Airplane Mode makes it easy to turn off all wireless devices at once. Here is how to turn on or turn off airplane mode in Windows 11.
Though most don’t know or ignore it, for a long time now, Windows has a neat feature called Airplane Mode, also known as Flight Mode. It does one and one thing only. When turned on, the Airplane Mode will turn off all wireless devices like NFC, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Cellular network, etc., at once. As you can guess, the Airplane Mode is quite useful when you want to restrict or turn off all wireless devices in Windows 11 at once. Of course, when you turn off Airplane Mode, it will automatically turn on wireless devices if they are already turned on previously.
In the newest builds of Windows 11, if you manually turn on Bluetooth or Wi-Fi while using Airplane Mode, it will remember that preference. The Airplane Mode will not automatically turn off those specific wireless devices in the future. As you can guess, this slight change is quite helpful. For example, you don’t have to worry about losing connection with your Bluetooth devices like headphones, keyboard, mouse, etc.
Now, most of us only ever use it rarely. However, the Airplane Mode is quite helpful. After all, it eliminates the need to turn off wireless devices one by one manually.
You can quickly turn on Airplane Mode in Windows 11 and turn off Airplane mode when not needed.
This straightforward guide will show you how to turn on Airplane Mode and turn off Airplane Mode in Windows 11.
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From the Quick Settings panel
Considering the usefulness of the Airplane Mode, Microsoft added a quick access toggle button to the Quick Settings panel. With a single click, you can turn on or off Airplane Mode. Here is how to do it.
Turn on Airplane Mode in Quick Settings
The quick settings panel makes it easy to turn on Airplane mode. Here is how to do it.
- Use the “Win + A” shortcut to open Quick Settings.
- Click on the “Airplane Mode” button.
- Once turned on, the button turns colorful with an accent color.
- All the wireless radios are now turned off.
- With that, the airplane mode is turned on.
Detailed steps with a screenshot:
We need to open the Quick Settings panel. To do that, use the “Windows key + A” keyboard shortcut or click on the “Network” icon on the taskbar.
After opening it, click on the “Airplane Mode” button to activate it. Once turned on, the button will turn colorful with the current accent color. From now on, all the wireless radios will be turned off automatically except for Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.
As I said earlier, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are special cases. The Airplane Mode will not turn them off if you previously turned them on while using Airplane mode.
Turn off Airplane Mode in Quick Settings
The quick settings panel makes it easy to turn off the Airplane mode. Here is how to do it.
- Use the “Win + A” shortcut to open Quick Settings.
- Click on the “Airplane Mode” button.
- Once turned on, the button turns colorless.
- All the wireless radios are now turned on.
- With that, the airplane mode is turned off.
Detailed steps with a screenshot:
Use the “Start key + A” to launch the Quick Settings panel. You can also click on the “Network” icon on the taskbar. Click on the “Airplane Mode” button in the Quick Settings panel.
The button becomes colorless and the Airplane Mode is turned off as soon as you do that. All the wireless radios should now be turned on automatically, depending on their previous setting.
I cannot find the Airplane Mode button in Quick Settings
The Airplane Mode button should appear in the Quick Settings panel by default. If you cannot find the Airplane Mode, you or some other user removed it from there. In that case, you have to add it manually. Here is how to do it.
- Click the “Network” icon on the taskbar.
- Press the “Edit” icon in Quick Settings.
- Click the “Add” button.
- Select the “Airplane Mode” option.
- Click the “Done” button.
- The “Airplane Mode” is added to Quick Settings.
From the Settings app
You can also turn on or turn off airplane mode from the Settings app. Here is where to find the option and how to use it.
Turn on Airplane Mode in Settings
- Launch the Settings app with “Win + I.”
- Select “Network & Internet” on the sidebar.
- Turn on “Airplane mode” on the main page.
- With that, the airplane mode is turned on.
- Close the Settings app if you want.
Detailed steps:
First thing, open the Windows 11 Settings app. You can use the “Start key + I” shortcut or click the “Settings” option in the Start menu. You can also search for it in the Start menu.
Choose the “Network & Internet” option on the Settings app sidebar. This page will show most of the network and internet settings for Windows 11. Here, turn on the “Airplane Mode” option.
As soon as you turn on the option, the Airplane Mode is turned on, and all wireless radios except Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are turned off.
If you want them to turn off, click on the “Airplane Mode” option and turn off both “Bluetooth” and “Wi-Fi” options. I recommend you keep the Bluetooth option turned on so that you don’t lose connection if you are using Bluetooth devices like headphones, keyboard, mouse, etc.
Turn off Airplane Mode in Settings
- Launch the Settings app with “Win + I.”
- Select “Network & Internet” on the sidebar.
- Turn off “Airplane mode” on the main page.
- With that, the airplane mode is turned off.
- Close the Settings app if you want.
Detailed steps:
Click the Settings icon on the taskbar or the Start menu to open the Windows 11 Settings app. You can use the “Win + I” shortcut too.
Choose “Network & Internet” on the sidebar in the Settings app. Next, turn off the “Airplane Mode” option on the main page.
As soon as you do that, Windows 11 turns off the Airplane mode instantly. All the wireless radios should be turned on automatically, depending on their previous state.
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That is all. It is that simple to turn on or turn off airplane mode in Windows 11.
I hope this simple Windows 11 how-to guide helped you.
If you are stuck or need some help, comment below, and I will try to help as much as possible.
