You can make a difference in the Apple Support Community!

When you sign up with your Apple Account, you can provide valuable feedback to other community members by upvoting helpful replies and User Tips.

Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

User profile for user: beatsareme
beatsareme Author
User level: Level 1
12 points

Iphone still tracks GPS (still gives map directions) even when airplane mode is turned on (cellular data, wifi, and bluetooth are off). Why?

Try this: Use Apple Maps to get directions somewhere and press start. Then, turn on airplane mode, and guess what? It still tracks your exact GPS location and continues to give you perfect directions. How is that possible, when airplane mode is supposed to turn off all internet connectivity?! Apparently Android users aren't the only ones getting tracked even when airplane mode is on..

iPhone 6s Plus, iOS 11.1

Posted on Nov 21, 2017 8:18 AM

Reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply
User profile for user: ChrisJ4203
ChrisJ4203
User level: Level 10
231,404 points

Posted on Nov 21, 2017 8:22 AM

Tracking in maps is not based on the internet. That only provides you with map data. Movement is determined by the accelerometer in the phone as well, and is probably what is registering your location. Airplane Mode turns off the radio sets, and while it does disable internet connectivity, unless you turn wi-fi back on and are connected, that is not the function of Airplane mode to turn off the internet, it is to turn off the radio sets, which effectively disables internet connectivity, unless again, you turn on wi-fi and are connected.

View in context
7 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply
User profile for user: ChrisJ4203
ChrisJ4203
User level: Level 10
231,404 points

Nov 21, 2017 8:22 AM in response to beatsareme

Tracking in maps is not based on the internet. That only provides you with map data. Movement is determined by the accelerometer in the phone as well, and is probably what is registering your location. Airplane Mode turns off the radio sets, and while it does disable internet connectivity, unless you turn wi-fi back on and are connected, that is not the function of Airplane mode to turn off the internet, it is to turn off the radio sets, which effectively disables internet connectivity, unless again, you turn on wi-fi and are connected.

Reply
User profile for user: beatsareme
beatsareme Author
User level: Level 1
12 points

Nov 21, 2017 9:41 AM in response to KiltedTim

First of all, I’m informed not paranoid..

I get it. Satellites make it possible even have a smart phone. GPS is linked into the same network as the one you use to connect to the “internet” when you are away from WiFi. Location services are turned off in airplane mode. The question remains, how am I able to track a satellite and my global position without access to this data network?

Reply
User profile for user: ChrisJ4203
ChrisJ4203
User level: Level 10
231,404 points

Nov 21, 2017 12:59 PM in response to beatsareme

beatsareme wrote:


“accelerometer in the phone as well, and is probably what is registering your location”

Probably..lol. An accelerometer doesn’t “track your location,” but it does track movement (not as precisely as GPS, but when they work together it’s perfect). Movement is not the same as global position.

Don't worry, I know the difference between tracking and global positioning. I'm saying that it was registering your movement, which could account for your changes in location on the map. However, as Idris has stated, the GPS is no longer turned off in Airplane mode, which answers your question, that you are receiving the GPS signal for the map.

Reply

Iphone still tracks GPS (still gives map directions) even when airplane mode is turned on (cellular data, wifi, and bluetooth are off). Why?

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple Account.
Learn more Sign up