Database Users

Turn off just the cell radio?

Can this be done? I tried switching on airplane mode, and then enabling Wifi/BT individually -- won't let me.
So, how do I turn off the cell radio, but turn on Wifi to take advantage in-flight wifi?
Also, when using local media, I'd like to sometimes turn off the cell radio to save power but listen with my BT headset.
I'm probably a total dufus and this is obvious, but I can't find it. This was easy to control on my WM Omnia II. I still like my Epic a bajillion times better, but this is a bit annoying.

Airplane mode cuts off all communications. Hence, "airplane mode"

There's some apps that'll let you do that, as well as Froyo when we get it officially, or if you want to run a leaked version.
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Tasker will allow you to switch off the radio only. You would have to just set up a widget for that particular task.

In the leaked froyo, I had airplane mode on to test it and I put the wifi on byaccident and it was working with no cell signal, but I figured it was just a bug with it considering its beta and when ever I did tht before, airplane mode will cut off. I'm glad to know its a part of froyo now...that's going to come in handy
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MrSickle said:
Tasker will allow you to switch off the radio only. You would have to just set up a widget for that particular task.
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Genius! Thanx!

Forcystos said:
There's some apps that'll let you do that, as well as Froyo when we get it officially, or if you want to run a leaked version.
Sent from my SPH-D700 using Tapatalk
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I'm running Android 2.2 and it isn't working for me -- once airplane mode is enabled, Wifi and BT will not turn on.
I would hope that in a future version of Android they will simply add the cell radio to the icons so it can be turned off like the others.

Can't you go to your settings, under wireless and networks, and disable 3g data?
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Muckrak3r said:
Airplane mode cuts off all communications. Hence, "airplane mode"
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Since they offer wifi on airplanes this is wrong
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rangerover_95 said:
Can't you go to your settings, under wireless and networks, and disable 3g data?
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You can however it will still be looking for a cell signal to use for voice.

Exactly. I don't get reception in the building I work in, so I don't want it to drain the battery trying to find signal.

I'm running stock EC05 and I can turn wifi on in airplane mode (I can't speak for bluetooth though). GPS, however, does not work once you turn airplane mode on.
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That's odd. I am running SFR 1.1.1 and if I turn on airplane mode and then push the Wifi icon, the text changes to "on" but the blue light never turns on -- it's as if it's trying to turn on but can't.
GPS works just fine -- it never switches off in the first place when I turn on airplane mode.

Nerva said:
GPS works just fine -- it never switches off in the first place when I turn on airplane mode.
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That's because GPS is rx only. It doesn't need to tx to acquire a GPS lock.
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Anyone know if Android 2.3 supports turning off just the cell radio?

Nerva said:
Anyone know if Android 2.3 supports turning off just the cell radio?
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I've been trying to figure this out as well as I'm going out of the country and will be carrying my phone.
Only way I found to do it is:
1. In the dialer press###
2. Click view, and write down your MSID# and msn#, than go into edit
3. You will see your phone number and a box on the bottom that says touch here. Touch there.
4. Keypad should appear. Just press enter.
5. Another screen showing your MSID number should come up almost instantly. Press enter again.
6. Back out of this menu and your radio will be off (may turn off sooner, once it's off it's off)
Done
*MUST USE AREA CODE WHEN INPUTTING PHONE NUMBER*
now for the important part.
Turn your radio back on.
1.same as previous steps except instead of just pressing enter when the key pad comes up, input your phone number than press enter.
2. Input your msid number on the second screen and press enter
3. Click done on the main menu. Phone will reset.
Process honestly takes 30 second once you have your msl.
Edit: only issue I have is after the reboot when u turn your radio back on, the phone asks for your gmail password again.

[Q] 4G Keeps turning on after reboot?

guys, when i boot up my phone 4g turns on then i turn it off then reboot phone and it turns back on..... its scanning while its off.. and i dont have the 4g toggle widget on.

davidc23 said:
guys, when i boot up my phone 4g turns on then i turn it off then reboot phone and it turns back on..... its scanning while its off.. and i dont have the 4g toggle widget on.
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You don't need the 4g toggle widget on. Even if it is off it will auto turn back on after a reboot.

