Most people know airplane mode as the setting they use when flying, but the small airplane icon has several practical uses. When activated, it typically disables cellular communication and may also turn off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. On many phones, you can manually turn Wi-Fi or Bluetooth back on while keeping cellular service disabled.

The feature is associated with air travel because passengers are often instructed to limit wireless transmissions during flights. Airplane mode is not designed to protect an aircraft from a phone suddenly causing a dangerous situation. Instead, it provides a simple way to stop cellular transmissions, while passengers must still follow the specific instructions given by the airline and crew.

Airplane mode can also be useful when you’re on the ground. If your phone has very weak reception, it may repeatedly search for a network, which can consume additional battery power. Turning on airplane mode can stop that cellular searching, while you can still use offline features such as downloaded music, photos, notes, books and games.

Another handy use is troubleshooting wireless connections. If your phone suddenly has trouble connecting to a cellular network, switching airplane mode on for a few seconds and then turning it off can sometimes refresh the connection. It isn’t a guaranteed fix, but it’s a quick step to try before restarting the device or checking other settings.

Despite its name, airplane mode doesn’t shut down your phone completely. It mainly controls wireless communications, allowing many other functions to continue working normally. So the next time you see that little airplane icon, remember that it can also be useful for managing wireless connections, reducing interruptions, conserving battery in certain situations and quickly refreshing a struggling network connection.