As major airlines and the Federal Aviation Administration relax their rules on using electronic devices during takeoff and landing , one important question lingers : . What will become of Airplane mode ? The common smartphone feature , which disables cellular , wireless , Bluetooth , and GPS connections so you can use your mobile device while in the air , may be outgrowing its name . Airlines quick to ease electronics rules . The Internet is having fun coming up with new names for Airplane mode that reflect broader uses for the feature . Alexis Madrigal at The Atlantic offers Zen mode . Other suggestions include Freedom mode , Focus mode , Brick mode or Hermit mode . Airplane mode is more than just a necessity at 30,000 feet -- it 's become a tool for severing ourselves from the demands of constant connectiveness . And with some enhancements , Airplane mode could help us all put some much needed boundaries between our online and offline lives , our work and personal time . Despite the FAA rule changes , Airplane mode is n't actually going anywhere . It still serves its original purpose , because making calls will continue to be forbidden ( and probably impossible ) while in flight . The new rules just mean you can play games or use an e-reader during takeoff instead of having to flip through the in-flight magazine , chat with the person next to you or be alone with your thoughts . Can your cell phone bring down a plane ? Outside of flying , people have found many creative uses for Airplane mode . They use it to quickly disconnect before movies , meetings , dinners and other events where silent mode is n't enough . When traveling internationally , keeping a phone on Airplane mode and turning on Wi-Fi can prevent cellular bills bloated with roaming charges . People who use their tablets for work can employ Airplane Mode to avoid distractions like surfing the web or checking Twitter . Toggling Airplane mode on and off can even act as a quick fix for connection problems . The setting is also used by people who want to rein in their own smartphone use , say to tune out the outside world without actually parting with their precious handheld computers . With smartphones , people check and send work e-mails at all hours . According to Expedia 's annual `` Vacation Deprivation '' survey , 67 % of American adults stay connected while on vacation and 76 % check their e-mail and voice mail . A recent Microsoft ad campaign for Office 365 uses the need to work remotely and around the clock as a selling point . `` Office workers want technology to help them get things done anywhere , sunrise to sunset , '' reads the tagline . Illustrations show people working on mobile devices while on a date , during a kid 's soccer game , and during a stroll through a national park . There 's been lots of talk around `` unplugging '' for parts of every day or week , but this all-or-nothing approach does n't sit well with a generation of smartphone users who are dependent on their devices . Willpower clearly is n't working . Airplane mode offers a partial solution , but it 's still too simple . So how about this : What if phones offered parental control-like settings that could be scheduled and set for individual apps and features ? Access to work e-mail could be cut off at 7 p.m. Social networking apps , games and other time-sucks could be banned on weekends . Someone on vacation could limit access so only the phone 's camera , maps , restaurant reviews , translation apps and travel e-books were available . In its new iOS 7 , Apple added a Do Not Disturb feature that gives some control but mostly applies to phone calls . It can automatically silence incoming calls and alerts , either during prescheduled times or on demand . A reverse do-not-disturb feature that only allows phone calls and texts ( let 's call it a Dumb Phone mode ) could be a refreshing break . Many people want to disconnect -- they just need a little help . So future smartphones might include even more options for reclaiming personal time and restoring some of the work/life balance . 10 ways to improve the travel industry .
Airplane mode is n't just for cutting off cellular and Internet connections on airplanes . The feature is used by people who want to disconnect without leaving their devices behind . With some improvements , the mode could help restore some work/life balance .