Are Apple AirPods allowed on planes [Confusion Resolved]

Written By Farhan Bin Matin

Airpods are famous for their form factor and how lightweight they are. That is one of their best selling points.

This is why people tend to take Airpods everywhere. And to be honest, Airpods are one of my go-to drivers while I am on a trip. The main reason behind it is that I don’t have to make a lot of room for this tiny thing to fit.

But I have had my fair share of troubles while using Airpods on an Airplane. I am sure you are facing the same, and that is why you are here.

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And to clear up your confusion, I will write this guideline to help you out in this confusing situation.

So put on your reading glasses to get your desired answers.

Check out our latest post for can AirPods connect to oculus quest 2?

Can you use Airpods on a plane?

Yes, you can use AirPods on a plane. However, you do not have full freedom while using an Airpods on an aircraft. For a brief period of time, AirPods are allowed, but while takeoff and landing, Airpods are not allowed most of the time.

Airpods are considered as PED, which stands for Portable Electronic Device.

Portable Electronic Devices,” or PEDs, have been approved by the FAA to be used by passengers during all parts of a plane’s journey.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the regulatory agency that approves the installation of electronics aboard aircraft and also offers recommendations regarding their use. The final say on which gadgets are allowed or not is with the individual airlines, of course.

Since PEDs like AirPods are allowed on most planes today, you may take them with you from gate to gate.

What you cannot do on Airplane is talk with someone or use your cellular data on a flight. The FAA restricts the use of cellular networks while on a plane. And there are some actual reasons behind it as well.airpods-pro-orange-light

When you’re well over 10,000 feet above the ground, your mobile phone signal reflects off many towers and transmits a stronger signal. This raises possible safety problems. This has the potential to add to the already existing congestion on local networks. However, no aviation disaster has been blamed on a cell phone.

Not necessarily cellular network is always the issue. Problems with the plane are prompting pilots to labor longer and harder during crucial flying stages. At the beginning and end of a flight, the pilots must be fully focused on the task at hand.

As technology advances, these dangers are becoming less relevant. European Aviation Safety Agency ruled in 2014 that electronic gadgets do not represent a safety danger, but airlines must ensure their systems are not influenced by signals from cellphones.

A non-negligible danger of interfering with the plane’s vital systems is posed by using a phone while flying.

GSM (2G) phones were renowned for tampering with other electronic systems; however, this is no longer the case with the majority of current phones. The “buzz” you hear in your audio or telephone when making a phone call, consider what might happen if a sophisticated navigation system were to pick up on this vibration. You don’t need to be an expert in the field to recognize that.fix-airpods-not-working-facetime-calls

A plane’s systems can be interfered with by electromagnetic fields from personal electronic devices, according to a study. Some in the 800-900 Frequency region, in particular, can interfere with cockpit instruments that are not insulated.

Older airplanes have a greater risk of this problem. A new generation of planes is built to handle the massive amounts of technology that passengers load onboard planes these days.

With all of the electronics and vital systems necessary to execute the marvel of flying, airplanes are tremendously complicated vehicles.

The problem with complicated systems is that it’s typically hard to assess how safe they are in every imaginable scenario. It would be difficult to test every new phone model to see how it may influence the equipment on every commercial aircraft in the world’s fleet, given the number of new phones released each year.

As a result, the key systems aboard planes are “hardened” by aircraft makers to reduce the risk of electronic interference.

Though it is not all bad, as we know, Wireless devices must be turned off when planes are prepared for take-off. For this reason, cell phones are equipped with airplane mode. Users can still use their devices while in this mode, but no cellular data will be available.

As a result, passengers may continue to enjoy their favorite media without fear of interfering with the plane’s systems.

Also, check out our latest fix for do AirPods lose battery when not in use?

How to use AirPods on an Airplane

We already know that Airpods are allowed while being on a flight. But as I said earlier, you cannot use your Airpods while taking off and on landing. Also, you have to follow some procedures before using your Airpods while being on a plane.

