My iPhone 8+ 256GB shows the airplane mode icon (no network icons) on every app screen even though it is turned off (iOS 14.4.2). In every Home screen, the icons appear normally.

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My iPhone 8+ 256GB shows the airplane mode icon (no network icons) on every app screen even though it is turned off (iOS 14.4.2). In every Home screen, the icons appear normally.

My iPhone 8+ 256GB shows the airplane mode icon (no network icons) on every app screen even though it is turned off (iOS 14.4.2). In every Home screen, the icons appear normally. This happens whether I turn off/on Airplane mode in Control Center or Settings. Even if Airplane mode is On with WiFi On, and I'm connected to a WiFi network, the WiFi icon is missing inside every app (including all the Apple apps) but shows fine in all Home screens. If I turn Airplane mode Off, the apps still only show the Airplane icon while Home screens show cellular and WiFi network icons.

All network functions appear to work fine within apps or not. It's only a mistaken loss of the network icons that is in error.

This is happening repeatedly, every day or so and is quite annoying. Did not happen on iOS 12. I never used iOS 13. I have changed phones from a 6S+ to the current 8+ and it happened on both.

The only way I can remedy this is to reboot the phone; then all is back to normal.

As best I can tell, the triggering mechanism is to place the phone into Airplane mode where there is WiFi, then switch On WiFi and connect to a network. Then physically take far away from any WiFi network so that it now shows only the Airplane mode indication (no WiFi network). Then bring the phone back to that same WiFi network coverage area so that the phone reconnects. At that point, the apps no longer show the WiFi indication but the Home screens do (and I will have a network). Turn Off Airplane to enable cellular networks brings that network on. The icon shows on Home screens but not in any app.

Again, the only way to clear this is to reboot. This has been observed from the very first version of iOS 14. Very annoying and inexcusable.

Posted on Mar 28, 2021 9:44 AM

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Answer 1

Sparks0829

Community Specialist

Mar 29, 2021 2:17 PM in response to mcongiundi

mcongiundi,

Thanks for clarifying that for us. We'd like to learn more, and continue sorting this out together. If you close your apps and open them again, does that seem to make a difference in what you're seeing for your network connection in the status bar?

After turning Airplane Mode on, are you turning on Wi-Fi from Control Center or Settings? Does it seem to make a difference in the status bar icons that appear either way?

Also, you mentioned that rebooting your iPhone resolves the issue; does it resolve the issue consistently every time this happens? Also, do you notice this behavior each time you use Airplane Mode, or only occasionally?

Next, it sounds like you were experiencing this behavior on your previous iPhone as well; did you restore your current iPhone from a backup or set it up as a new device?

Send over these details, and we'll keep working toward a solution.

Take care.

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Answer 2

Sparks0829

Community Specialist

Mar 29, 2021 11:45 AM in response to mcongiundi

Hi there mcongiundi,

From what we can tell, you're seeing the status icon for Airplane Mode when viewing apps on your iPhone, even when Airplane Mode is turned off. We're glad you're here, and we can help.

To start, it's expected for the Airplane Mode status icon to appear on-screen anytime Airplane Mode is turned on, even with Wi-Fi or Bluetooth enabled in addition to Airplane Mode. "When airplane mode is on, the Airplane Mode icon appears in the status bar." Learn more here:

Choose iPhone settings for travel

With that said, if you have Airplane Mode turned off completely, you shouldn't see the icon in the status bar afterwards. Have a look at this support article for more information about how Airplane Mode works on your iPhone in iOS 14:

Use Airplane Mode on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, and Apple Watch

Let us know which apps you're viewing when the Airplane Mode icon appears with the feature turned off. We'll take a closer look from there.

Cheers.

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Answer 3

mcongiundi Author

Level 1

10 points

Mar 29, 2021 11:51 AM in response to Sparks0829

Wow. I guess you did not read what I wrote.

I will quote:

this happens "…on every app screen even though it [Airplane Mode] is turned off (iOS 14.4.2)"

The "…icon is missing inside every app (including all the Apple apps) but shows fine in all Home screens"

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Answer 4

mcongiundi Author

Level 1

10 points

Mar 29, 2021 3:00 PM in response to Sparks0829

I'll repeat your questions here for context.

If you close your apps and open them again, does that seem to make a difference in what you're seeing for your network connection in the status bar?

As stated in the original message, nothing makes any difference short of rebooting.

After turning Airplane Mode on, are you turning on Wi-Fi from Control Center or Settings?

Quoting from original message, "This happens whether I turn off/on Airplane mode in Control Center or Settings."

Does it seem to make a difference in the status bar icons that appear either way?

Nothing makes any difference short of rebooting.

Also, you mentioned that rebooting your iPhone resolves the issue; does it resolve the issue consistently every time this happens?

Yes.

Also, do you notice this behavior each time you use Airplane Mode, or only occasionally?

Most likely each time, but I cannot confirm it. Normally, I switch On Airplane mode and leave it on, using my home WiFi network. Often I leave it Off when I leave the house; then at some point while still away from the house, I switch in On. That's when I notice the issue. It seems to happen every time, but I can't confirm that.

Next, it sounds like you were experiencing this behavior on your previous iPhone as well; did you restore your current iPhone from a backup or set it up as a new device?

Yes, as you would expect when one acquires a new iPhone, I restored my 8+ from a backup of the previous iPhone. I know this means you likely will tell me I have to wipe my phone and start over to cure this problem, but I will tell you now that I am not willing to go to that trouble to prove your software has a bug. It is time-consuming and I risk never getting my phone back to its current state. In every problem I've ever encountered with iPhone, this has been the (Apple) proposed solution procedure, and in no case has it ever made any difference.

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Answer 5

mcongiundi Author

Level 1

10 points

Mar 29, 2021 3:17 PM in response to mcongiundi

Please allow me to clarify this answer from the previous thread:

Also, do you notice this behavior each time you use Airplane Mode, or only occasionally?

Most likely each time, but I cannot confirm it. Normally, I switch On Airplane mode and leave it on, using my home WiFi network. Often I have Airplane mode On (with WiFi On) when I leave the house; then at some point while still away from the house, I switch Airplane mode Off (with WiFi and Cellular On). That's when I notice the issue. It seems to happen every time, but I can't confirm that.

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Answer 6

mcongiundi Author

Level 1

10 points

Mar 30, 2021 10:09 PM in response to mcongiundi

Please see the two screenshots I have provided in this thread. They were taken within 15 seconds of each other. The first screenshot is showing the Home screen and the second screenshot is a view from within the Settings app, which clearly shows Airplane mode is Off. Perhaps this helps you to understand the nature of the problem.

With respect to the Airplane mode icon issue:

Every Home screen shows the same as the first screenshot.

Every app shows the same as the second screenshot.

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My iPhone 8+ 256GB shows the airplane mode icon (no network icons) on every app screen even though it is turned off (iOS 14.4.2). In every Home screen, the icons appear normally.

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