How to turn off offline mode on a Samsung phone. What is offline mode in a mobile phone?
Every year, mobile devices become more sophisticated and hide an increasing number of functions and capabilities in their miniature body. But not all cell phone owners know about all the capabilities of their phones. From this article you will learn what the offline mode of a mobile device is and why the average user needs it.
Any mobile device, be it a regular phone, a communicator or a tablet with support for calls, can operate in several modes. If such things as “normal” or “silent” mode are familiar to almost everyone, then some of the “states” of a cell phone still raise a number of questions for most users. This also includes offline mode. Let's finally find out what it is for and when is it worth (if at all) to turn it on?
Offline mode appeared on phones a few years ago. Some manufacturers of mobile devices have decided in this way to circumvent the problem associated with the use of mobile phones during air travel - after all, as many people know, previously cell phones could not be used during the entire flight, which could last more than ten hours. The new mode allowed owners to keep their gadget turned on, but limited their access to cellular networks. Thus, “flight mode” (from the English “fly mode”) - this is how several mobile device manufacturing companies presented this function - made it possible to keep the cell phone on. Despite the fact that in this state the phone cannot communicate with the operator’s network (and, accordingly, you will not be able to use it for its intended purpose, that is, to make a call), during a long flight the passenger could play games, read and listen to music using your favorite cell phone. Over time, the autonomous mode gained wide popularity and began to be used on the ground much more often than during air travel.
What is the reason for such a prevalence of such an unusual regime? It would seem like a paradox to use a phone without using it for its intended purpose, but with the development of technology, this is exactly what many users lacked. And after the offline mode appeared, a cell phone could be used as a digital camera, player, game console or e-reader without fear that someone would distract you from your favorite activity with their annoying calls!
But offline mode has other advantages. For example, if you find yourself in an area so far from civilization where you can only dream of coverage, your phone will constantly try to “find” the network, which is why its battery will drain much faster. In such places, you can either turn off your mobile phone altogether, or use a fly mod. When you find yourself closer to civilization again, you just need to turn off the offline mode and the phone will immediately find the operator’s network. This is exactly what experienced tourists usually do, who already know where to keep their mobile phone in normal mode, and where it is advisable to save money for future conversations.
But the offline mode also has one undeniable disadvantage. In some models, when it is turned on, not only the GSM module stops working, but also Wi-Fi, and sometimes also GPS. This is due to the fact that in such phones and communicators, when this mode is turned on, the phone immediately turns off all radio modules. To be fair, it should be noted that in many models, even in “fly mode”, GPS and Wi-Fi work when turned on again.
Thus, we can conclude that offline mode is a thing needed not only by those who like to travel frequently by plane, but also by a huge number of “grounded” users. The main thing is not to forget to turn off this mode in time, otherwise you may not wait for an important call.
Articles and Lifehacks
Every year, mobile devices are improved, and their small body contains more and more features and built-in functionality. Unfortunately, many of their owners still do not even know about the standard functions and modes of their device - for example, what an offline mode is in a device. We’ll help you figure it out, and also tell you why an ordinary user needs this mode. In addition, we will tell you how you can activate this mode.
Phone offline mode: what is it?
Activating this mode means disabling all network functions. The mobile device can operate without registering on the network, as well as without a SIM card. In fact, autonomous operation means that it works separately, while the antenna is turned off.Why do you need offline mode? It is convenient to use in places where the use of a mobile device is prohibited. For example, it is suitable for an airplane or a cinema. We will not be able to receive and make calls, receive and send SMS messages, but all other functions of the device will remain available to us: camera, organizer, games, etc. As for the connection to the operator's network, there will be no connection due to the blocking of the radio signal.
As already mentioned, our device can work without a SIM card. In this case, we will be able to use emergency numbers and connect to a local wireless network (for example, we can check email). It is also possible to use .
So, we figured out what it is and why it is needed. The autonomous mode appeared a few years ago as a way out of the situation for those who travel by air. Often this function is implemented as Fly Mode, that is. It allows device owners to pass the time during a long flight by playing games or listening to music.
Activating this mode is also useful if we are outside the coverage area of the cellular network and want to save battery power on our device. This is the function that experienced travelers usually use.
Unfortunately, when the offline mode is activated, GPS, GSM and Wi-Fi (in some device models) often stop working. You can try restarting your phone as this sometimes helps.
How to put your phone offline
- To activate this mode, go to the settings of our device through the menu and select the “Phone” item.
- There should be an "Offline Mode" option there.
- If it’s not there, look for “Flight Mode” (the aforementioned Fly Mode). Let's turn it on.
Sometimes you can come across a statement according to which mobile phone owners who do not fully use the “offline mode” function are needlessly losing some potential opportunities.
But is this really so?
