How to: turn off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on iPhone and iPad in iOS 11

2

Comments

  • Reply 21 of 59
    bluefire1bluefire1 Posts: 1,301member
    How about two buttons in the Control Center: "Off" and "Really off".
    cgWerksphilboogiepscooter63muthuk_vanalingamdysamoria
  • Reply 22 of 59
    Soli said:
    onlyhope said:
    Note: Airplane Mode disables all radio communications hardware, including cellular modems.

    The last time I checked GPS was a “radio” and it is NOT disabled when you turn on Airplane Mode.
    Aren't GPS microwaves?
    GPS is a radio receiver.  The signals from the satellites are *bathing* the aircraft in Electromagnetic Radiation (as are the random TV stations you're flying over.)

    The plane's avionics are designed for that.  Where there is doubt is when a transmitter is brought aboard the aircraft, which is why Airplane mode disables the transmitters.  Receivers generally don't output anything.

    dysamoria
  • Reply 23 of 59
    Rayz2016Rayz2016 Posts: 6,957member
    Soli said:
    onlyhope said:
    Note: Airplane Mode disables all radio communications hardware, including cellular modems.

    The last time I checked GPS was a “radio” and it is NOT disabled when you turn on Airplane Mode.
    Aren't GPS microwaves?
    GPS is a radio receiver.  The signals from the satellites are *bathing* the aircraft in Electromagnetic Radiation (as are the random TV stations you're flying over.)

    The plane's avionics are designed for that.  Where there is doubt is when a transmitter is brought aboard the aircraft, which is why Airplane mode disables the transmitters.  Receivers generally don't output anything.

    The  signals are still going to be there, whether you receive them or not. 


  • Reply 24 of 59
    Rayz2016Rayz2016 Posts: 6,957member
    Yeah, I see what Apple were aiming for. I’ve done it myself: turned off Bluetooth then started a car journey and realised I can’t answer the phone. 

    I just don’t think this was a good solution. 
    muthuk_vanalingamdysamoria
  • Reply 25 of 59
    cgWerkscgWerks Posts: 2,952member
    Rayz2016 said:
    Yeah, I see what Apple were aiming for. I’ve done it myself: turned off Bluetooth then started a car journey and realised I can’t answer the phone. 

    I just don’t think this was a good solution. 
    The question is... why should turning off Bluetooth not allow you to answer the phone? This has been a gaping hole in the iPhone's functionality for quite some time! When I got my first iPhone, I couldn't believe how incapable the hands-free operation was and how limited the audio-routing was. Especially, considering all the concern over distracted driving, it's amazing Apple did such a poor job.
    edited October 2017 muthuk_vanalingam
  • Reply 26 of 59
    Lone voice in the desert apparently, but I actually like the new behaviour..

    When I want to disable Wifi or Bluetooth it is almost always only temporarily, for instance because the Wifi network I am on has bad connectivity.. Meaning I switch to mobile data.. That iOS11 now reconnects me as soon as another network it knows is in reach is a good thing..

    One thing less to worry about..
    macplusplusjony0
  • Reply 27 of 59
    cgWerks said:
    .. why should turning off Bluetooth not allow you to answer the phone? 
    Euh.. because hands-free uses Bluetooth?
    StrangeDaysdysamoria
  • Reply 28 of 59
    If you ask siri to switch off wifi does that work ?
    I do not have an iOS 11 device to test on.

    The UI does display the three states of the wifi, blue on and connected/conectable, grey on and not connected, grey and crossed out wifi off.

    jony0
  • Reply 29 of 59
    Is there really any need beyond boarding an aircraft to turn off the radios?
    edited October 2017
  • Reply 30 of 59
    Mork said:


    The last time I checked GPS was a “radio” and it is NOT disabled when you turn on Airplane Mode.
    GPS is only a receiver, doesn’t transmit so technically doesn’t matter, airplane mode turns off transmission.