As cellular data is restricted while being on a plane, you have to turn that off immediately when the instructions are given by your flight attendants. And you can turn off your cellular data by doing two things: either turn off your device completely or turn on airplane mode.charge-your-airpods

But if you turn off your device, then there is no way you can use your AirPods while being on the plane. So to use Airpods while being on the plane, you have to turn on the Airplane mode. There is a misconception that when the Airplane mode is on, you cannot use your Bluetooth or WIFI.

Which is obviously not true. If you are wondering,  Does Airplane Mode Turn off AirPods?

No, it does not. When you turn on your Airplane mode on your mobile, your Bluetooth and Wifi connection is unaffected by the mode. Airplane mode turns off your cellular data and blocks you from turning on the hotspot while the Airplane mode is on.

So you can still access your Bluetooth connections and use WiFi on a flight. And you have to be obliged by the rules as well because Cellular data is not allowed inside flights, despite FAA approval of widespread usage of personal electronic devices. As a result, aircraft are still in danger since mobile phones transmit a longer-range signal.

For the time being, the federal government still requires you to put your phone in Airplane mode and turn off your mobile data before taking off.

Read more on how to add AirPods to find my iphone.

Here are the steps to use Airpods on an Airplane:

  • Go to settings.
  • Turn on Airplane mode.turn-on-airplane-mode
  • Open your AirPods case.
  • Navigate to settings.
  • Turn on Bluetooth.turn-on-bluetooth

Make sure to follow these steps before boarding your flight. Don’t make rookie mistakes and get kicked off from a flight. Numerous portable electronic device has been taken away in the past because of not following the protocols.

So don’t lose your AirPods in an unknown land. Turn on your Airplane mode and head towards your destination!

Also, check our latest post on how to skip songs with AirPods.

Should you use AirPods on a flight?

If you have AirPods, sure, why not. Use your Airpods as much as you want. Just follow the protocols, and you are good to go. But if you are looking to buy an AirPods for your upcoming flight, then you might have to give it a thought before buying one.

There are some pros and cons behind using an Airpods while being on the flight. Here are the pros and cons of using Airpods on a flight:

Pros
  • »The biggest perk of Airpods is how adaptable the whole thing is. I mean, you can just carry the whole thing in your pocket. So if you don’t have any extra room, AirPods should be your call.
  • »Another pro is that while wearing Airpods, you don’t have to worry about the wires while on a flight! No chance of wire tangling up, and you can just travel hassle-free.
  • »The reason that Airpods are so lightweight that you can just wear them for a long time, and still, your ears wouldn’t hurt a bit. However, this perk is very subjective as many people don’t like the shape of Airpods. But it is obviously an upgrade over above-ear headphones.
Cons
  • »In-flight entertainment systems do not support the AirPods. The problem is that they refuse to communicate with one another directly. You can still use AirPods through in entertainment systems using a Bluetooth transceiver device that you connect directly to the microphone port beneath your video screen, although it is not recommended.
  • »The battery life is also not that good. So if you have long flights, where you have to stay on the flights for at least 12 hours, then you have to charge the Airpods every now and then.
  • »Also, there is no noise cancellation while you are on the flight. This feature simply doesn’t work. So if you are hoping for a noise-free session, then your AirPods are a no-no.

Now that you know the pros and cons of the Airpods while on the flight, I hope you will make the right decision before buying one.

Related contents you should read about how to connect AirPods to dell laptop.

Final Thoughts

Airpods are one of the best wireless earbuds out there. But you still have to clear your clarifications because sometimes it might not be the best fit for you.

Hopefully, this guideline will clear up your confusion and help you learn how to use Airpods on a flight. And if you have any queries, do reach out.

About The Author
Farhan is a tech researcher and enthusiast. He’s been into tech and gaming since he got a PS2 in his childhood.Currently, he’s almost done with his undergrad.Besides testing and researching geeky stuff, Farhan has an utmost passion for photography.

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