How to turn on the flight mode on Xiaomi: step-by-step instructions

Modern Xiaomi and Redmi smartphones have become an integral part of our lives, but sometimes there is an urgent need to completely turn off all wireless modules. This may be necessary during a flight on an airplane when security rules require silence on the air, or in situations where you want to charge the gadget as quickly as possible without spending energy on finding the network. Air mode is a regular feature of the Android operating system, which instantly blocks GSM, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS, turning the phone into a regular multimedia player.

Users often wonder how to properly activate this mode on the MIUI or HyperOS shell to avoid missing important calls after the trip is over or getting confused. Unlike simply turning off the screen, the flight mode stops communicating with base stations, which also helps protect the battery from rapid discharge in areas with poor coverage, where the phone is constantly "spooking" in search of a signal.

In this article, we will take a look at all the ways you can activate a feature, from standard buttons to hidden engineering menus, how to set up an automatic shutdown schedule to save power at night, and what to do if your phone freezes without the ability to exit flight mode. Understanding these processes will allow you to more effectively manage your device’s communications.

Quick activation through the notification curtain

The most obvious and quick way to disable all communication modules is to use the control panel. On Xiaomi smartphones, this interface element has undergone changes in different versions of the firmware, but the logic has remained the same. To get to the right switch, you need to unlock the screen and swipe from the top edge of the display down.

Usually the top of the notification curtain opens. To see the full set of buttons, you need to swipe again or click on the expansion icon (often looks like a down arrow or a set of dots). Among the many icons you will find the aircraft symbol.

⚠️ Note: If you are in an area where only the net catches 2G/3G, Turning on the air mode and its subsequent shutdown can forcefully restart the network search, which sometimes helps to “catch” a more stable network. 4G/LTE signal.

Clicking on the icon changes its color (usually blue or orange), which signals the activation of the mode, at which point the corresponding icon of the aircraft appears in the status bar next to the battery indicator, and the cellular signal level icons, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth disappear, which means that the radio modules are completely disabled by software.

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If the airplane icon is not in the top row of buttons, try swiping the control panel left or right – on some versions of MIUI, additional buttons are hidden on the side pages.

Some users prefer to customize this panel so that the desired buttons are always at hand, just clicking on the edit button (usually a pencil or gear in the corner of the curtain) and dragging the Flight Mode icon to the active zone, which will save time in the future when you need to urgently isolate the device from the network.

Use of the system settings menu

If the touch screen is damaged, doesn't respond to touches at the top, or you just prefer deep navigation on the menu, you can activate the function through system settings. This method is more reliable, since it does not depend on the state of the notification curtain interface, which can sometimes glitch when the cache is overflowing.

To start, open the Settings app (cog icon) depending on the version of your MIUI or HyperOS shell, the network control center may be located in different locations, and in newer versions it is often placed at the top of the list or in the Connections and Sharing section.

You need to find a section that can be called «SIM-Maps and mobile networks, or simply Mobile Network, and there's always a Mode of Flight switch inside of this menu, and activating it will have the same effect as using a curtain: all wireless connections will be broken.

Using the settings menu is especially useful when the system interface is unstable. Unlike desktop widgets or curtains, the Settings system menu has a higher processing priority and almost always responds to commands, even if the phone animations are running late.

Voice control and smart assistants

Xiaomi smartphone owners have access to powerful voice controls that allow you to control the phone’s functions without touching the screen.This is especially convenient when hands are busy or the screen is dirty. The main tool for this is the voice assistant Google Assistant or built-in Xiao AI (depending on the region).

To use this method, you just need to say an activating phrase, such as "Ok Google" or "Hi, Xiao," and then clearly command, "Enable flight mode," and the system recognizes the command and instantly executes the action.

Voice control is based on speech recognition, so it's important to say commands clearly. If the phone is in your pocket or bag, it may not work because of poor hearing, but in situations where the phone is on the table in front of you, it's the fastest option.

It's worth noting that the microphone must be active to work with the voice assistant, and if you're in a very noisy place, the system may not recognize the command the first time, and in such cases, it's better to use physical buttons or touch interfaces.

Setting up an automatic switching schedule

One of the most useful but little-known features in Xiaomi smartphones is the ability to automatically turn on and off flight mode on schedule, an ideal tool for those who want to be guaranteed not to wake up in the night from a notification, but are afraid to forget to turn on Do Not Disturb mode or manually fly mode.

To set up this feature, go to Settings → Battery and Performance → Battery. In this section, find “Schedule on/off” or “Schedule tasks.” Here you can create a new scenario.

As an action, select “Enable Flight Mode”, specify the start time (for example, 23:00) and the end time (for example, 07:00).

This automation not only allows you to sleep well without excess radiation and sounds, but also significantly save battery power at night. The phone will not waste resources on maintaining communication with the base station when you are not using it.

However, if the phone has been completely turned off (rather than just gone into flight mode), the alarm may not work on some older models, so flight mode is safer than a full shutdown.

Effect on battery charge and charging speed

Many users use air mode solely as a tool to speed up charging, and the logic is simple: if you turn off all power-intensive modules (GSM, Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth), the energy consumption of the screen and processor becomes minimal, and all the power of the charger goes directly to the battery.

In normal environments, a smartphone is constantly exchanging data packets with the network, even if you are not using it (mail check, messengers, cloud synchronization). In areas of uncertain reception, the phone increases the transmitter power, which causes heat and quick discharge. Turning on the air mode completely eliminates this factor.

Practical tests show that charging in flight mode can be 10-15% faster than normal charging when the screen is off, and up to 30-40% faster if the phone is actively used on the network, especially on older models with worn-out batteries.

⚠️ Warning: Do not leave your phone charging in flight mode under a pillow or blanket. Although the load on the network is reduced, the chemical reaction process in the battery is still underway, and the device needs heat sink.

It's also useful when you need to charge your phone a short time before you go out, and if you turn on the air mode and connect the charging, you get the most efficiency of the process, and it also saves you when you only have a weak power bank at hand, and you need to save at least 10-15% of the energy for an emergency call.

Problem Solving: What to Do If You Don't Get Out of Regime

Sometimes users are faced with an unpleasant situation: the airplane icon is on fire, but you can not turn it off - the button does not press, or the phone "hangs" in this state. This is a software failure of the communication module, which often occurs after a firmware update or a malfunction of the radio module.

First, try a simple reboot. Press the power button for 10-15 seconds. If the phone responds to buttons but the interface doesn't work, Forced Reboot (Power + Volume Up).

If the problem persists, network settings may have gone wrong. Try resetting your network settings (this won't delete your photos or contacts, but will forget your Wi-Fi passwords). Way: Settings → Connection and Sharing → Reset Wi-Fi, mobile networks, and Bluetooth.

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If the phone is stuck in aeromode and does not respond to the screen, forced reboot of the power button is the only safe way to bring the device back to life.

In rare cases, when software methods do not work, you may need to flash the radio module or reset to factory settings. However, before radical measures, it is worth checking whether you have an antivirus application or an optimizer that may have blocked communication functions.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)