Q: Airplane Mode...Will GPS work???

Philly_Phan wrote:

 

I disagree strongly with my esteemed colleagues.  GPS will still function in Airplane mode as Airplane mode turns off transmitters and GPS is a receiver.  Period.  According to the link posted earlier in this thread, Airplane mode has the effect listed below.  You'll notice that "GPS" is not included.

 

When Airplane Mode is on, you'll seein the status bar of your screen. In Airplane Mode, these wireless features are turned off:

• Cellular (voice and data)
• Wi-Fi
• Bluetooth

I believe (though currently have no documentation) that this is a change. I believe that GPS did used to be turned off in Airplane mode. I think I'm not alone in this and that may be the source of the confusion, at least for some of us.

Meg St._Clair wrote:

 

Philly_Phan wrote:

 

I disagree strongly with my esteemed colleagues.  GPS will still function in Airplane mode as Airplane mode turns off transmitters and GPS is a receiver.  Period.  According to the link posted earlier in this thread, Airplane mode has the effect listed below.  You'll notice that "GPS" is not included.

 

When Airplane Mode is on, you'll seein the status bar of your screen. In Airplane Mode, these wireless features are turned off:

• Cellular (voice and data)
• Wi-Fi
• Bluetooth

I believe (though currently have no documentation) that this is a change. I believe that GPS did used to be turned off in Airplane mode. I think I'm not alone in this and that may be the source of the confusion, at least for some of us.

The past is prologue. 

Philly_Phan wrote:

 

The past is prologue. 

Does that mean I'm going to spend a lot of time confused?

Meg St._Clair wrote:

 

Philly_Phan wrote:

 

The past is prologue. 

Does that mean I'm going to spend a lot of time confused?

I have no clue what it means.  It just appeared to be appropriate here!

Shakespeare is always a good bet.

Today I took some photos on a flight from Detroit to Washington DC, in airplane mode, and was surprised to find a couple of them properly geotagged when I downloaded them.  Running iOS 9.0.

shldr2thewheel wrote:

 

no.  http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1355

You are incorrect.  Airplane mode turns off transmitters.  GPS is a receiver.

As well it should.  GPS is not turned off in Airplane Mode as GPS is not a transmitter.

Well, it was still a surprise inasmuch as years of experience had taught me that the GPS was disabled in Airplane mode, even though it didn't really make much sense technically.  Evidently though this changed with 8.3, released this last April.

I found the same: four days in the high sierras backcountry with airplane mode on. Got home to find all my photos nicely geotagged. It seems apple has updated the relevant support article that an early poster on this thread referenced such that the article now teases that this is true ( Use Airplane Mode on your iOS device - Apple Support ):

If you have a device with iOS 8.2 or earlier, Airplane Mode will also turn off GPS.

Which implies that after 8.2, the GPS stays on unless you turn it off yourself.

joesapp wrote:

 

I found the same: four days in the high sierras backcountry with airplane mode on. Got home to find all my photos nicely geotagged. It seems apple has updated the relevant support article that an early poster on this thread referenced such that the article now teases that this is true ( Use Airplane Mode on your iOS device - Apple Support ):

If you have a device with iOS 8.2 or earlier, Airplane Mode will also turn off GPS.

Which implies that after 8.2, the GPS stays on unless you turn it off yourself.

Thanks for the follow up. Clarifies things nicely.