Can iphone be tracked in airplane mode

• Airplane mode turns off your phone's wireless signals that could potentially interfere with the equipment on an airplane.
• Depending on the phone model and OS, airplane mode may disable Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, but it won't turn off GPS.
• Though your phone's location services should work while in airplane mode, your phone can't be tracked by outside devices or services.

Your phone's airplane mode is designed to disable wireless signals that might interfere with the sensitive electronic systems on an airplane. But surprisingly, there's no single universal definition of airplane mode. Depending on which phone model you and operating system you use, that could mean just the phone's cellular service, or also include Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. With rare exception, though, airplane mode doesn't interfere with your ability to use GPS for location services on your phone.

Does airplane mode turn off location services on your phone?

Your smartphone determines its location using GPS satellites by receiving signals from multiple satellites and then triangulating its own location in three-dimensional space. Your phone isn't sending any kind of signal to make location services work — it  only receives them. And that means there's no risk of your phone's GPS system interfering with aircraft operations.

As a result, most phones do not disable location services when you turn on airplane mode. That means apps which rely on location services will still work properly even in airplane mode.

For instance, in a series of tests we performed, the step trackers on an iPhone's Health app and an Android's Google Fit app accurately logged miles walked while airplane mode was enabled. 

Can your phone be tracked when using airplane mode?

Just because airplane mode doesn't prevent GPS from working, that doesn't mean your phone can be tracked or your location can be used by services which aren't on your phone. For your phone's location to be made available to other devices or services, your phone needs to be able to send that data over the internet. 

If you were sharing your location with another user, for example, that will likely not work in airplane mode because the phone disables cellular service and possibly (depending on the phone) Wi-Fi as well. If your phone can't communicate with other devices, it can't share its location. 

Likewise, Apple's Find My service will not work if airplane mode is turned on and Wi-Fi is unavailable — Find My will only be able to show the phone's location from when it last had internet connectivity.

Dave Johnson

Freelance Writer

Dave Johnson is a technology journalist who writes about consumer tech and how the industry is transforming the speculative world of science fiction into modern-day real life. Dave grew up in New Jersey before entering the Air Force to operate satellites, teach space operations, and do space launch planning. He then spent eight years as a content lead on the Windows team at Microsoft. As a photographer, Dave has photographed wolves in their natural environment; he's also a scuba instructor and co-host of several podcasts. Dave is the author of more than two dozen books and has contributed to many sites and publications including CNET, Forbes, PC World, How To Geek, and Insider.

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Does Airplane mode turn off location and stop GPS tracking? A simple answer to this is “NO”. Airplane mode on smartphones and other devices does not turn off GPS location.

Nobody likes a third-party tracking their GPS location and people look for an effective solution to hide their location from others. However, turning on Airplane mode is not an effective method.

The truth is Airplane mode only turns off the cellular data and Wi-Fi. In other words, it disconnects your smartphone from the cellular network, but it does not stop GPS tracing.

In this article, we will discuss everything you need to know about the Airplane mode and how it affects the GPS location on your device. In addition, you will learn how to stop GPS tracking on your iPhone/Android without turning on Airplane mode.

What Is Airplane Mode & What Does It Actually Do?

Airplane mode, also called flight mode or aeroplane mode, is a setting feature available on all smartphones, mobile devices, and laptops. When the Airplane mode is activated, it halts all signal transmissions from your device.

An airplane icon appears on your phone’s status bar when Airplane mode is turned on. This feature is given its name because airlines do not allow the usage of wireless devices on the airplane, especially while leaving the airport and landing.

Airplane mode disconnects all wireless functions of your smartphone and devices including:

• Cellular Connection: Airplane mode disables phone calls, sending or receiving of texts, or mobile data usage for internet access.
• Wi-Fi: All existing Wi-Fi connections will be disconnected from your device during Airplane mode and you won't connect to any new Wi-Fi.
• Bluetooth: Airplane mode also disables short range connections such as Bluetooth. During this time, you won't be able to connect your phone to headphones, speakers and other Bluetooth devices.

Can Your Device Be Tracked While Power Off?

Absolutely Not! You can not track any iOS or Android device when it is power off. Switching off your phone means cutting off all signal transmission including GPS and cellular networks.

