Flight mode not really what we think it is? - Android General

I happened to watch hacker Samy Kamkar breakdown of hacking techniques used in the recent Oceans 13 film.
https://youtu.be/vycRkEk1384
He explicitly says at one point that flight mode on mobile devices don't really completely shut down radios and still will continue to send send and receive data. This is due to 'relaxed' legislation around the definition of flight mode apparently.
Can anyone here confirm what Samy has stated? And if it's true is there an app that someone can use to actually completely shut down the radios on their phone?
Samy recommends just shutting down the phone is the only solution.. but for me I put my phone in flight mode at night and use the alarm feature of my device.. so this solution is not the best for me.
Thanks
J

Related

[REQUEST FOR ROM DEVS] Enable Wifi on Airplane Mode

If possible, can you guys please edit the default system.settings on your rom so Settings.System.AIRPLANE_MODE_RADIOS = 'cell, bluetooth' instead of 'cell,bluetooth,wifi'.
That way wifi works on airplane mode.
Bluetooth still doesn't work even if you did AIRPLANE_MODE_RADIOS = 'cell' or even 'cell,wifi'. For some unknown reason.
here is the source code for a program I wrote for this (its on the market), but its pretty easy to change and maybe we won't need my app for it.
Also posted on the issue tracker for android so it gets enabled & fixed for a next release. Here
crackertc said:
If possible, can you guys please edit the default system.settings on your rom so Settings.System.AIRPLANE_MODE_RADIOS = 'cell, bluetooth' instead of 'cell,bluetooth,wifi'.
That way wifi works on airplane mode.
Bluetooth still doesn't work even if you did AIRPLANE_MODE_RADIOS = 'cell' or even 'cell,wifi'. For some unknown reason.
here is the source code for a program I wrote for this (its on the market), but its pretty easy to change and maybe we won't need my app for it.
Also posted on the issue tracker for android so it gets enabled & fixed for a next release. Here
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you serious??? Wifi on with Airplane Mode?.... you know what airplane mode is right?... it means no communications from or to the device so it's safe to radio frequencies used in airplanes....
For me the airplane mode is a good way not to get your device turned off while your flying, so you still can play, write docs or anything you want inside your device (listening to music too)...
I don't think that is wise to turn on wifi on airplane mode!
josevtome said:
Are you serious??? Wifi on with Airplane Mode?.... you know what airplane mode is right?... it means no communications from or to the device so it's safe to radio frequencies used in airplanes....
For me the airplane mode is a good way not to get your device turned off while your flying, so you still can play, write docs or anything you want inside your device (listening to music too)...
I don't think that is wise to turn on wifi on airplane mode!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if wi-fi on airplanes is a big deal then why do most commercial airlines have wi-fi on board now?
Well for me i would love to have wifi or bluetooth enabled when im in air plane mode. Just useing the device to listen to music or do little things would save alot of power
josevtome said:
Are you serious??? Wifi on with Airplane Mode?.... you know what airplane mode is right?... it means no communications from or to the device so it's safe to radio frequencies used in airplanes....
For me the airplane mode is a good way not to get your device turned off while your flying, so you still can play, write docs or anything you want inside your device (listening to music too)...
I don't think that is wise to turn on wifi on airplane mode!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Usually, when you talk about something is because you know, or because you at least researched:
- Some airlines are starting to implement Wi-Fi on some of their planes
- Some phones let you turn on wifi while on airplane mode.
- Since iPhone OS version 2.0, you can enable wifi while on airplane mode, and now, since iPhone OS version 3.0, you can enable bluetooth while on airplane mode.
- Some Nokia phones ask you what do you want to disable when you go in airplane mode, they let the user choose.
linkmaster_6 said:
Well for me i would love to have wifi or bluetooth enabled when im in air plane mode. Just useing the device to listen to music or do little things would save alot of power
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, if you'd like this, I wrote an app and it's on the market (Cyrket)
