How do I turn off airplane mode on my Android phone?
Swipe down from the top of the screen to open Quick Settings, then tap the Airplane mode tile so it turns gray or dim. You can also go to Settings, then Network & internet (Connections on Samsung), and turn off the Airplane mode switch. When it is off, the small airplane icon at the top of the screen goes away.
Steps to check
Check if airplane mode is on
Look at the very top of the screen, near the battery. If you see a small airplane icon instead of signal bars, airplane mode is on. While it is on, your phone cannot make calls, send texts, or use mobile data.
Open Quick Settings
Swipe down from the very top of the screen. A set of buttons, called tiles, appears. If you only see a few, swipe down once more to see them all.
- Samsung On newer Galaxy phones (One UI 7 and later), swipe down from the top right of the screen to open the Quick panel. On older ones, swipe down with two fingers.
- Pixel Swipe down from the top once for the first few tiles, and again for all of them.
- Motorola Swipe down from the top of the screen to open quick settings.
Tap the Airplane mode tile
Find the tile with an airplane picture and tap it once. When the tile looks dim or gray, airplane mode is off. Give the phone a few seconds. The signal bars come back at the top of the screen, and Wi-Fi and Bluetooth reconnect if they were on before.
- Samsung The tile is called Airplane mode. If you do not see it, swipe left or right inside the Quick panel to see more buttons.
- Motorola Tap the airplane icon in quick settings to turn it off. Tap it again if you ever want to turn it back on.
Or turn it off in Settings
If you cannot find the tile, use the Settings app instead. Open Settings, find the airplane mode switch, and turn it off. You can also type airplane in the search bar at the top of Settings.
- Samsung Settings → Connections → turn off the Airplane mode switch.
- Pixel Settings → Network & internet → turn off Airplane mode.
Make a test call
Once the signal bars are back, call a friend or your own voicemail to make sure calls work. If the bars do not come back after a minute, see Still not working below.
Still not working?
- Restart the phone. Hold the power button (on some phones, the power and volume up buttons together), then tap Restart. This often fixes a phone that stays without signal after airplane mode.
- On some Verizon Galaxy phones, Samsung says you may see an "Activation is incomplete" message when turning airplane mode on or off. Turn the phone off, wait 30 seconds, and turn it back on.
- If there is no airplane icon but you still have no signal, the problem is somewhere else. Try our guides on mobile data not working and SIM card not detected.
- If Wi-Fi stays off after you turn airplane mode off, open Quick Settings and tap the Wi-Fi tile to turn it back on. If it keeps dropping, see Wi-Fi keeps disconnecting.
- On Pixel, if nothing else helps, you can reset mobile network settings: Settings → System → Reset options → Reset mobile network settings. This resets mobile network settings only. It does not erase your photos or apps.
Why this happens
Airplane mode is one switch that turns off your phone's radios: the phone signal, mobile data, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth. It is meant for flights, but it is easy to turn on by accident because the tile sits right next to others you use often, such as Wi-Fi and the flashlight.
Phones also remember your choices. Google says that on Pixel, if you turned Wi-Fi or Bluetooth back on while airplane mode was on, the phone remembers and keeps them on the next time you use airplane mode. That is normal and not a fault.
Normal vs. not
Usually normal
It takes a few seconds, sometimes up to a minute, for the signal bars to come back after you turn airplane mode off.
Worth a closer look
Airplane mode turns itself back on, the tile will not change, or you still have no signal after a restart. Contact your carrier or the phone maker.
Common questions
- Can I turn off airplane mode without unlocking my phone?
- On most phones, yes. Swipe down from the top of the lock screen and tap the Airplane mode tile. Some phones ask you to unlock first for certain tiles.
- Can I use Wi-Fi while airplane mode is on?
- Yes. Airplane mode turns Wi-Fi off, but you can turn Wi-Fi or Bluetooth back on while it stays on. Calls and texts over the mobile network still will not work.
- Does airplane mode delete anything?
- No. It only turns the connections off. Your contacts, photos, messages, and apps are not touched. Messages sent to you while it was on usually arrive after you turn it off.
Related questions
Sources we checked
- Control airplane mode, private DNS & other network settings (Pixel Phone Help (Google))
- Keep your Android's wireless connections on in Airplane mode (Pixel Phone Help (Google))
- Fix mobile connectivity issues (Pixel Phone Help (Google))
- Change settings quickly on your Android phone (Android Help (Google))
- Manage connection settings on your Galaxy phone or tablet (Samsung Support)
- Galaxy phone shows Activation incomplete when toggling Airplane mode (Samsung Support)
- Change the Quick panel icons on your Galaxy phone or tablet (Samsung Support)
- Use airplane mode (moto g 2025) (Motorola Help)
- Ensuring your device isn't in Airplane mode (Google Pixel) (AT&T Device Support)
Menu names can differ by phone brand and Android version. See our editorial policy for how we check steps.