But others are a bit more ambiguous and could mean a number of different things. You might be asking what does the paper airplane mean on iPhone if you see an airplane-shaped icon at the top of your screen and don’t know what it means or how it got there.
What is the Airplane Icon at the Top of My iPhone Screen? Here’s How to Remove It
Our guide continues below with additional answers to the question of what does the paper airplane mean on iPhone, including pictures of these steps. If you have been wondering about the flashing notification on the iPhone, then click here to find out how to turn it on or off. The status bar at the top of your iPhone screen can display a number of different symbols to let you know when your iPhone is in a particular mode, connected to a certain type of network, or is using a feature on the device. For example, a little arrow can appear at the top of the screen (which can look like a paper airplane to some users) when your iPhone is using Location Services. But there is also an icon that looks like an airplane which can appear at the top-left corner of the screen. This icon means that your iPhone is in Airplane Mode, and your Wi-Fi, cellular and Bluetooth connections have all been turned off. If it’s not the icon for airplane mode, but rather one that also looks kind of like an arrow and a paper airplane, then that is the Location Services icon. That icon means that an app or service on your phone is using your location. So if you see this symbol and do not want to be in Airplane Mode, then our guide below will show you how to turn it off. Another related question you may have is why is there a moon on my iPhone? That’s an indicator of Do Not Disturb, or muted text message conversations in older versions of iOS.
How to Turn Off Airplane Mode on an iPhone in iOS 9 (Guide with Pictures)
Once you have followed the steps below to turn off Airplane Mode and return to normal device usage, you will be able to make and receive phone calls, text messages and FaceTime calls, as well as access the Internet. These steps were performed on an iPhone 6 Plus, in iOS 9, but will also work for most other iPhone models in most versions of iOS.
Step 1: Tap the Settings icon to open the iPhone Settings menu.
Step 2: Tap the button to the right of Airplane Mode.
Airplane Mode is turned off in the picture below. I like to use this option when I have my iPhone near me and want a few minutes or peace and quiet without being interrupted by my phone. Now that you have the answer to the question of what does the paper airplane mean on iPhone you will be able to turn Airplane Mode off in the future, as well as enable it when you have a need for it. Our guide on why is the clock blue on my iPhone can provide you with an answer to the question of why you occasionally see blue shading around the time.
How to Check Location Services on iPhone
If you don’t have Airplane Mode turned on and are still seeing the symbol, then it’s most likely the icon for Location Services. You can open the Location Services menu by going to Settings > Privacy > Location Services. If there is an arrow/paper airplane icon next to an app, that means it has used your location recently. You can change the Location Services setting for an app by tapping on it and then choosing one of the options on the menu. If you would like to turn off Location Services on your iPhone completely, then you can do so by turning off the Location Services option at the top of the screen. Is there a half moon icon and you don’t know why? Our article on the moon in corner of iPhone can help you remove that icon.
More Information on the Pictures of Paper Airplanes on iPhones
Now that you know the iPhone icons meaning for that airplane symbol you can start using it for a number of different purposes. For example, when I have my iPhone 13 near me and I don’t want to be disturbed, I will sometimes put it in airplane mode. Since that disables all of the network connections I won’t need to worry about phone calls or notifications until I am ready to use it again. Another way that you can manage the AirPlane Mode status on your iPhone is from the Control Center. Related Topic: You can visit the turn off AirPod notification guide if you need to adjust your AirPod settings. On iPhone models with a Home button, you can swipe up from the bottom of the screen to open the Control Center, then tap the paper airplane icon to turn it on or off. On iPhone models that don’t have a Home button, you can swipe down from the top-right corner of the screen to open the Control Center, then tap the paper airplane button to enable or disable that mode. Another setting that can simultaneously adjust many of your iPhone’s settings is Low Power Mode. You will know that Low Power Mode is turned on when your iPhone battery icon is yellow. Some of the other iPhone symbol meanings you may be wondering about are:
Clock icon – there is an active alarm on your phone. Our clock icon on iPhone article can provide additional information about this one. Arrow icon – an app or service on your phone is using your location Phone icon – the TTY feature is currently enabled
If you are curious about the phone icon, then visit our what is the little phone icon on my iPhone tutorial for additional information.
After receiving his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science he spent several years working in IT management for small businesses. However, he now works full time writing content online and creating websites. His main writing topics include iPhones, Microsoft Office, Google Apps, Android, and Photoshop, but he has also written about many other tech topics as well. Read his full bio here.
