The worst part about having a smartphone that opens up the digital world for you is having to put it down for hours at a time to recharge. While newer phone models promise higher battery capacities and fast charging capabilities, everyone still wants to know how to charge their phone faster. You've probably heard one of the most common fast-charging rumors, too: switching to airplane modes makes your phone charge faster.

But how true is this claim?

What Does Airplane Mode Do?

Smartphones are like computers. Just because the screen is turned off and you're not using it to play music doesn't mean it's not consuming power. One of the background processes that sucks up your phone's battery is searching for radio and Wi-Fi signals.

Switching on airplane mode disables all wireless signals. Your phone is no longer receiving transmissions, nor is it sending them.

But Does it Help With Faster Charging?

Naturally, yes. The less energy your phone is consuming, the faster it'll charge. But that's assuming a lot of energy goes towards radio and wireless signals, which isn't always the case.

A study that tested the power consumption of various components on Galaxy Note 4 and Galaxy Beam found that Wi-Fi and GPS consume 18.1% and 13.7% of the device's battery. On the other hand, airplane mode only consumes 1.1% when switched on.

The difference is ultimately determined by the quality and age of your battery and your smartphone's brand and model. You can check your phone's energy consumption levels by going to Settings > Advanced Settings > Battery Manager > Consumption level.

So, Does Airplane Mode Make Your Phone Charge Faster?

Faster charging is always a plus, especially if you're in a hurry. But while we can agree that airplane mode lets your phone charge faster, how much time you save depend primarily on your phone.

It's worth conducting an at-home test to see how well it works for your phone. Then, you can determine whether charging faster is worth not receiving phone calls, messages, emails, or notifications.