Airplane mode symbol
Airplane mode. An aircraft icon shows airplane mode is on: the phone’s mobile radio is off, so it can’t make calls.
How to read it
On an iPhone the airplane icon in the status bar means Airplane Mode is on, and calls can’t be made. Apple says that on an iPhone or iPad it turns off all radios except Bluetooth. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth can be turned back on while airplane mode stays on, and both Apple and Google say their phones remember that choice the next time airplane mode is used.
Airplane mode on flights
The mode is named for flying. In 2013 the US Federal Aviation Administration let airlines allow passengers to use their devices throughout a flight, with phones in airplane mode or with the cellular connection disabled, and Wi-Fi and short-range Bluetooth accessories allowed where the airline permits.
Read next
- Next in Power and device symbolsPower symbolPower. The broken circle with a line is the power button symbol. In the IEC standard it means standby: a switch that leaves the device drawing a little power when off.
- In Phone status iconsiPhone status bar iconsThe icons at the top of an iPhone’s screen show its connection, battery, privacy indicators and which features are on. Apple’s iPhone User Guide names each one.
More power and device symbols
The same shape elsewhere
Browse symbols drawn with crosses.
Sources
- Learn the meaning of iPhone status icons, iPhone User Guide, Apple, Connectivity
- Use Airplane Mode on your iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Apple Vision Pro, Apple Support
- Control airplane mode, private DNS & other network settings, Google, Pixel Phone Help, Airplane mode
- FAA to Allow Airlines to Expand Use of Personal Electronics, Press release, 31 October 2013, Federal Aviation Administration (Internet Archive copy)
Researched, edited and approved by Rory Hansen before publishing. Last reviewed September 30, 2026. How we research
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