What does airplane mode mean and what is its purpose?

I have an iPhone 4 and according to an acquaintance of mine, it helps a person's smart-phone charge faster. What else does it do?

In airplane mode is basically used in airplane to switch off all your working networks and connectivity which further you need not to switch off your phones while inside airplanes and sit idle without engaging your phone in listening music and playing games and make yourself entertain.

Airplane mode turns off your internet connect, so no data is used. This is so you can use your phone on an airplane or anytime you desire to have your phone on but not connected to the mobile network. So no calls, no texts, just your off-line apps.

An airplane mode turns off all mobile data and voice call capabilities. It basically shuts down all radio signals of your phone.

However, you can still use Wi-Fi if it is turned on.

Airplane mode saves a tremendous amount of battery if you have not a lot of juice left but still need to get through your day. You won't be able to make calls or use mobile internet though.

It can also be turned on when on airplane instead of shutting your phone down. I know the staff always says to turn your phone off, but you can simply just turn the airplane mode on instead.

Airplane mode means that the unit is not transmitting a signal, which could possibly interfere with the electronics of the airplane.

Other than the mandatory GPS signal to let the NSA know where your phone is 24/7/365, it stops searching for tower connections. It also stops all imcoming calls and messages.

It turns your iPhone into an airplane! Not much in the way of luggage compartment though.

No, seriously, you know how on airplanes they make you turn off and stow away all your electronic devices. That's so that the won't interfere with the airplane's electronics - particularly when taking off or landing. More often than not, an automated system lands your airplane these days.

Back in the day, when laptops started to become practical, and before they started putting touchpads on laptops, people would bring an external mouse with them, They would plug the cord into their laptop and use their computer on the flight. Well, many popular mice had a cord that was just the right length that it acted like an antenna, Of course, the computer / mouse were not using it as antenna, but the flow of electricity through it had the effect of transmitting random noise - noise that was just the right frequency to mess up the auto-pilot on some aircraft. Ever since then, electronics of all kinds (cord or not) have been banned. They have lightened up a bit lately. Once you have taken off, you can use electronics, so long as anything on them that might transmit a signal (Wi-Fi, Blue Tooth, cell phone traffic, etc.) is shutdown. Many cell phone manufacturers realized that people wanted to use their phones on airplanes - check their calendar, play a game they have loaded on there, use the built in calculator, etc. These phones have a 1-touch feature called "airplane mode" that will turn off any transmitters (and as some traffic is 2-way communication, this effectively turns off receiving too).

PS: Now airlines have finally figured out that Wi-Fi does not interfere with anything onboard, and they are actually offering Wi-Fi on flights. Not for free, mind you. It's another way to get a few more bucks out of you. But it is an option. Having said that, most phones with Airplane Mode, it will turn off Wi-Fi too.

It kills all the radios in your phone so you don't have to turn it off on an airplane.

Technically it does help a phone charge faster but that's not the intended purpose.

It disables the radios in the phone for the carrier (calls, text, data) as well as Wi-Fi. Called Airplane Mode since it is usually used in planes.

Getting back to what your friend said, it will help the phone charge faster because the phone wouldn't be using those radios, but again, that's not the intended purpose.