How to Enable or Disable Airplane Mode in Ubuntu Linux
Airplane Mode in Ubuntu Linux turns off all wireless signals, including Wi-Fi and Bluetooth , with one master switch. Use it to save battery or to cut every wireless connection at once. Ubuntu 24.04 LTS puts this toggle inside the top menu bar, so you can reach it in two clicks.
Click the network icon in the top-right corner of your screen to open the menu. The option sits near the top, so you can disconnect all wireless hardware before you board a flight. The switch only appears on machines with wireless hardware. A desktop with no Wi-Fi or Bluetooth adapter may not show it at all.
Toggle Airplane Mode from the system tray ’s network icon or the Settings app. You can also use the keyboard shortcut Super + S or terminal commands like `nmcli r wifi off` or `rfkill block all`.
General
You can toggle airplane mode in Ubuntu with a keyboard shortcut or the terminal. Many laptops have a dedicated airplane key, often a plane icon on one of the function keys, and it may need Fn held down. Pressing it once turns the wireless radios off, and pressing it again turns them back on. If your keyboard has no such key, the terminal commands below do the same job.
These commands work from any terminal window. You don’t need to be an administrator for the Wi-Fi commands, but the wireless device management commands may ask for sudo rights, depending on how you use them.
- To turn Wi-Fi on:
nmcli r wifi on - To turn Wi-Fi off:
nmcli r wifi off - To manage all wireless devices:
rfkill block allorrfkill unblock all
Turning Wi-Fi off this way does not touch Bluetooth . Use the wireless device management commands when you want to control every radio, not only Wi-Fi. The changes take effect straight away, and you don’t need to restart.
How to turn on or off airplane mode from the System menu in Ubuntu Linux
You can turn airplane mode on or off from the System menu in the top bar. This is the easiest route if your computer has no physical switch or airplane key. It is also the quickest way to check whether airplane mode is currently on, because the menu icons change when the radios are off.
How to disable or enable airplane from Settings in Ubuntu Linux
The Settings app also lets you turn off all wireless connections at once. Open the system menu in the top-right corner, click the gear icon to open Settings, and choose the Wi-Fi or Network tab. Then click the toggle next to Airplane Mode to turn it on or off.
The exact tab name can differ between Ubuntu releases and between machines. On Ubuntu 24.04, look for Settings Network or Settings Wi-Fi If you see no Airplane Mode switch in either place, your computer probably has no wireless hardware that Ubuntu can control.
- Open the System menu in the top right corner. A panel opens with the network, volume and power controls.
- Select the Settings icon. The Settings window opens.
- In the sidebar on the left, look for the Network or Wi-Fi category and click it.
- Find the Airplane Mode toggle in the panel on the right.
- Click the switch to turn it On or Off. When it is on, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth disconnect and the wireless icons in the top bar change to show that they are off.
To undo the change, open the same panel and click the switch again. Your saved Wi-Fi networks and paired Bluetooth devices are kept, and they usually reconnect on their own once airplane mode is off.
That is all you need to do. You can learn more about managing your %%LNK0%% network connections or %%LNK1%% wireless settings on the official Ubuntu support pages.
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About the Author
Richard
Tech Writer, IT Professional
Richard is a writer at Geek Rewind who turns complex IT tasks into clear, step-by-step guides. He draws on years of hands-on experience in system administration and enterprise IT operations, focusing on Windows, Linux and WordPress: the problems people actually run into, and the fixes that work. His server and WordPress guides come from systems he runs himself. Richard builds and maintains the platform behind Geek Rewind, from its Ubuntu servers and Nginx configuration to its custom WordPress plugins. Many new tutorials start with readers' questions, and he's always glad to answer them in the comments.
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