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Games to play without Wi-Fi on a plane

In-flight Wi-Fi is often missing, paid or too slow for games, and your data is off. Here is what still works on an iPhone or Android phone in airplane mode, how to play with the people next to you, how to make the battery last, and what to play when the phone is away.

What works without a connection

Single-player games that are fully offline. Puzzle, word, card and board games often are, but many free games need a connection for ads, logins or daily content. Install them before the flight and test each one at home in airplane mode.
The browser's own game. Google Chrome shows its dinosaur runner when there is no connection; you can also open it by typing chrome://dino in the address bar.
Multiplayer with the people next to you over Bluetooth. Online multiplayer is out, but games that connect phones directly still work. That is what Mesh Party does.
Games with no device at all. A list is at the end of this page.

Bluetooth in airplane mode

Airplane mode turns the radios off, but on both iPhone and Android you can switch Bluetooth (and Wi-Fi) back on while airplane mode stays on:

iPhone: turn on Airplane Mode, then tap Bluetooth in Control Center or in Settings. The iPhone remembers this and keeps Bluetooth on the next time you use Airplane Mode.
Android: turn on Airplane mode in Quick Settings, then tap the Bluetooth tile. Most phones remember this too.

Whether you may use Bluetooth on board is the airline's rule, and cabin crew instructions come first. Many airlines allow Bluetooth for headphones and devices during the flight; some ask for it to be off during take-off and landing. Check before you start a game.

Multiplayer with the people next to you

Mesh Party connects phones directly over Bluetooth, with no Wi-Fi, mobile data or server, and runs four party games: Truth or Dare (2–12 players), Who Am I? (3–10), Mind Match (2–10) and Two Truths and a Lie (3–10). iPhone and Android play in the same room.

Install and open it before you fly. The internet is only needed to download the app.
Turn Bluetooth on in airplane mode, as above.
One player creates a room, the others scan its QR code or pick it from the list of nearby rooms.
Sit close. Bluetooth range is roughly 10–30 m in a room; in a full cabin, plan on your own row and the rows nearby rather than across the plane.

Joining a room costs one token. A free token arrives every 4 hours and they pile up to three, so open the app before the flight; the other way to get a token, watching a short ad, needs a connection. If the host has Premium, everyone joins free.

Making the battery last

Board with a full charge. Airplane mode itself saves power because the phone stops searching for a signal.
Turn on Low Power Mode (iPhone) or Battery Saver (Android) and lower the brightness.
Close apps you aren't using, especially ones that keep trying to sync.
Not every seat has USB power. Power banks go in hand luggage only, and a growing number of airlines restrict using them during the flight, so check your airline's rules.

Games with no device

For the seat, the queue at the gate or when the battery is gone:

20 Questions: one thinks of something, the others have twenty yes/no questions.
Categories: take turns naming things in a category until someone blanks.
Geography: a place that starts with the last letter of the previous one.
Would You Rather: impossible dilemmas, then defend your choice.
Ghost: add a letter each, don't be the one to finish a word.
Two Truths and a Lie: 60 ideas.
Who Am I? whispered: the group agrees on your character while you cover your ears. 100 characters.

More, with rules and group sizes: 19 party games that need no materials.

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FAQ

What games can you play on a plane without Wi-Fi?
Single-player games that work fully offline, Chrome's dinosaur game, multiplayer games that connect phones over Bluetooth such as Mesh Party, and no-device games like 20 Questions, Categories and Two Truths and a Lie.

Can you use Bluetooth in airplane mode?
Yes. On iPhone and Android you can turn Bluetooth back on after enabling airplane mode. Whether you may use it on board depends on the airline, and crew instructions come first.

How do you play games with friends on a plane without internet?
Use a game that connects phones directly over Bluetooth. In Mesh Party one player creates a room and the others join by QR code or from the nearby list, iPhone and Android together.

Which iPhone games work without internet?
Any game that does not need a server: check by opening it in airplane mode before the flight. Mesh Party works on iPhone without internet and connects to Android phones nearby.