Apple airplane mode….please explain

[IzzyGee]

I have a friend in hospital. It’s hard to keep in touch as the mobile signal is shit and the broadband flimsy.

For reasons that I don’t understand she has her phone on airplane mode. Is this a requirement in hospital?

Nope.

there used to be worried about interference with medical kit but every clinician these days uses their mobile freely!

First google hit.

Use your mobile device around sensitive equipment where there is a particularly high risk of interference. Signs will make it clear that you shouldn’t use your phone in that area. Switch it off or enable ‘airplane mode’. Do not just leave the device on the silent or vibrate setting as it could still affect medical equipment.

transform.england.nhs.uk/covid-19-response/data-and-covid-19/use-mobile-devices-patients-hospitals-eg-phones-tablets-and-cameras/#:~:text=Use%20your%20mobile%20device%20around,or%20enable%20'airplane%20mode'.

"For reasons that I don't understand..."
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What reasons did she give you? Maybe we can help you understand them?

For what it's worth - I generally turn my phone into airplane mode for the following reasons :

• the mobile signal is rubbish and the phone uses more battery trying to find a signal constantly
• my battery is low and I don't want all the background processes which use mobile signal, Bluetooth, data, etc , to be running
• I'm quite busy or quite stressed or whatever, and I don't want to keep getting pinged from various groups or app notifications etc. So I turn off until I have half an hour to dedicate to giving my phone my undivided attention

Gorilla…….she said it had been done by ‘a young person’ when she asked for help with keeping in touch. This must have been staff as she hasn’t had young person visitors. She isn’t on any monitors or syringe drivers, she’s in her own room. Thank you everyone for your input.