Wi-Fi and Bluetooth can remain on in Airplane mode of iOS 11

Apple revealed its upcoming iOS 11 during the Worldwide Developer’s Conference or WWDC earlier this month. However, more new information regarding the latest operating system is coming to light. At the WWDC event, the Cupertino-based company had only highlighted the most important aspects of the platform. However, minor changes which are touted to have a great effect on the way people use their iPhones are beginning to be revealed.

At the WWDC, Apple had revealed that iOS 11 would feature a certain functionality, which would prevent drivers from using the phone while they were at the wheel of a moving vehicle. People have been talking about this feature ever since. However, now a new set of nifty features of the upcoming operating system have come to light.

Changes to Airplane Mode in iOS 11

To date all iPhones had the ability to quickly switch to Airplane mode, which turned off the smartphone’s cellular data, along with radio and any kind of connectivity that could interfere with the airplane’s electronics. The Bluetooth and Wi-Fi functionalities are also switched off in this mode.

However, according to the recent reports, turning Airplane Mode in the iOS 11 devices would not shut down the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity.

Uses for this change

This change is vastly important considering the other devices that are connected to the iPhones these days. For instance, in previous versions of iOS users would lose the connectivity to their smart watches once they enabled Airplane Mode on their phones, due to lack of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. However, with the introduction of this feature in iOS 11, users will be able to place thei devices in the Airplane mode but would still be able to remain connected to their wearable or other devices.

The same can also be utilized for wireless headphones, such as the AirPods.

With these devices, the Bluetooth becomes an essential functionality, which will let Apple users listen to their favorite tunes even while on a flight. The current form of the Airplane mode had a lot left to be desired as fans had to completely stop using their smartphones while on a flight but these changes from Apple will perhaps make fans happy.

However, it has to be noted that Apple has included the changes in the beta version of iOS 11, which does not specifically guarantee the presence of the same in its final build as well. This means that the company may decide to ditch the update to the Airplane mode to stick to the older system in a future beta version.