It has never been more comfortable to travel by air than it is today, especially if referring to in-flight entertainment. Some airlines now permit personal screens. These devices can be equipped with a list of movies and TV shows or music and other multimedia sources. All these entertaining sources bring up the question of: Can you connect AirPods to airplane TV? The answer is not that simple as one might assume – more about pairing two Bluetooth devices.
AirPods are now a favorite when traveling because it is convenient and high quality. However, most of the in-flight entertainment that is installed on an airplane are not Bluetooth compatible, which creates a problem for direct hookup to the plane’s entertainment system or TV. But this often leaves many other passengers with the question on their mind: Do I connect my AirPods to a plane? It is not as simple to connect your AirPods to your phone or laptop.
In this guide, we show you different ways of connecting your AirPods to airplane TV and whether it is possible to connect AirPods with in-flight entertainment systems. We also discuss some other tips for using airpods on a plane, such as how to connect AirPods to a TV without Bluetooth and can you use bluetooth on a plane without wifi.
Can I Use AirPods on a Plane?
The short answer is yes. AirPods work exactly like any other Bluetooth device, and there is no restriction on using them in a flight as long as the plane is in “flight mode.” In flight mode, Bluetooth is usually active, so you can continue listening with your AirPods while listening to music, watching movies, or even podcasts.
However, do AirPods work with airplane TVs? Connecting them may not be easy because the entertainment system in airplanes is most of the time wired up, via a 3.5mm headphone jack. Thus, since AirPods are without any wires, connecting it to the TV system in a plane would seem a little hard. This is not impossible though. You just need to look around for alternative ways on using AirPods in airplane TV systems.
How to Connect AirPods to Airplane TVs?
Connecting AirPods to most airplane TV systems is almost impossible, but you can do it yourself for some. The system used depends on the type of plane. I will further break down how one can get AirPods working for them on airplane TVs.
1. Using a Bluetooth Transmitter
Most airlines do not natively support Bluetooth in flight entertainment systems, so you have no direct way to connect with the TV. You may, however, connect using a Bluetooth transmitter: it is an extremely miniaturized, portable device that directly connects to the airplane’s headphone jack and transmits audio straight to your AirPods. So here’s how to do it:
Step 1. Buy a Bluetooth transmitter that supports a 3.5mm audio input.
Step 2: Attach the Bluetooth transmitter to the headphone jack of the in-flight entertainment system.
Step 3: Follow the manufacturer’s instructions to pair your AirPods to the Bluetooth transmitter.
Step 4: With this, you will now be able to listen to in-flight entertainment with your AirPods.
You don’t have to worry about tangled wires when watching movies, listening to music, or a show.
2. Custom-Controlled Aircraft Bluetooth (if applicable)
Some newer airplane models come equipped with Bluetooth-enabled entertainment systems. If this is the case on your flight, you may be able to connect AirPods directly to the TV without needing a Bluetooth transmitter. Check the instructions provided by the airline or ask a flight attendant to find out if the plane has this feature.
3. Using an Audio Jack Adapter to Connect AirPods
If you are flying on an airplane that does not have an in-flight Bluetooth connection then the easiest thing to do is to use a wired connectivity. Most AirPod users are not aware that an AirPod comes with the 3.5 audio jack adapter that lets users plug them into a traditional headphone jack.
4. Streaming off of Your Own Device
If you can’t hook your AirPods up to the in-flight TV, then you can watch whatever you want on your AirPods with a device. Just download movies or shows on your phone, tablet, or laptop before flying and hook your AirPods up to your device. This way, you can stream whatever you want to your personal device while wearing the comfort of your wireless AirPods.
How to Use AirPods with an Airplane’s TV System?
- Action 1: Take out the 3.5mm audio adapter, and essentially you are converting that Apple Lightning or USB-C adapter into a standard headphone jack, through this adapter.
- Action 2: Take this headphone adapter and plug that directly into the airplane’s headphone port, and that’s it.
This isn’t wireless but quite frequently, the most accessible route to getting your AirPods playing through the in-flight entertainment system is via this method.
Can You Wear AirPods on a Plane?
Yes, the AirPods do work on a plane. So you can wear airpods on a plane.However, its use is typically restricted because of the nature of the in-flight entertainment system. As long as your device is in flight mode and Bluetooth is allowed to be operational, you can listen to music, podcasts, or watch a video by using AirPods. Any device that supports Bluetooth is compatible with AirPods – that includes most smartphones, tablets, and computers.
In situations such as direct AirPods connection with the in-flight entertainment of an airplane, it remains challenging since most airplane in-flight systems rely on a wired connection (a 3.5mm headphone jack). Most aircrafts’ in-flight systems are not yet adopting the full advantage of Bluetooth since some only make use of in-flight systems that solely rely on wireless connectivity or wired connection minus the Wi-Fi access.
Yes, and you can use Bluetooth on a plane even without Wi-Fi. If you are in flight mode, you will find that Bluetooth has been automatically enabled so you can use AirPods and other Bluetooth-enabled headsets. But you should know the two technologies are very different; the use of Bluetooth doesn’t have anything to do with Wi-Fi. So, even though they might not be providing any other type of Wi-Fi internet access during the flight, you can listen to entertainment, music, and use your AirPods for communication while using Bluetooth devices.
How to Connect AirPods to TV Without Bluetooth?
If you want to pair your AirPods to a TV or home entertainment system that does not support the feature of pairing through Bluetooth, that is fine too. All that matters here is to use a Bluetooth transmitter or a wired connection between your AirPods and the non-Bluetooth TV. Thousands of Bluetooth transmitters can be seen taking up a 3.5mm jack on your TV’s audio output then wirelessly sending the audio to your AirPods.
Your Questions, Answered
AirPods are at the mercy of the airplane: most don’t natively support in-flight Bluetooth, but most airplanes are fitted with an option through a Bluetooth transmitter.
Yes, this is possible if you’re willing to activate in-flight Bluetooth and the airplane is already on flight mode.
You will likely need a Bluetooth transmitter or use an adapter to connect your AirPods to the airplane TV.
Yes, AirPods do work on a plane, but it will depend on the availability of Bluetooth or a headphone jack on the airplane’s entertainment system.
Absolutely, yes, you can still use Bluetooth in an airplane even when the Wi-Fi is unavailable provided that your device is placed in the flight mode with Bluetooth activated.