The location of your iPhone or Android devices can only be tracked with a good GPS connection. When the phone is powered off, GPS is not activated and cannot be tracked by third party tools.

Can Your Location Be Tracked on Airplane Mode?

The answer is YES. Your iPhone or Android devices can still be tracked even when Airplane mode is turned on. The GPS function on mobile devices, comes with a unique technology that communicates signals directly with satellites, which doesn't depend on network or cellular service.

For this reason, your GPS location can be tracked easily using third party tools with the signal transmission when placed on Airplane mode. Enabling the Airplane mode feature alone is not enough to stop the disclosure of your device’s location. However, there is a method to stop sharing your location with others.

In addition to putting on Airplane Mode on your smartphone device, the GPS feature should also be disabled. Once this is done, it is impossible to enable your GPS location tracking by any third party tool. Deactivating the GPS service and switching on Airplane Mode concurrently will prevent your device from sharing its location.

How to Prevent iPhone/Android Devices from Being Tracked?

You’ve already learn the truth behind Airplane mode and GPS tracking. Now let’s check how to prevent your mobile device from being tracked.

Stop GPS Tracking on iPhone

If you are using an iPhone or iPad, you can follow these simple steps to hide GPS location on your phone.

Step 1: Swipe from the bottom of the Home screen to access your iPhone’s Control Center. For iPhone X or above, just swipe down from the top-right corner of the screen.

Step 2: Turn on the Airplane Mode on your iPhone by clicking on the airplane icon. Or you can head to Settings > Airplane Mode to toggle it on.

Step 3: Go to Settings > Privacy > Location Services, toggle the switch to disable GPS service and prevent your iPhone from being tracked.

Stop GPS Tracking on Android

For Android users, the process in turning off location services may vary between diverse smartphone brands. In most cases, the following steps are suitable to disable GPS location on most Android smartphones.

Step 1: Swipe down the Android Notification Drawer from the top of the screen. Locate the Airplane icon to turn on the Airplane mode.

Step 2: In the notification drawer, go to Settings > Location to disable it.

Keep in mind that certain apps such as Google Maps function only when your phone’s location is on and you might not be able to access these features normally.

How to Fake Location to Stop GPS Tracing without Turning on Airplane Mode

We’ve explained how to prevent your GPS location from being tracked. If you are looking for a more convenient way to hide your phone’s location, we’ll help you out. Here we will share a better solution to stop GPS tacking without turning on Airplane mode.

Spoof Location on iPhone with FoneGeek iOS Location Changer

If you are using an iPhone or iPad, you can try FoneGeek iOS Location Changer. It is the best location spoofing tool that allows you to easily change the GPS location on iPhone/iPad to anywhere on the map without jailbreak. Therefore, your real location won’t be tracked by any third-party tools or services.

Here’s how to spoof location on iPhone and stop GPS tracking:

Step 1: Download FoneGeek iOS Location Changer on your computer. Install and launch the program, then click on “Get Started”.

Step 2: Connect your iPhone to the computer via a USB cable. If you get a pop up message requesting you to enable access on the computer, click on “Trust”.

Step 3: You will see a map display, choose the Teleport Mode (the first icon on the right-side corner) and enter the GPS coordinates/address in the search option, then click on “Move”.

Spoof Location on Android with Fake GPS Location App

If you are using an Android phone, the steps to spoof GPS location is slightly different. You will need to install the Fake GPS Location app on your Android device directly instead of installing software on a computer. Follow these simple steps:

Step 1: Go to Google Play Store on your Android device, search for Fake GPS Location, then download and install the app.

Step 2: After installation, go to “Settings” on your smartphone, and tap on the “Developer Options” tab.

Step 3: Locate the “Set Mock Location App” option and choose “Fake GPS Location” from the list of options.

Step 4: Once you open the application, choose a specific GPS position by dragging on the pointer.

Step 5: When the location has been selected, click “Play” to set it as the device’s current GPS location.

The Verdict

Does Airplane mode turn off GPS location and stop tracking? Now you must have the answer. You can turn on the Airplane mode and disable the GPS feature on your iPhone/Android to hide your real location and protect your privacy. But a better solution is using location spoofing tools so certain features and functions on your phone are still accessible.

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