cyanogen's response through his twitter: @velazcod maybe it would be better to change the background sync option on the power widget to disable the radio instead?
even better.
Hope we will see it in 4.0.2
josevtome said:
Are you serious??? Wifi on with Airplane Mode?.... you know what airplane mode is right?... it means no communications from or to the device so it's safe to radio frequencies used in airplanes....
For me the airplane mode is a good way not to get your device turned off while your flying, so you still can play, write docs or anything you want inside your device (listening to music too)...
I don't think that is wise to turn on wifi on airplane mode!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
American Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, Virgin America, Southwest, Delta, Continental and some of the smaller airlines started offering In-Flight WiFi last year. The planes that are WiFi capable are usually newer and/or have updated electrical and communications systems, not the 40 year old hub jumpers flying from Dallas to St Louis.
Normal WiFi operates on the 2500 to 5000 Mhz radio spectrum. Inflight WiFi operates on the 849 Mhz radio band, which is dedicated solely to inflight WiFi. While this is in the sub100 to 2000 Mhz radio spectrum that the airplanes communication and navigation systems operate on, the systems ignore the 849 Mhz frequency. You have to disable the cellular phone signal because it operates on the 850 and 1900 Mhz radio bands, which are also used by and could possibly interfere with the planes communication equipment. FM radios also need to be off because they operate from 76 to 108 Mhz, also in the range of the comm equipment. Even though the plane flies through radio signals in this range all the time with no ill effects, they ask that those devices be turned off as a precautionary measure, as in better safe than sorry.
BTW, me=aerospace engineer, also good at research.
thank you for a better explanation to everybody, especially mr jose. (better research next time to avoid being put in flames by your fellow friends here)
crackertc said:
thank you for a better explanation to everybody, especially mr jose. (better research next time to avoid being put in flames by your fellow friends here)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
haha owned!
crackertc said:
thank you for a better explanation to everybody, especially mr jose. (better research next time to avoid being put in flames by your fellow friends here)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
oooo sick burn! lol jk =)
crackertc said:
thank you for a better explanation to everybody, especially mr jose. (better research next time to avoid being put in flames by your fellow friends here)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No problem. This is a feature I'd like to see implemented as well, because it saves having to haul out the laptop to check emails and text/chat mid-flight, only to find I'm in a row with no power outlet (this happened once on my way to Japan, worst 16 hours of my life). I just wish there was a way around the NO VoIP restriction.
this is totally a good Idea..
for the moment there is an app for that
i just love to use that line.
BTW what about disable radio, sync, and terminate all related system app/tasks/resources that relate to it. Then just leave all else functional for wifi browsing and gmail viewing.
Think someone had to already think of this I am usually slow.
I think that is what cyanogen might of meant by his tweet.
rbgmode said:
this is totally a good Idea..
for the moment there is an app for that
i just love to use that line.
BTW what about disable radio, sync, and terminate all related system app/tasks/resources that relate to it. Then just leave all else functional for wifi browsing and gmail viewing.
Think someone had to already think of this I am usually slow.
I think that is what cyanogen might of meant by his tweet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, when you go into airplane mode radio gets turned off. However, if you shutdown sync, from my understanding, you won't be able to use gmail (please correct me if I'm wrong). There might be a few processes that can be killed but I don't think it'll do that much of a difference in terms of battery life or performance since it'll only be 1 maybe 2 services.
What cyanogen meant by his tweet was that he will change the sync toggle on the donut power widget, and replace it with a radio toggle, so you can just shutdown the cellphone radio and then you won't have to worry about wifi,bluetooth, etc not working in airplane mode. So, you'll actually won't be using the "airplane mode" option, just the "radio off" option...
