eli5: If passengers are required to put their phones on airplane mode when flying, how, if at all, will the upcoming EAS system effect flights?

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To explain further, I have found mixed answers as to whether or not phones in airplane mode or that are shut off will receive the upcoming EAS. If they will receive it, will that impact the flight at all?

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7 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

The message is sent only thru the cell towers. Anybody on Wi-Fi only will also not receive the message. I turn my phone on airplane mode whenever I’m at home or at work as there is Wi-Fi so my battery lasts a bit longer.

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If the message was sent thru Wi-Fi:
Many commercial flights now have Wi-Fi, and usually free for at least text messaging. So if you are in airplane mode (which just deactivates the cellular antenna) but connect to the in-flight Wi-Fi then you will still receive iMessage/WhatsApp/etc. texts. No option for Google, but the government could team-up with Apple so that any national alerts goes thru iMessage as well.

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