Since FAA has removed some of the personal device restrictions, will GPS be enabled for airplane mode? This would be helpful for travel outside the country !

Question

Since FAA has removed some of the personal device restrictions, will GPS be enabled for airplane mode? This would be helpful for travel outside the country !

I travel and have a business phone but like using my iDevices for photos, gps etc. it would be great to keep it on airplane mode while off shore to avoid roaming charges, but even the off-line maps are defeated without GPS functioning. I suspect the GPS turned off with airplane mode due to FAA restrictions. I would like to see that revised now that FAA allows non-emitting personal devices in flight.

Posted on Mar 13, 2014 11:10 PM

Reply

Answer 1

Mar 13, 2014 11:11 PM in response to yetanotheriPhone

no one here can help you with this. We are just users like you, not apple or FAA employees.

Reply

Answer 2

Mar 13, 2014 11:13 PM in response to yetanotheriPhone

Not sure how you would expect GPS to work without emitting anything? It has to connect to the satellites in order to determine your position....

GB

Reply

Answer 3

Mar 23, 2014 10:15 AM in response to yetanotheriPhone

I am actually hoping that Apple will read this and fix the problem, or someone can give a workarround. I'm not sure if it's apple or ATT stopping that functionality now. In the near future I see no reason they won't unlock that feature set since FAA now allows passive devices. (Yes, by the way, GPS is a passive receiver based system which does not emit anything, so there is no reason to block it.)

Reply

Answer 4

Mar 23, 2014 10:23 AM in response to yetanotheriPhone

Tell it to Apple:

http://www.apple.com/feedback/

Cheers,

GB

Reply

Answer 5

FelipeV

Level 6

10,636 points

Mar 23, 2014 11:02 AM in response to yetanotheriPhone

yetanotheriPhone wrote:

I would like to see that revised now that FAA allows non-emitting personal devices in flight.

Tell the FAA. Maybe they will listen to you. You do know the airplanes use GPS as primary navigation? In our post 911 world paranoid world, why would the FAA allow passengers access to GPS on their phones?

Reply