I know, and it kills the battery how do I fix it? It keeps scanning
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davidc23 said:
I know, and it kills the battery how do I fix it? It keeps scanning
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You take the 4g toggle widget out. It is a known bug with no fix.

how do i take it out?

never had this happen to be my 4g has never just witched on unless i do it

how do i remove it from myns rom? the toggle, is there a zip to remove it?

davidc23 said:
how do i remove it from myns rom? the toggle, is there a zip to remove it?
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http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=895882
See first post.

Use the Wireless settings menu to enable and disable 4G. That will keep it from restarting after reboots.

How often do you reboot anyway? I'd certainly like to see a fix, but I don't have any problem just remembering to turn it off after a reboot if I don't want it on. It's a small price to pay to have more convenient access to 4G toggling (right in the notification screen, as well as in Quick Settings).

bkrodgers said:
How often do you reboot anyway? I'd certainly like to see a fix, but I don't have any problem just remembering to turn it off after a reboot if I don't want it on. It's a small price to pay to have more convenient access to 4G toggling (right in the notification screen, as well as in Quick Settings).
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The issue isn't just remembering to turn it off, there's another issue here. The evo doesn't turn off 4g correctly. Test it yourself. Turn off 4g, then wait a while, and check an alogcat log. You'll see that it still tries to connect and scan for 4g every few minutes, only to end up erroring out (because 4g was turned "off"). This is a potential battery drainer also.
Sent from my blah blah blah blah

GPS in airplane mode

Last time I flew, I tried to get a GPS lock while cruising (in airplane mode obviously), but was unable to get a lock. I assumed it was some kind of bug with EB13, since there where so many complaints of GPS issues with EB13, even though I've never had any issues. I have gotten good gps locks before with an old garmin I flew with long ago.
This morning, before taking off, I tried an experiment: get lock while not in airplane mode, then see if I could get lock in airplane mode. What I found was GPS would continue to function after turning airplane mode on until the phone goes to sleep. After it goes to sleep, or if you turn it on after entring airplane mode, gps does not work.
Is there any way to keep gps functional while the phone is in airplane mode? Maybe I'm weird, but I sometimes like to be able to see where we are when I'm flying. Only 'gotcha' is google maps needs data to function.... are there any map programs for android phones that can store maps on the sd card?
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Airplane mode by it's nature means any and all radios are turned off, 3g, 4g, wifi, gps, everything. It'd kind of take away the point if you kept gps on

Not exactly. GPS is a passive radio, meaning it can receive, but not transmit. Airplane mode is meant to turn off the active radios (radios that receive and transmit) so as to not 'interfere with aircraft instrumentation' (which is a load of bull sugar, but that's not the point of the thread). In fact, I'm pretty sure, from long ago, that "GPS devices that do not transmit" where in the approved devices list.
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Gps is one thing that is strictly prohibited for use on a commercial airline. Airplanemode is supposed to disable all transmit and receive function on your phone. Also the only good it would be is if you have maps stored in your phone because you won't have data either. What are you using it for?
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DexterDawg said:
Gps is one thing that is strictly prohibited for use on a commercial airline.
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Oh really? I have a pic for you when I get where im going.
DexterDawg said:
Airplanemode is supposed to disable all transmit and receive function on your phone. Also the only good it would be is if you have maps stored in your phone because you won't have data either. What are you using it for?
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For the 'what are you using it for, please re-read my OP.
Since southwest has wif on their planes, we should add an "airplane with wifi mode"
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The GPS wants to find some sort of cellular signal to it can estimate its location before giving you an exact satellite location. This is the same for any phone. GPS will detect satellites but will not lock if airplane mode is on. I've tried this on an LG Ally, HTC Droid Eris, and even the Samsung Epic.

SubnetMask said:
Not exactly. GPS is a passive radio, meaning it can receive, but not transmit. Airplane mode is meant to turn off the active radios (radios that receive and transmit) so as to not 'interfere with aircraft instrumentation' (which is a load of bull sugar, but that's not the point of the thread). In fact, I'm pretty sure, from long ago, that "GPS devices that do not transmit" where in the approved devices list.
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I can't say I knew there was a distinction, thanks OP

There's a navigation app called CoPilot that stores on SD. I don't know if it'd give you views of the ocean though. It might be land only.

