying than having your phone die when you‘re in the middle of listening to your favorite high-fidelity tracks.
So I decided to dig into the details to find out if Airplane Mode can really deliver a boost to charging speed. In this guide, we‘ll cover:
- The science behind why Airplane Mode leads to faster charging
- Exactly how much faster your phone might charge with Airplane Mode enabled
- Step-by-step instructions for turning on Airplane Mode on both iPhone and Android
- When you should (and shouldn‘t) use Airplane Mode to charge faster
- Alternative charging tips to quickly power up your phone
Let‘s dive in!
How Airplane Mode Boosts Charging Speed
Enabling Airplane Mode shuts off all wireless antennas on your phone, including cellular, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS and NFC. This eliminates a significant drain on your battery.
According to Apple, wireless connections account for up to 60% of power consumption on an iPhone. Android phones see similar power draw from wireless radios.
With Airplane Mode on, all that energy can go straight to charging the battery instead of powering antennas searching for signals. It‘s like putting blinders on your phone so it focuses solely on juicing up.
Additionally, Airplane Mode minimizes processor usage. Your phone isn‘t having to shuffle data back and forth over the network or keep wireless connections alive in the background. Lower CPU utilization also leads to faster charging.
To summarize, Airplane Mode improves charging speed by:
- Disabling battery-draining wireless connections
- Reducing background processor usage
But how much of a difference does it actually make in practice? Let‘s look at some real-world tests.
By The Numbers: How Much Faster Phones Charge With Airplane Mode
Several sources have benchmarked the impact of Airplane Mode on charging speed:
Android Authority tested popular Android phones and found enabling Airplane Mode sped up charging anywhere from 15 to 22%. For example, a Samsung Galaxy charged to 57% with Airplane Mode on vs. 47% with it off in 30 minutes.
Tom‘s Guide saw the iPhone 13 charge to 60% in 30 minutes with Airplane Mode compared to 46% without it – a 14% bump.
CNET got an iPhone 12 Pro Max to reach a 37% charge in 20 minutes with Airplane Mode enabled versus 31% normally.
While results vary based on the charger, cable and battery health, it‘s clear Airplane Mode can provide a meaningful boost to charging speed.
Here are some key benchmarks:
| Phone Model | Airplane Mode Off | Airplane Mode On | % Faster |
|---|---|---|---|
| iPhone 13 | 46% charge (30 mins) | 60% charge (30 mins) | 14% |
| Galaxy S22 | 47% charge (30 mins) | 57% charge (30 mins) | 15% |
| iPhone 12 Pro Max | 31% charge (20 mins) | 37% charge (20 mins) | 6% |
Faster charging can be especially useful in a pinch when you‘re running low and need to quickly top up your phone before heading out.
While 6-15% might not seem like much, shaving just 5 minutes off a 0-50% charge could make the difference between having a usable phone or not when you‘re in a rush.
Now let‘s go over exactly how to turn on Airplane Mode on both major mobile operating systems.
How to Enable Airplane Mode on iPhone
Enabling Airplane Mode on an iPhone only takes a few seconds:
- Swipe down from the top-right corner of your screen to reveal the Control Center
- Long-press on the airplane icon to enable Airplane Mode
That‘s all there is to it!
You‘ll see the airplane icon turn blue with a line through it when Airplane Mode is activated. All wireless connections will disable.
Here are step-by-step images of the process:
Swipe down to open Control Center on iPhone
Long press the Airplane Mode icon
For quicker access, you can also add the Airplane Mode toggle to your iPhone‘s home screen:
- Open the Control Center
- Long press on the airplane icon
- Select "Add to Home Screen"
This will create a standalone Airplane Mode shortcut you can tap anytime.
If you want to take the scenic route, you can also enable Airplane Mode in Settings > Airplane Mode. But the Control Center method is fastest.
Next, let‘s look at how to turn on Airplane Mode on Android phones.
