In modern culture, every movie and TV show seems to be a book adaptation, and reading has entered a golden age. So many people are turning to currently trending novels, old bestsellers, and classics galore to read about the tales before they watch them on streaming websites, even if some, like Netflix, aren’t the best anymore.
But with all this reading, some people prefer the digital kind. There are so many different e-reader models, but I, for one, have always been a Kindle girl and have consistently used it in airplane mode ever since I discovered just how much better it makes my life. Why should you care about this? Well, here are the six reasons I keep mine in airplane mode – and why, if you’re a Kindle lover, you should too.
It extends battery life
The best part, really
This is the most obvious one, but keeping your Kindle in airplane mode extends its battery life. This is especially great when you have an older Kindle.
While Kindles themselves have pretty good battery life (as someone who has read several books before needing to charge), there have been a few moments during my travels when my Kindle has gotten close to dying, and I am nowhere near a charger. If I put it into airplane mode, power is extended for a longer period of time.
Keep your expired Libby books from disappearing
Time to finish that TBR
This is perhaps the most awesome part of keeping your Kindle in airplane mode: preventing your Libby books from disappearing. Don’t worry, this doesn’t prevent other people from getting the chance to read the same book—it just makes it so the downloaded file that’s on your Kindle doesn’t automatically vanish when the time is up.
I’ve had this happen to me a few times, you know how it is. You have so many books to read, but it feels like there is not enough time in the day, so that borrowed Libby book just sits on your shelf. Keeping my Kindle in airplane mode has prevented them from vanishing, which is honestly a lifesaver for someone like me, a mood reader.
No unwanted downloads
Time to save all that storage
If you’re like me, you might add a book to your library based on a blurb you read, or maybe some big Bookstagrammer is talking about the next big hit, and you’re interested. But at the same time, you’re not really ready to commit to this novel and want it there on your shelf, not taking up space in your memory.
Having your Kindle on airplane mode prevents unwanted downloads. Believe it or not, you don’t have endless space in your Kindle, and eventually you will have to delete some novels in order to add more. This little trick makes sure that no new novels accidentally download.
No unwanted automatic updates
Buh-bye random feature nobody wanted
While the Kindle isn’t necessarily known for having a ridiculous number of updates added to its devices all the time, having it on Airplane mode would help stop unnecessary updates you don’t want.
I could think of plenty of times on any device I own when auto-updates really aren’t for the better. There haven’t really been any updates on my Kindle in the past that made me wish I’d kept it on airplane mode, but say there was a specific kind of text or setting you had that suddenly went away because of an auto-update. Now, with airplane mode on, that won’t happen to you.
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You’re not tempted to browse
No, you don’t need that new romantasy.
Okay, so maybe I’m calling myself out on this one a little because I have been the victim of the TBR curse – constantly adding good books to your “to be read” because you end up browsing, and because of that, you add more and more to your cart, and all of a sudden you’re spending one hundred dollars on e-books.
Perhaps that’s a bit of a dramatization, but let’s be honest—we have all fallen victim to browsing instead of actually reading. It’s either that or doom-scrolling on TikTok. But either way, browsing for new books takes away the point of actually having an e-reader
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When airplane mode is on, you’re forced to stay in the moment and read. It’s better for your wallet too, trust me.
It’s better for traveling
Travel time? More like reading time
I travel a lot. I’ve traveled to Europe a couple of times now, to the Caribbean, and I constantly travel back and forth between where I live now and where my parents live. And while it’s only a couple of hours’ drive, I tend to take the train there and back because it’s more convenient.
You want to know what I do when I’m traveling? I read on my e-reader. And because of that, I always, always keep it in Airplane mode. If your books are downloaded, you can read without any random Wi-Fi pop-ups asking to connect, or without another book trying to download at the same time and slowing down the machine.
Gosh, just writing about this makes me want to go and read, but hopefully some of these tips help you out next time you’re enjoying a nice day reading. When in doubt, open a book (and put it on airplane mode!). Looking to buy a Kindle? Here’s where to start.
Stephan is the sports journalist for the Maple Grove Report.