DexterDawg said:
Gps is one thing that is strictly prohibited for use on a commercial airline.
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Pretty sure that the 4th one over in the top line of "Permitted Above 10,000 feet" says "GPS recievers"
When you get done wiping that egg off your face......
As for an Airplane with WiFi mode, I found that's not needed. Turns out while in airplane mode, WiFi will turn on and work.
So how about it? Think there's a way to modify airplane mode so it'll leave GPS on? If I had half a clue about programming and such, I'd try, but that kind of work is way over my head.

Does any GPS work when encased in an aluminum can....I mean airplane? i wonder if your original lock was from AGPS (tower assisted), once you lost tower data and the phone was in the can....er plane, it couldn't receive satellite data.

Yes, it does if youre by the window. I got a lock with my epic sitting at the gate, and a while back I got a lock with a garmin streetpilot iii.
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Maybe I'm over simplifying this...but I just turned on airplane mode, then enabled gps & wifi from the pull down.
Opened maps, got a lock, working as usual.
Airplane mode afaik just keeps all cell signal off.
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....as one earlier post alluded to, needing airplane mode on in an airplane is a load of bull-hockey (bull sugar,lol)...the real reason they ask this is so that you're not distracted should something go wrong, like a wing being on fire, and you can then alert some one in charge. Straight from the flight attendants manual.
So long story short, there's your solution OP. Just leave the radios on, and keep it on silent so no one hassles you.
Another problem solved by repairman-man-man-man....
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Just enable gps after putting it in airplane mode...
I run my phone on airplae mode and wifi all the time
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poit said:
Does any GPS work when encased in an aluminum can....I mean airplane? i wonder if your original lock was from AGPS (tower assisted), once you lost tower data and the phone was in the can....er plane, it couldn't receive satellite data.
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I got a lock with my watch next to a window.
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Not sure what the deal is, but I'm pretty sure airplane mode affects GPS in some fashon. Sitting in the airport this am, when in normal mode, it would get a lock, and when I turned on airplane mode, it would work until it went to sleep or I locked it. Then when it woke up, it wouldn't pick up a single satelite, weather I had GPS on when I put it into airplane mode or if I turned it on after the fact.
Sitting in my mother's living room, it worked either way, then my phone got stupid, requiring me to pull the battery to get it to respond, then it started acting like it did this am. Wierd.

Perhaps getting a lock at the gate is a lot easier for the phone than getting a lock at 600MPH?

poit said:
Perhaps getting a lock at the gate is a lot easier for the phone than getting a lock at 600MPH?
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I'm not a scientist or nothing, but a satellite will probably have to adjust all of 5 inches to search a 600 mile area lol
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I've tried GPS on an aircraft several times and could never get it to work. This is in full mode w/ airplane mode left off.
Celluars DO NOT interfere with aircraft, at all, and its a dumb ass law, supported by those who are more concerned with ripping you off by overpriced services. Civil GPS mode does however have a speed limitation which is what may be happening....not sure what aircraft you tried it in, or what speed.
I have had it work correctly in a cessna before though.

A_Flying_Fox said:
I'm not a scientist or nothing, but a satellite will probably have to adjust all of 5 inches to search a 600 mile area lol
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Sigh......
The satellite doesn't care what you do or where you are, it is totally unaware of your GPS device. However, high speeds can make receiving any HF digital transmissions more difficult due to the rapidly varying multipath and phase errors. If the receiver in your GPS device isn't designed for use at high speeds you may not be able to get a lock. lol

[Q] 4G automatically turn on when I turn off airplane mode

Normally I leave 4G off to save battery, unless I need it. I accidentally turned on airplane mode today, when I turned it off, it automatically started the mobile data service and the 4G service. I am sure 4G service was already off when I first turned on airplane mode.
Does that happen to anyone else? Is there an option somewhere to turn on only mobile data when I turn off airplane mode?