How to Turn On Airplane Mode on Android
The Quick Settings panel makes toggling Airplane Mode easy on Android:
- Swipe down from the top of your screen to expand Quick Settings
- Tap the Airplane Mode tile to enable it
As with iPhone, you‘ll see the airplane icon turn blue when activated.
Here‘s a visual guide:
Swipe down to open Quick Settings
Tap the Airplane Mode tile
You can also add a dedicated Airplane Mode shortcut to your home screen by long-pressing the Airplane Mode tile and selecting "Add to Home screen."
The full process for both mobile operating systems takes 5 seconds or less. It‘s super quick and easy to enable Airplane Mode when you want to speed up charging.
Now let‘s go over when you should (and shouldn‘t) use this trick.
When Should You Use Airplane Mode to Charge Faster?
While Airplane Mode can accelerate charging, I recommend only enabling it in certain scenarios:
- You urgently need more juice before leaving the house
- You have limited time to charge and need to optimize it
- You‘ll only be charging for a short period (30 mins or less)
Reason being, the differences are most apparent during short charging sessions.
For longer charges, say over an hour, Airplane Mode becomes less beneficial. Phones charge from 0-80% quickly, then charging slows down for the last 20% anyway.
You‘re also missing out on notifications and connectivity with Airplane Mode on. It‘s generally best to avoid using your phone while charging when possible.
However, during quick "top-up" sessions, when you just need to blast as much power into the battery as possible in 15-30 mins, Airplane Mode can be helpful.
Personally, I enable it if I‘m ever below 20% battery and need to leave in the next 30 mins. Those extra percentage points Airplane Mode adds could make or break having a usable phone.
Some other cases where it can be useful:
- You need to take photos/videos and don‘t have time for a full charge
- You‘re traveling and won‘t have a charger for many hours
- You left your charger at home and are using a temporary slow charger
Basically any situation where every minute of charge time matters.
And if you want even faster charging, combine Airplane Mode with these tips:
5 Pro Tips for Charging Your Phone Faster
Airplane Mode is one trick, but charging pros know a few other tips as well:
1. Use the Fastest Charger & Cable Available
Higher wattage chargers provide more power flow to your device, leading to much faster charge times.
A 18W+ charger can charge new iPhones up to 50% in 30 mins. Android phones with Qualcomm Quick Charge 4+ can hit 50% even faster with compatible chargers.
Upgraded USB-C cables also minimize power loss between charger and device. Don‘t leave speed on the table with outdated gear.
2. Disable Battery Percentage Display
Having the battery % indicator tick up quickly triggers animations that consume processor power. Just turn on Airplane Mode and let your phone charge without distraction.
3. Put Your Phone in Airplane Mode Before It Hits 20%
Phones intentionally slow charging above 80% to prolong battery health. Starting Airplane Mode under 20% keeps your phone in the quick charging phase longer.
4. Turn Off Always-On-Display
Always-on displays sip power in the background. Disabling it ensures no unnecessary battery drain.
5. Close All Apps Before Charging
Apps running in the background use processor power. Shut them down so your phone can divert max power to filling up the battery.
Combine these pro moves with Airplane Mode to extract every drop of charging speed from your mobile device.
Knowing a few charging optimization tips really does help you stay powered up and productive when you need it most.
Fully Charged: Use Airplane Mode to Rev Up Charging When in a Rush
No one likes the agony of watching an unresponsive black screen as your phone dies. By enabling Airplane Mode, you can shave precious minutes off charging sessions when you‘re in a jam.
While the differences may seem moderate, that 5-15% charge boost during a short top-up could mean the difference between having a usable phone or not when rushing out the door.
So next time you desperately need more juice in just a few minutes, flip on Airplane Mode and tap into faster charging. Just be sure to disable it after so you don‘t miss any important messages or calls.
Let us know on Twitter if you have any other phone charging tips and tricks!
