To connect to WiFi, Bluetooth, or a cellular network, your cell phone must send out wireless or radio frequency signals, which creates a form of Electromagnetic Field (EMF) radiation. When you set your phone to airplane mode (sometimes called flight mode), these radio signals are disabled, so your device cannot connect. The airplane mode requirement while flying is that the RF signals emitting from mobile devices may interfere with various sensors and equipment on commercial airplanes, especially if there is a high volume of RF traffic. If you accidentally forget to enable airplane mode, don’t worry; the plane won’t fall out of the sky. But it’s better to be safe than sorry, right? As a bonus, by disabling these RF signals, airplane mode can help reduce your exposure to EMF radiation!

What is EMF Radiation?

All cell phones emit EMF radiation, comprising Extremely Low Frequency (ELF) and Radio Frequency (RF) radiation. Every electronic device emits ELF with a plug or battery. On top of that, RF is emitted when your cell phone or other mobile device connects to a cell tower, WiFi router, or Bluetooth accessory. What’s the problem with EMF radiation? According to a study conducted by Pew Research Center, practically all Americans use cell phones, and 77% use a smartphone. This means almost everyone is exposed to the ELF and RF radiation emitted from their cell phones! When we constantly use our mobile devices close to our bodies over long periods, exposure to EMF radiation can become harmful. Studies have found links between EMF exposure and minor health concerns, such as headaches and skin rashes, to serious matters, such as fertility problems, DNA fragmentation, cell damage, and cancerous tumors. For example, a recently released study from the National Toxicology Program showed that high exposure to EMF radiation in male rats was associated with clear evidence of heart tumors, some evidence of brain tumors, and some evidence of tumors in the adrenal glands. In this new ‘Digital Age,’ cell phones and other mobile devices are here to stay, but that doesn’t mean you must always expose yourself to their harmful EMF emissions. Putting your device into airplane mode will eliminate RF radiation, dramatically reducing overall EMF radiation emissions.

What Can You Do While in Airplane Mode?

With a phone set in full airplane mode, you can:

• Take pictures and videos
• Listen to music or podcasts that are already downloaded on your phone
• Read e-books downloaded on your phone
• Set and use alarms and reminders
• Make lists
• Play games that don’t require connecting to WiFi or cellular service
• Use AirDrop on Apple devices, which allows for the transfer of photos, videos, and files
• Use GPS tracking on recent models of Android and iOS devices (8.3+ models)

While your electronic device is in airplane mode, you can manually turn on WiFi, allowing you to use any app or service that requires an Internet connection. However, your exposure to RF emissions is reduced since cellular and Bluetooth signals remain off. With a phone set in airplane mode with a WiFi connection, you can:

• Browse and post on social media apps
• Read and respond to emails
• Message on certain apps (WhatsApp, iMessage, Facebook Messenger, Viber, etc.)
• Video chat on Skype or FaceTime
• Make audio calls using apps
• Stream movies and videos

When Can You use Airplane Mode?

In addition to using airplane mode in the sky, there are many other times you can harness the sneaky benefits of this feature!

1. During the Day

Enabling airplane mode any time you don’t need to be connected is an easy way to reduce your exposure to EMF radiation. Using this feature while at the movies, in a meeting, driving (remember, you can still use GPS!), studying, or eating dinner will significantly decrease the amount of wireless radiation you are exposed to. Remembering to do this activity can be challenging, but we recommend setting reminders to enable airplane mode or do it as soon as you put your phone down to create a healthy habit!

2. At Night

Turning on airplane mode at night means you won’t be disturbed by any messages and notifications that can keep you from falling asleep or waking you in the middle of the night. Airplane mode also limits your exposure to EMF radiation all night long, which can contribute to better sleep. And, as we all know, good sleep is key to good health. If your phone must stay connected during the night, such as if you’re on call for your job or are just a worried parent with kids out of the house, keep your device at least four feet away from you while sleeping (not under your pillow or on your nightstand next to your head). In addition, you can turn off your WiFi router at night to eliminate WiFi connections and ensure your kids aren’t staying up late watching YouTube or playing online video games.

3. Children

Children today use electronic devices such as cell phones and tablets, probably more so than most adults.  Enabling airplane mode on your child’s devices can have many advantages, including preventing accidental calls, messages, or app purchases, stopping notifications from interrupting their games or movies, and creating an overall safer device with parental control. More importantly, children are more susceptible to EMF radiation’s harmful effects than adults. Children are still developing, and radiation can more easily saturate developing tissues and can have detrimental effects at the cellular level. Airplane mode can help protect them from harmful RF radiation in this vulnerable stage in life.

4. Battery Usage

When in a situation where your phone’s battery is about to die, and there is no charger or outlet around, turning on airplane mode helps save battery life. While your screen is off and your phone is locked, it is still constantly searching and maintaining its cellular connection and emitting harmful EMF radiation. By enabling airplane mode, you disable the cellular connection and decrease the power consumption of the battery, thus lowering EMF radiation emissions.

5. During Travel

I am using airplane mode while traveling is always a wise idea. You won’t incur roaming charges when your phone is not connected to a cellular network. WiFi is still functional, as well as most functions on your phone. You will not only be saving money on your phone bill, but you will also limit your EMF radiation exposure.

How Do You Enable Airplane Mode?

Using airplane mode is quite simple! While airplane mode is enabled, an airplane icon will appear in the notification bar at the top of your device, indicating your device is disconnected from all cellular networks, WiFi, and Bluetooth connections. On your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch:

1. Open Control Center from the Home Screen.
2. Tap the Wi-Fi icon  or the Bluetooth icon .

You can also go to Settings > Wi-Fi or Settings > Bluetooth. On your Apple Watch:

1. For Wi-Fi, touch and hold the bottom of the screen until you see Control Center.
2. Swipe up, and tap the Wi-Fi icon .

You can also go to Settings > Wi-Fi. For Bluetooth, go to Settings > Bluetooth. If you turn on Wi-Fi or Bluetooth while in Airplane Mode, they’ll be on the next time you use Airplane Mode unless you turn them off while in Airplane Mode. There are a couple of ways to access airplane mode for Samsung devices.

1. Tap Settings.
2. Tap Network & internet.
3. Tap the toggle next to Airplane Mode.
4. The phone is now in Airplane Mode.

Turn on Airplane Mode on Android Via Quick Settings

Alternatively, you can also switch on Airplane Mode using Quick Settings. Here’s what to do.

1. Swipe down from the top of your home screen.
2. Tap Airplane Mode to switch it on.

3. Your phone is now in Airplane Mode.

What Are Other Solutions to Reduce EMF Radiation Exposure?

We at Aulterra understand that cellular and WiFi connectivity is necessary to many peoples’ daily lives, and while keeping airplane mode enabled is quite helpful in reducing EMF radiation exposure, we strongly suggest using the Aulterra Neutralizer disk on all of your mobile, cellular, wifi, and Bluetooth devices to eliminate the harmful effects of EMF radiation.