Does Airplane Mode Turn Off Location?

If you are wondering, "Does Airplane Mode turn off location", the short answer is no, not entirely.

When you enable Airplane Mode, your phone disconnects from cellular networks and Wi-Fi, which prevents it from sharing your live location over the internet. However, this setting does not automatically turn off the GPS sensors built into your device.

In this guide, we'll explain exactly what happens to your location data when you tap that airplane icon—and how it affects location tracking and sharing.

Part 1. What Is Airplane Mode & How It Works?

Before diving into location details, it helps to understand what Airplane Mode actually does.

Originally designed to prevent signal interference during flights, Airplane Mode works like a master "kill switch" for your device's wireless transmitters.

When you turn on Airplane Mode, your phone typically disables the following connections:

Part 2. Does Airplane Mode Turn Off Location?

Technically, no. Airplane Mode does not turn off location services on the device level - it only turns off network connection and Bluetooth. This means your phone can still know where it is, but it can't share that information online.

Your smartphone determines its location using a combination of technologies:

1. GPS (Global Positioning System): A passive receiver that listens to satellites signals and calculates your position.
2. Cellular & Wi-Fi Triangulation: Active methods that rely on nearby cell towers and Wi-Fi routers to pinpoint your location more quickly.

When you enable Airplane Mode, you shut down cellular and Wi-Fi connections, which means method #2 is disabled. However, GPS usually remains active, allowing your phone to continue determining its location.

Part 3. Does Airplane Mode Turn Off Location Sharing?

This is the distinction that matters most for privacy. Does Airplane Mode turn off location sharing?

Yes, it effectively stops the sharing process.

Location sharing depends on an active internet connection to send your coordinates to an app's servers and then to other people. Since Airplane Mode disables cellular data and Wi-Fi, it breaks that connection entirely.

Here's what typically happens on popular apps when Airplane Mode is turned on:

Part 4. Can You Still Be Tracked in Airplane Mode?

Many people assume that Airplane Mode makes them invisible. In 2026, this is a risky misconception. Under certain conditions, you can still be tracked, even when Airplane Mode is enabled.

Let's break down how this can happen.

The "Find My" Mesh Network (Offline Finding)

Modern smartphones (especially iPhone 11 and newer, and newer Androids) participate in massive "mesh networks". Even if your iPhone is in Airplane Mode or powered off, it can emit a low-energy Bluetooth signal.

If a stranger with an Apple device walks past you, their phone picks up your signal and anonymously reports your location to Apple's cloud. This means the "Find My" app can often still track a device in Airplane Mode if Bluetooth was left on or re-enabled.

The "Wi-Fi Loophole"

Airplane Mode doesn't permanently lock down your connections. You can manually turn Wi-Fi back on after enabling it—something many people do on flights or in hotels.

As soon as you connect to a Wi-Fi network, your device uses the IP address to determine your location and immediately resumes location sharing in the background.

Part 5. How to Turn Off Location on iPhone/Android?

If your goal is to ensure your location is strictly off—without the ambiguity of Airplane Mode—you should use the dedicated system settings.

For iPhone Users

step 1. Go to Settings > Privacy & Security.

step 2. Tap Location Services.

step 3. Toggle the switch to OFF. This disables all GPS for all apps, including Maps and Weather. You can also turn off GPS for specific apps in some newer iOS versions.

For Android Users

step 1. Go to Settings > Location.

step 2. Toggle the Use location switch to OFF.

Part 6. A Smarter Way to Turn Off Location Without Them knowing

Using Airplane Mode to hide your location can be risky. That sudden "network silence" often looks suspicious to anyone tracking you. The "Last Known Location" timestamp is a clear signal that you've disconnected—making it obvious something changed. If you want to stop sharing your location without alerting others and still keep full internet access, it's better to use a smarter alternative.

For more precise control, tools like PoKeep Location Changer can virtually transport your phone's GPS coordinates to any spot in the world. Instead of freezing your location (which looks suspicious) or turning it off (which sends a notification), you can "move" your location to a believable spot, like a coffee shop or a friend's home.

This tool override the GPS data your phone receives, tricking apps like Life360 and Find My into believing you are somewhere you aren't.

How to Fake GPS with PoKeep

Step 1. Install and launch PoKeep on your computer.

Step 2. Connect your iOS or Android device to the computer using a USB cable, then click Next to complete the initial setup.

Step 3. Now you can choose Multi-Spot Mode to create route with custom speed or use the Change Location Mode to teleport to anywhere you want. After all is set, click "Start Moving".

Part 7. Final Thoughts

So, does Airplane Mode turn off location? Not completely. It mainly stops your phone from sharing location data, while GPS and Bluetooth tracking may still remain active.

For full privacy, the safest option is to turn off Location Services in your settings. However, if you don't want others to notice that you've stopped sharing your location, PoKeep Location Changer provides a simple way to fake your GPS location without raising suspicion.