Possibility provided by the manufacturer
As you know, devices with multiple active SIM cards are now very popular. Undoubtedly, this is very convenient, as it allows the owner to choose call tariffs. At the same time, if you study the reviews of owners of such solutions, it becomes clear that two numbers in one phone cause increased energy consumption from the source, which, frankly speaking, is not enough anyway. Taking into account this feature, manufacturers have included in all modern operating systems the ability to disable transceiver modules, called “offline mode”. In other words, when activated, the phone turns into a small laptop computer or calculator (depending on hardware capabilities). In addition to the task of saving battery energy, the offline mode on the phone is needed during air travel, when it is prohibited to use mobile communications unless absolutely necessary.
And finally, in some cases, disabling SIM cards makes it possible to solve specific problems. For example, by using the offline mode, a person can place the phone next to him before going to bed, essentially turning it into a safe (non-emitting) alarm clock.
Misconception
Not every owner of a mobile communication device knows that the device emits radio waves not only when making or receiving a call, but also when in standby mode. Thus, according to the cellular communication standard, any mobile phone must periodically exchange service data with the nearest base station, and in automatic mode. That is, the network must “know” which SIM cards are currently connected, what capabilities the device is endowed with and where it is located (although the latter - UpdateGEO - theoretically may not be used). That is why one cannot assume that a mobile phone lying on a table does not emit anything by itself. Thus, to reduce potential harm, offline mode is essential. This should be remembered.
How to enable or disable offline mode
Manufacturers, having implemented the function of software shutdown of transmitting units, went further and added the ability to selectively turn off the power of any of the SIM cards in use. Although in this case we are not talking about complete autonomy. So how do you enable the shutdown feature? Alas, it is impossible to describe a universal procedure, since this mode may be called differently by different phone manufacturers, although it should be noted that in the latest versions of operating systems, a completely understandable unification has appeared. So, to disable all radio modules in a device running Java, you need to go to “Settings for two cards,” check the box next to “Airplane mode” and click “OK.” But in the popular Android system, version 2, everything is much simpler: you should slide down the top information bar and select “Airplane mode”. In subsequent fourth-generation systems, the chain of command takes the form “Settings” - “Wireless networks” - “More” - “Airplane mode”. It is impossible to make a mistake: if the operation of SIM cards is blocked, this is displayed on the signal reception indicators, which become crossed out.
Useful feature
In general, we can say that the considered possibility indeed provides a certain flexibility when using a mobile communication device. Although it is not essential, having such a software feature makes the job more convenient. Everyone needs to know about it.
If the flight mode, also called autonomous, is turned off in the Android phone (Samsung, Fly, Sony Xperia, ZTE Blade, Nokia, Huawei, Lenovo, etc.), then there will be no wireless communication - there is no signal in GSM, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
Therefore, you cannot make phone calls, send text messages or connect to the Internet.
As the name suggests, it is used mainly in aviation - in flight, where theoretically radio signals from the phone can interfere with communications and navigation systems.
In practice, this profile can also be useful in a hospital because the signals can cause interference with medical equipment.
In Airplane mode, if you remove it, you will not be separated from other functions of the phone, such as the music player, calendar and games.
How to turn off airplane mode on an Android phone
If you want to exit, for example, on Android 5.1 or 6.0.1, then simply drag the top settings bar down to open the menu and click on the down arrow.
Then click on the airplane icon so it turns grey.
The second way to cancel airplane mode on an Android phone
Open the settings menu and go to the “Offline mode” section.
In it, simply move the slider to the left side so that it also appears in gray rather than blue.
What happens if you don't turn off airplane mode on an airplane?
Have you ever wondered what happens if you don't turn on airplane mode on your phone when you're in the air?
Many people think that a cell phone signal can interfere with an airplane's electrical system and lead to a crash.
An airline representative revealed the secret behind this. It turns out that the new technology does not affect aviation systems and this is actually a utopia.
Many air navigation system operators allow you to activate Wi-Fi and Bluetooth even when your phone is offline, although this depends on each individual airline.
The European Commission has given the green light to allow airline passengers to use 3G and 4G networks to connect to the internet during flights only after the plane reaches an altitude above 3 kilometers.
What to do if the mode does not turn off on your Android phone
Some users have noticed that their devices do not turn off airplane mode.
The result is that calls do not reach. Any actions to turn it off/on and even a rollback to factory settings do not bring any results.
What can you do? It seems that there is no other solution other than to reflash it. Just make a backup copy before doing this.
ATTENTION: when updating the firmware, do not turn off the phone and charge the device to 60%.
REMEMBER: You alone bear all responsibility.
NOTE: if flashing does not lead to success, then most likely you will need to contact the service center and ask them why you cannot disable airplane mode. Good luck.