I think that's a great idea for his rom, however, I don't think that would be something that will be done on android donut's branch or other long term branches, we need to try to put the ability to select what you want to turn off when you go officially into airplane mode, that way it doesn't confuse people and/or people think that android phones can't go into wifi because they don't really understand what "radio off" really does.
mmMMm.... whatever I just wrote sounded complicated... sorry if nobody understands, I'm a really bad "teacher", sometimes I don't know how to explain things clearly and correct.
crackertc said:
Well, when you go into airplane mode radio gets turned off. However, if you shutdown sync, from my understanding, you won't be able to use gmail (please correct me if I'm wrong). There might be a few processes that can be killed but I don't think it'll do that much of a difference in terms of battery life or performance since it'll only be 1 maybe 2 services.
What cyanogen meant by his tweet was that he will change the sync toggle on the donut power widget, and replace it with a radio toggle, so you can just shutdown the cellphone radio and then you won't have to worry about wifi,bluetooth, etc not working in airplane mode. So, you'll actually won't be using the "airplane mode" option, just the "radio off" option...
I think that's a great idea for his rom, however, I don't think that would be something that will be done on android donut's branch or other long term branches, we need to try to put the ability to select what you want to turn off when you go officially into airplane mode, that way it doesn't confuse people and/or people think that android phones can't go into wifi because they don't really understand what "radio off" really does.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if you disable sync it only disables push email so you wont know you have any new mail till you check manually.
RaiderX303 said:
if you disable sync it only disables push email so you wont know you have any new mail till you check manually.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Correct. However, I never said that we will disable sync. I said that what cyanogen meant was that he will REPLACE the sync toggle on the power widget on his rom, with a toggle that turns off radio only.
crackertc said:
thank you for a better explanation to everybody, especially mr jose. (better research next time to avoid being put in flames by your fellow friends here)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yup... feelling kinda burned! hehehe... anyways, learning new things every day
Isn't there a way to just turn off phone functions? Some time ago I had an HP iPaq hw6945 (great phone by the way), and you have the possibility to turn off the "Phone" (kinda locks the sim card) so you could use the phone as a regular PDA. This way you could turn on the wifi and use it the way you like. In the G1 if the sim card gets locked then the lockscreen pops up and you can't use your device at all. Can be posible to lock the sim card without locking the phone? This could help this inflight-wifi request, I think.
Edit: This is just an idea, please don't burn me again!
josevtome said:
Yup... feelling kinda burned! hehehe... anyways, learning new things every day
Isn't there a way to just turn off phone functions? Some time ago I had an HP iPaq hw6945 (great phone by the way), and you have the possibility to turn off the "Phone" (kinda locks the sim card) so you could use the phone as a regular PDA. This way you could turn on the wifi and use it the way you like. In the G1 if the sim card gets locked then the lockscreen pops up and you can't use your device at all. Can be posible to lock the sim card without locking the phone? This could help this inflight-wifi request, I think.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes there is. You need to install AnyCut, free, or BetterCut, not free. And add a new application shortcut for "Phone Info".
Then open the "phone info" icon on your home screen, and go all the way down and there will be a button that says "Turn off radio"
As you can see, its a tedious process and it's why we would like options for the Airplane Mode, something like what my app does. For now, cyanogen is trying to switch the sync toggle on the power widget, and replace it with a radio toggle so you can do exactly what you want, but easy and fast.

