Can You Track Someone’s Location When Their Phone is on Airplane Mode?

Often individuals wonder whether they can identify someone's location if their mobile device is set to airplane mode. To address common concerns, let's explore the technical aspects and the limits of location tracking under these conditions.

Can You See Someone's Location with Their Phone on Airplane Mode?

Essentially, no, you cannot track someone's location if their phone is on airplane mode. Airplane mode disables all wireless communications, including cellular, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth. Consequently, the device cannot transmit its location to GPS services or communicate with any networks that share its position. Unless there's a rare feature enabling location tracking in airplane mode, the phone's location is not determinable.

How Long Does Old Location Data Last?

Usually, if a phone is not actively transmitting its location, any location data you might have had previously would not update while in airplane mode. The last recorded location would typically be from when the phone was last actively transmitting its position.

Can Location Be Tracked During the Turn-off Period?

In the event the phone is completely turned off, no signal is emitted, and thus no location can be tracked. However, there's a unique scenario mentioned by some experts regarding iPhones, particularly with iOS 15 and newer versions.

Ios 15 introduced a 'Power Reserve' feature which conserves just enough battery to send an emergency signal even when the phone appears to be powered off. This feature might allow the phone to broadcast its location without emitting a signal. However, this is highly speculative and hasn't been confirmed by any official sources. Apple requires the 'Find My' app to be turned off before returning a device, and it must be restored to factory settings. This suggests there might be a feature that allows the device to send a last known location despite its apparent off state.

Do iPhones Send Location Data in Airplane Mode or Turned Off?

The 'Find My' app plays a significant role here. With iOS 15, iPhones that have been turned off or are in airplane mode can still locate themselves by sending a distress message to nearby iPhones. The receiving devices then forward this encrypted message to Apple, which subsequently relays it to the associated iCloud account. This means that the owner can log in and see the device's last known location.

Conclusion

While tech companies like Apple have implemented mechanisms that could potentially allow for location tracking even in seemingly impossible conditions, such practices are not standard and are subject to privacy concerns. If you need to find someone's location, it's best to verify the device's current status and whether any tracking features are enabled.