AirPods are classed as a “Portable Electronic Devices” (PEDs), a list of electronic devices that have certain restrictions on their usage when you’re on a plane. PEDs are capable of transmitting and receiving signals, which means there’s a possibility that some of them could interfere with the airplane’s navigation system.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) declared in 2013 that it’s safe to use PEDs, that includes your AirPods, on a plane, but you have to make sure that you turn on airplane mode first to not cause any inconvenience to the pilots.
How to use AirPods on a plane
You can only use your AirPods on a plane after you’ve put your device on airplane mode because using cellular data on a plane can result in distortion in the airplane’s radios. Once you’ve turned on airplane mode, just turn on Bluetooth and start using your AirPods.
Here’s how you can turn on airplane mode on your iPhone:
- Swipe down from the right corner of the screen to open the Control Center.
Open the Control Center. - Tap the airplane mode icon in the connectivity panel at the top to turn it on.
Tap the airplane mode icon.