Associate pledge

Hey guys, first post here, please move if in the wrong spot. I was wondering if anyone has any experience with associate pledge on a work phone? I currently have an old Kyocera with associate pledge installed but I can simply turn off location or go into power saver mode to disable it. (For anyone who doesn't know it's an app that locks out your phone and notifies your employer when you go over 5mph and try to use it) Anyway they're upgrading me to a Samsung Galaxy s7, and I hear through the grapevine that the IT department 1: disabled turning location services off because everyone was getting around the pledge and 2: disabled mobile hotspot. Not that they don't pay through mobile hotspot still, The button is just greed out and you can't turn it on anymore. And I hear for the location you can turn it off but minutes later it kicks right back on. Now don't drive an text, or any of that, I really just want to use the navigation app on the phone because I've burnt out my personal phone keeping it on the charger and using gps all day, I drive a lot. They won't reimburse me, so I'd rather use their phone instead of the new personal one I'll have to get. If anyone can help let me know.. Thanks!!

Location problem

Hi,
I have a U11. In Battery saving location mode, it can't find it's location, only in High accuracy mode with GPS signals. It's hard to find GPS signal inside a concrete building.
I have an other phone, it's One M8. That phone shows its location in Battery saving location mode.
What can I do to make my U11 work like M8?
The phone is only 1 week old, not rooted, Android 8.
goofy1984 said:
Hi,
I have a U11. In Battery saving location mode, it can't find it's location, only in High accuracy mode with GPS signals. It's hard to find GPS signal inside a concrete building.
I have an other phone, it's One M8. That phone shows its location in Battery saving location mode.
What can I do to make my U11 work like M8?
The phone is only 1 week old, not rooted, Android 8.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did a factory reset, now works the location in Battery saving mode again.
Dear,
This one is nasty, batterysavings mode normally show a one time "agreement question".
If your rooted, you can kick a service by switching (letterly) it on and/or off. In order to bring back the "agreement question" again and you have to switch too batterysavings mode.
Maby a noroot app can help you to switch this service.
See screenshot of the google service name=>
Kind regards,
GloBuS
Globus said:
Dear,
This one is nasty, batterysavings mode normally show a one time "agreement question".
If your rooted, you can kick a service by switching (letterly) it on and/or off. In order to bring back the "agreement question" again and you have to switch too batterysavings mode.
Maby a noroot app can help you to switch this service.
See screenshot of the google service name=>
Kind regards,
GloBuS
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dear GloBus,
thanks for the reply. The phone is not rooted, so I made a factory reset. After that, asked me to accept the agreement question, and I agreed. Now it works again.

Airplane Mode... Does It Work?

Hi all, I have a question that certainly does border on the conspiracy side but it's something I'm very interested in solving and perhaps since this forum has to do with cellular devices someone in here will have an answer. It is highly appreciated that if you answer, you answer with proof of your claim rather than any conjecture; perhaps provide a graph or a schematic.
I'm sure most of us are aware, if not all of us, that our handheld computers that we often refer to as "smartphones" have cellular, WIFI and Bluetooth capabilities. When we board a plane, we are asked to disable/turn all of that off with Airplane Mode. I'm very curious to know if this actually disables/shuts off these comms. or if there is something actually going on in the background and we don't know because it's in the background.
Is it at all, in any way, shape or form possible that even with Airplane Mode on that the comms. are still operable?
Note; I've never been on a plane of any kind, I know the procedure from videos.
Airplane Mode disables all the transmission functions of Wi-Fi, Bluetooth,etc , but the related services still run in background thus draining the battery.
I see. Sounds strange.

Broken airplane mode

Hey guys, I have one of these Chinese Kospet smartwatches that runs Android 10 (10.7 it says). I really like this watch, except the airplane mode doesn't work as it should. I checked the watch against an EMF meter and discovered that unknown radio(s) were still active in Airplane mode. Is there any way to discover the culprit radios, and force Airplane to disable these radios with ADB??
It puts off pretty hard too.. almost every 1/2 second it seems like dam, wouldn't be surprised if they were trying to blast everyone's junk with it :/
kingbooba said:
Hey guys, I have one of these Chinese Kospet smartwatches that runs Android 10 (10.7 it says). I really like this watch, except the airplane mode doesn't work as it should. I checked the watch against an EMF meter and discovered that unknown radio(s) were still active in Airplane mode. Is there any way to discover the culprit radios, and force Airplane to disable these radios with ADB??
It puts off pretty hard too.. almost every 1/2 second it seems like dam, wouldn't be surprised if they were trying to blast everyone's junk with it :/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are underlying parts of the radio that are always active, for example, emergency location services to find the device/you in emergency situations, there are other reasons as well. You will not be able to disable these parts of the radio, even if you did find a way to disable them, you would probably render the device unusable.
I was actually able to turn off the Emergency Location Service from Settings, but something is still active in the watch.

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