TikToker PerchPilot often posts highly niche airline content. This month, the pilot and U.S. Army veteran released something for the masses: a one-minute explainer on why airplane mode matters. It’s not just the answer that has millions of social media users passing around the clip. It’s the comment section, too. Many are not only having a hard time understanding PerchPilot’s logic, but they’re also throwing out different answers. There’s even another TikTok from PerchPilot attempting to respond to the noise…but it’s just confusing everyone even more.

It all started yesterday when an X account reshared PerchPilot’s original TikTok on the subject:

PerchPilot basically says that while keeping phones out of airplane mode doesn’t pose any safety threat to the flight itself, it’s just really annoying when pilots and crew hear random noises stemming from passenger devices through their headphones. PerchPilot says this mostly happens while trying to take off.

He gives an example: when preparing for a departure from San Francisco, the pilot attempted to communicate with a ground controller. However, an irritating buzz came through his headset. It sounded sort of like a mosquito near his head. “It’s not the end of the world, but it’s definitely kind of annoying when you’re trying to copy down instructions.

24 hours in, and the clip has five million views on X.

Then the comments rolled in

There are now dozens of responses on both TikTok and X challenging the pilot’s explanation of the importance of airplane mode. Many say that airplane mode is completely unnecessary today because modern cell phones don’t function anywhere within the realm of airline operations. Others said that the pilot’s headset must have had an issue, or that cell phones operate on a completely different radio frequency anyway.

In response to the flak, PerchPilot posted a nine-second reply to one TikTok user who suggested it might not really be important. Otherwise, the airline crew would check every phone on the plane or even relinquish phones for the duration of the flight.

The clip seemed to confuse folks even more, including, admittedly, myself. PerchPilot simply spins his phone around to show some sort of screen the crew uses to check off items for takeoff. But he doesn’t explain anything about the screen.

So I looked into it…

Gizmodo reported in 2023 that while the general purpose of airplane mode is to prevent radio signals from personal devices from interfering with communication and navigation systems, there is literally zero FAA-backed evidence to support the misbehavior or the practice of putting phones in airplane mode. In fact, it’s likely anecdotal at worst or just heavily outdated at best.

I’m sure a lot of the biting back has to do with Americans feeling exhausted over hoop-jumping, especially if the hoops are just for the hell of it.

Still, while PerchPilot may not be retorting to the internet’s responses well, I think he originally posted what he thought would be a helpful video for airline travelers the next time they’re asked to put their phones in airplane mode.

If anything, we can all take comfort in understanding that our cell phones aren’t going to down our commercial flights based on whether or not we remember airplane mode.