The Nintendo Switch has an Airplane Mode that can be very useful even if you’re not on a plane. Explanation.
Airplane mode is built into almost all of our modern electronic devices and can be activated as soon as you board. Most of the time it has very limited use the rest of the time – unless you really want to be called. After all, why would anyone voluntarily disconnect from the internet? Well, there are several reasons, especially for the Nintendo Switch, namely battery life and charging speed.
The Switch is a device that relies heavily on the Internet. You must be connected to a Wi-Fi network to download updates, play online, and connect with friends. That being said, you probably don’t do it all the time. Unless you are playing online.
Connecting to the Internet drains the battery, and not just when using the console. Understandably, accessing an online store, installing updates, or connecting to an online game with a friend consumes battery power, but there are many other even more demanding connected activities that happen when the device is turned on.
Your Switch, for example, constantly checks Wi-Fi, checks regularly for updates, gets your friends’ online status and the games they play, sends you push notifications to encourage you to buy content. And it continues to do all of this even in sleep mode, which means that if you don’t leave it in the dock, it will have less battery when you wake it up. Enabling airplane mode when you know you don’t need internet will prevent all of these activities.
There are other benefits, besides saving battery life, for activating Airplane Mode. Many games, even those that don’t require an Internet connection to play, check the Internet connection before launching. This can slow down downloads, especially if you don’t have Wi-Fi in range but Wi-Fi is on.
Airplane mode overrides this check, which can reduce game startup time. On Reddit, a user noticed that the “Play with Joy-Con Detached”screen in Super Mario Odyssey appears much faster when Airplane Mode is enabled. This might force you to turn it on, even if battery life isn’t an issue when your Switch is docked or charging.
However, there is one drawback: if you are a Nintendo Switch Online subscriber, you will have to do without online saves if you turn on Airplane Mode. It’s a pity if you pay a subscription for this.
In addition, Airplane mode disables Bluetooth communication, which prevents you from playing with Joy-Con controllers disconnected. If you want to play this way, you need to manually enable Bluetooth in System Settings > Airplane Mode > Controller Connection (Bluetooth).
How to Enable Airplane Mode on Nintendo Switch
To activate or deactivate Airplane Mode on the Switch, press and hold the Home button to access quick settings. From there, select “Airplane Mode”and press A to turn it on or off. You can also find this control in the system settings.