    On my iPad with 11.1 beta, this seems to be ‘fixed’ the control Center actually does turn off these things, not sure if it is only my iPad or not, I’m not game enough to beta my iPhone again after iOS 11 beta 3 bricked it, had to hold down the usual buttons to reset to ‘iTunes’ mode and rebuild as new, ( I was unlucky my laptop with backup was at home and I was on a flight, used a friends laptop to reset)
    You are correct on the GPS part. But nowadays we have 4 types of 'navigation radios'. One of them is two-way (supporting SaR); Galileo:
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galileo_(satellite_navigation)

    OT, and only applies to Japan: The fourth Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS) was launched just two days ago, on October 10, 2017.
    https://spaceflightnow.com/launch-schedule/

    edited October 2017 pscooter63dysamoriagatorguy
  • Reply 31 of 59
    fred1fred1 Posts: 1,112member
    bluefire1 said:
    How about two buttons in the Control Center: "Off" and "Really off".
    Thank you!  Apple, will you please give us the option to really turn off WiFi and Bluetooth from the control center?  Please???
    muthuk_vanalingam
  • Reply 32 of 59
    fred1fred1 Posts: 1,112member
    Rayz2016 said:
    Soli said:
    onlyhope said:
    Note: Airplane Mode disables all radio communications hardware, including cellular modems.

    The last time I checked GPS was a “radio” and it is NOT disabled when you turn on Airplane Mode.
    Aren't GPS microwaves?
    GPS is a radio receiver.  The signals from the satellites are *bathing* the aircraft in Electromagnetic Radiation (as are the random TV stations you're flying over.)

    The plane's avionics are designed for that.  Where there is doubt is when a transmitter is brought aboard the aircraft, which is why Airplane mode disables the transmitters.  Receivers generally don't output anything.

    The  signals are still going to be there, whether you receive them or not. 


    Then why isn’t the use of GPS allowed on most commercial flights?
  • Reply 33 of 59
    Sorry, should I missed this in the article or any other comment, but if you are a SIRI User, why not just switch on and off WLAN connectivity with a Siri command. works for Bluetooth, too.

    It is easy and fast.

    P.S.: Sorry, I missed yours: Yes, this works pretty well, for both, WLAN and Bluetooth.

    smiffy31 said:
    If you ask siri to switch off wifi does that work ?
    I do not have an iOS 11 device to test on.
    edited October 2017 jony0
  • Reply 34 of 59
    fred1 said:
    Then why isn’t the use of GPS allowed on most commercial flights?
    TTBOMK, it is allowed. Since GPS is one way on a consumer device, it is merely recording the date/time/coordinates. I always have my sports watch record the flight, putting the watch on my right wrist when sitting next to the window on the right side of the plane. Always ask the FA before takeoff, always receive a firm, 'that's allowed'.
    axcoatlSolidysamoriaRayz2016
  • Reply 35 of 59
    Lone voice in the desert apparently, but I actually like the new behaviour..

    When I want to disable Wifi or Bluetooth it is almost always only temporarily, for instance because the Wifi network I am on has bad connectivity.. Meaning I switch to mobile data.. That iOS11 now reconnects me as soon as another network it knows is in reach is a good thing..

    One thing less to worry about..

    My problem with the new behaviour isn't that it does what it does, but that the old behaviour is disabled.  I could see adding this functionality as a feature, but removing the old was...less than completely satisfactory.
    dysamoria
  • Reply 36 of 59
    GG1GG1 Posts: 483member
    Soli said:
    onlyhope said:
    Note: Airplane Mode disables all radio communications hardware, including cellular modems.

    The last time I checked GPS was a “radio” and it is NOT disabled when you turn on Airplane Mode.
    Aren't GPS microwaves?
    GPS is a radio receiver.  The signals from the satellites are *bathing* the aircraft in Electromagnetic Radiation (as are the random TV stations you're flying over.)

    The plane's avionics are designed for that.  Where there is doubt is when a transmitter is brought aboard the aircraft, which is why Airplane mode disables the transmitters.  Receivers generally don't output anything.

    Actually, a receiver must generate an internal signal (close to the signal you are trying to receive) in order to receive that signal. This internal signal (local oscillator) is what can cause interference in other systems (such as aircraft systems), so the FCC/FAA wants you to disable all radios ("airplane" mode) in your phone. In badly-designed (unshielded) receivers, the local oscillator can leak out at a high level, making the receiver a small transmitter. That's why the FCC tests a receiver as an "unintended radiator" (i.e., transmitter).

