What you need to know about using bluetooth on a plane

USING electronic devices on a plane is safe, as long they are put into the right setting.

Here, we look at the rules regarding using bluetooth on a plane and the devices you can use.

1

Can you use bluetooth on a plane?

When a flight is preparing to take off, passengers will be asked to put their devices into flight mode.

This prevents your phone from transmitting wireless signals.

For many years passengers were told it could interfere with the communications systems on the plane.

A flight attendant explained the reason passengers are expected to turn on flight mode on their devices in a TikTok video.

She said: “Sometimes, frequencies can collide and cause a loss of signal completely.

“”Now picture how bad it would be for a pilot who is taking directions from the ground, all of a sudden loses signal and starts flying blindly, all because of a frequency of a passengers phone that intercepted it.”

Devices such as wireless headphones and keyboards tend to use short-range Bluetooth connections and therefore are safe to use on most flights.

But every airline is different, allowing Bluetooth enabled devices at different stages of the flight.

Some may allow Bluetooth from the moment you step on the flight until the minute you touch down, others such as British Airways may only allow the use of Bluetooth during the flight, but during taxi, take off and touchdown passengers must switch it off.

It’s important to follow the rules set by your specific airline or there could be dangerous consequences.

Can I use AirPods on a plane?

A lot of phones these days are built without a headphone jack, meaning you have to use an adapter or go wireless.

AirPods are wireless earphones that are designed specifically to work with Apple devices such as iPhones and iPads, or even an Apple TV.

As they use a Bluetooth connection they can be used on most other computers or smartphones.

Many passengers will worry if their AirPods will work during a flight, but the good news is – they will!

On a single charge, AirPods can last up to five hours, plugging them into the charging case can give you more than three more hours listening time.

Can you use Bluetooth in Airplane Mode?

Enabling airplane mode automatically disables Bluetooth and wi-fi services.

But, its still possible to turn Bluetooth on separately once you’ve enabled flight mode.

You are still required to switch your phone to airplane mode however, as cell data still poses a risk during an active flight.

Regardless, be sure to keep airplane mode during a flight or otherwise you risk a massive bill, one passenger landed themselves with huge roaming charges after forgetting to switch on airplane mode.