Why Can’t I Turn Airplane Mode Off?
Depending on your Windows device, Airplane mode can be controlled through software or a physical switch. If there’s a problem with either, the feature might remain on when you want it off. Diagnosing why Airplane mode is stuck in the ‘on’ position can be difficult, but the steps below will walk through various ways to turn off Airplane mode and identify issues which could be causing it to get stuck.
Do You Really Need to Turn Off Airplane Mode?
Something to keep in mind before following these steps is it’s possible for Bluetooth or Wi-Fi to be off, and therefore not working, and for Airplane mode to be off. In other words, if you can’t reach the internet, or a Bluetooth device isn’t working, it might have nothing to do with Airplane mode. One way you can confirm Airplane mode is on is if you see the plane icon by the clock. If you don’t see that, and none of the Airplane mode toggles appear to be on (e.g., in Settings), but you still can’t get online, it’s better to address this as a Windows 11 Wi-Fi issue. There could be a physical switch on your laptop for Wi-Fi which prevents Wi-Fi from working even if Airplane mode is off. It’s also important to know how Airplane mode works. You don’t need to shut it off to use the wireless radios. When Airplane mode is turned on, things like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth devices are instantly disconnected. However, you can manually enable them without turning off Airplane mode. For instance, if Airplane mode is currently on, enabling and using Bluetooth won’t shut it off, and the plane logo will remain on the taskbar. The same is true for Wi-Fi. You can think of Airplane mode as a shut-off-everything-right-now kind of button, not a permanent kill switch.
How to Get Airplane Mode Off If It’s Stuck
If you’ve already tried to simply turn off Airplane mode, but it doesn’t actually shut off, there are a number of things you can try. One way to restart Windows 11 is to choose Restart from the power menu on the bottom-right side of the Start menu. To do this, open Device Manager, expand the Human Interface Devices category, and then disable the device by right-clicking it and choosing Disable device. Once it’s fully disabled, right-click it once more and choose Enable device. This is also done through Device Manager. Expand the Network adapters category and then right-click the Wi-Fi adapter to find the Uninstall device option. Get there through Settings: System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters. Select Run next to Network Adapter. This option is in Settings: System > Recovery > Reset PC.
