How can I text on a plane without Wi-Fi?

On the bright side, many airlines now enable texting on certain apps, even without a paid Wi-Fi connection. If your airline allows free texting through a text messaging app like WeChat or WhatsApp, make sure you've downloaded that app to your phone before taking off.



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Can I text on an airplane? Yes, but only using a Wi-Fi connection. The ban on using a cellular connection means passengers can't send SMS texts. Any communication has to be over Wi-Fi with a messaging app that provides similar functionality like iMessage, WhatsApp, or Viber.

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If you use WhatsApp, you can save money on texting. After all, some phone plans charge higher rates for international texts. With WhatsApp, you send messages within the app, saving you money with every single text you don't send via international SMS. You might be thinking that there must be a catch.

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Do pilots know if your phone isn't on airplane mode? Well, sort of. “The flight attendants or the pilots are not going to get an indicator that says 13A has their cell phone on,” Laurie says. “But if there's enough people that they still have it on, and they're encountering that interference, then, yes.”

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When your phone is in Airplane mode, callers will hear the phone ringing, although it's not ringing on your end because your phone is not active. If the caller hangs up without leaving a voice mail, no notification will be generated as it would if your phone were in an active state.

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Among the airlines that let you text for free, the list includes JetBlue Airways, Southwest Airlines, Delta Air Lines and Alaska Airlines. These carriers allow texting either through free inflight Wi-Fi or with the use of text messaging services.

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