Yep it starts 4G when airplane mode is turned back off, kinda annoying

DWake014 said:
Yep it starts 4G when airplane mode is turned back off, kinda annoying
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What Rom are you running I just tried to duplicate on mikshift v 1.1 and couldn't maybe ROM specific
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ryocho said:
Normally I leave 4G off to save battery, unless I need it. I accidentally turned on airplane mode today, when I turned it off, it automatically started the mobile data service and the 4G service. I am sure 4G service was already off when I first turned on airplane mode.
Does that happen to anyone else? Is there an option somewhere to turn on only mobile data when I turn off airplane mode?
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Are you using Beautiful Widgets toggle widgets by chance? The 4g toggle widget is known to have an issue where if you use it to turn your 4g on and off, 4g will automatically turn on after a reboot even if you turned it off prior to the reboot. Maybe your experiencing something similar?

I am using stock rom with the airplane mode toggle that came with the phone

strapped365 said:
What Rom are you running I just tried to duplicate on mikshift v 1.1 and couldn't maybe ROM specific
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Nfx stock 2.0
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Wifi turns on by itself?

It seems that every time I plug my s4 in, it will turn on Wifi. Then when I turn Wifi off the phone tells me "unfortunately smcc service had stopped working". Is anyone else having this issue?
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I'm having a similar issue where it turns itself back on when it's turned off. This is happening even when it is not plugged in though I'm not seeing any errors when turning it off.

It is the Smart Mode located in Settings under Wifi.
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That may be it. I just turned it off. We'll see what happens. Thanks!!!!!!!
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crawrj said:
It is the Smart Mode located in Settings under Wifi.
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Ahhh! My brain fart has been sprayed with Lysol..! Thanks Crawrj!

If that doesn't work check for a setting called "Connection Optimizer." I haven't gotten my S4 yet but on other Sprint phones it is Settings > Mobile Data > Automatic Connections > Uncheck "Connection Optimizer"
It's supposed to intelligently determine when to turn wifi and 4g on and off. Connecting to wifi will save battery over mobile data so it is best to connect to it, that's probably why they have connection optimizer on phones.

crawrj said:
It is the Smart Mode located in Settings under Wifi.
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THANK YOU! After reading the description this does appear to be the culprit. And the longer you stay in one place(work) the more aggressive it seems to get.

ItsTommyGun said:
If that doesn't work check for a setting called "Connection Optimizer." I haven't gotten my S4 yet but on other Sprint phones it is Settings > Mobile Data > Automatic Connections > Uncheck "Connection Optimizer"
It's supposed to intelligently determine when to turn wifi and 4g on and off. Connecting to wifi will save battery over mobile data so it is best to connect to it, that's probably why they have connection optimizer on phones.
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It's not in 4.2 on our S4.
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Ya it took me a min to figure it out. It's designed to read your location and connect to wifi in areas your always connected to wifi. But if you wish to shut it go to too:
Settings > Wi-Fi > Smart Mode > turn off.
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Thanks for this. I thought I was going crazy for a minute with wifi turning itself on.

Gam3r 4 Life said:
Thanks for this. I thought I was going crazy for a minute with wifi turning itself on.
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Me too. Thanks so much for this. It was driving me mad. Up next: preventing it from disconnecting because it feels the wifi is too slow. UGH. Walking around my building there are good spots and bad spots. If I sit in a bad spot too long I am disconnected with no hope for auto reconnecting. Maddening.

intron1 said:
Me too. Thanks so much for this. It was driving me mad. Up next: preventing it from disconnecting because it feels the wifi is too slow. UGH. Walking around my building there are good spots and bad spots. If I sit in a bad spot too long I am disconnected with no hope for auto reconnecting. Maddening.
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I have similar situation but its with dropping 4g to 3g, so I know your frustration.

DUH
crawrj said:
It is the Smart Mode located in Settings under Wifi.
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Great info thanks.

Juice Defender vs. Smart Mode
I use the WiFi location-based trigger in Juice Defender instead of Smart Mode.
As I understand it, while Smart Mode tries to turn on WiFi for ALL of your common locations, JD can do this on a location by location basis. So, I don't like to be connected to WiFi at work, but I *do* at home. JD allows for this.
Sound right?
Thanks,
Eph

I have Smart Mode off - but Wifi still seems to come on at least once a day?
What else could be triggering this?

Aitch said:
I have Smart Mode off - but Wifi still seems to come on at least once a day?
What else could be triggering this?
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Not to sure. Happens to me once in awhile too. I'll go to turn on Hotspot and it says it needs to turn wifi off when I have Smart mode off. [emoji85] [emoji86] [emoji87]