    Time/experience has shown that the airplane systems are sufficiently shielded from phone receivers/transmitters (I have never heard of any airplane systems affected directly by phone radiation), so the FCC/FAA has slowly relaxed their rules to allow WiFi (I'm not sure about GPS or Bluetooth).

    I've heard (but not confirmed; this was in the 1990's) that originally the cellular companies also wanted the FCC/FAA to disable the cellular radios because an active phone in an airplane would register with multiple cell phone towers at the same time or handed off between towers so quickly that it bogged down the towers' ability to keep up.
    cgWerksdysamoriajony0
  • Reply 37 of 59
    GG1GG1 Posts: 483member
    onlyhope said:
    Note: Airplane Mode disables all radio communications hardware, including cellular modems.

    The last time I checked GPS was a “radio” and it is NOT disabled when you turn on Airplane Mode.
    Interesting. I didn't know that.

    I always thought Airplane mode shut down ALL radios (GPS, BT, WiFi, Cellular).

    This extra "granularity" in iOS11 is definitely confusing.
  • Reply 38 of 59
    Soli said:
    MplsP said:
    Soli said:
    Perhaps I missed it when I skimmed the article, but the easiest way for me to disable specific radios isn't to go into Settings but to simply swipe up on hte wonderful, new Control Center, tap Airplane Mode, and then tap the radio(s) I want toe reenable.
    Except that requires you to disable the cellular radio. Why in God's name did they design a system that requires you do do a back-assed maneuver like that anyway?
    Why in God's name would you expect Airplane Mode to NOT disable the cellular radios?
    Why are you assuming if someone wants to disable Wi-Fi or Bluetooth they also want to disable cellular? I don’t have a problem with this now because I know to just disable in settings. But a three-way toggle in control center would be the best user experience.
    muthuk_vanalingam
  • Reply 39 of 59
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,035member
    Soli said:
    MplsP said:
    Soli said:
    Perhaps I missed it when I skimmed the article, but the easiest way for me to disable specific radios isn't to go into Settings but to simply swipe up on hte wonderful, new Control Center, tap Airplane Mode, and then tap the radio(s) I want toe reenable.
    Except that requires you to disable the cellular radio. Why in God's name did they design a system that requires you do do a back-assed maneuver like that anyway?
    Why in God's name would you expect Airplane Mode to NOT disable the cellular radios?
    Why are you assuming if someone wants to disable Wi-Fi or Bluetooth they also want to disable cellular? I don’t have a problem with this now because I know to just disable in settings. But a three-way toggle in control center would be the best user experience.
    1) Why are you assuming that using Airplane Mode means you want to disable everything. As it's already been stated, long before iOS 11 if you wanted to kill all but one radio it was common to hit Airplane Mode and then the one radio you may want to keep active. This isn't uncommon.

    2) What is uncommon and clearly not the best user experience for people like you is for these buttons to be multi-stage so that they're no longer a toggle switch but instead can have 3 or more stages every time you press the button. While I understand that you're having trouble understanding Apple's reasoning for having the Apple Watch, Instant Hotspot, Apple Pencil, and Continuity features, like Handoff stay connected, you need to accept that they didn't make this decision lightly and that their reasoning for keeping the buttons binary for now are there for a reason. I know I certainly don't want to have to troubleshoot people remotely with more than a binary switch—at least not until people understand more about the technology they are using.

    3) You need to ask yourself why would Apple do this?  You also need to ask yourself why you're even disabling any radios after you've explicitly stated that you're going to go through the greatest number of steps which will take the most amount of time by going through Settings instead of being fast and efficient .

    edited October 2017 StrangeDays
  • Reply 40 of 59
    StrangeDaysStrangeDays Posts: 12,834member
    It’s perplexing that even people on this forum believe they should disable bluetooth while using a wired carplay connection. As if disabling bluetooth for the duration of their trip offered some advantage. One needn’t manually manage bluetooth in iOS for perceived battery gains. 
    SolistompyRayz2016
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