Flying, offline: the SkyDot blog
Flight tracker comparisons, what works on a plane with no wifi, and how to get more out of the window seat.
- Roundup
The best offline flight tracker apps in 2026
Flightradar24 and FlightAware freeze in Airplane Mode. Six apps read your phone’s GPS instead. What each one does well, and which one to pick for your flight.
- Comparison
Flighty vs SkyDot: which one do you need on a plane?
Flighty tracks delays, gates and arrivals from airline data and is iPhone only. SkyDot shows your live GPS position offline on iOS and Android. Use both.
- Comparison
Flyover Country vs SkyDot: which offline flight app suits you?
Flyover Country and SkyDot both use phone GPS offline. One is a free geology guide, the other a flight panel with an automatic travel log. How to choose.
- Comparison
Flymap vs SkyDot: two offline flight maps compared
Flymap and SkyDot both show your live GPS position in Airplane Mode on iOS and Android. What each one offers, what SkyDot cannot do, and how to choose.
- Guide
Can you use Google Maps on a plane?
Yes, if you download offline areas before you board. The blue dot works in Airplane Mode with Location on, but you get no altitude, speed or flight ETA.
- Guide
Seatback flight map vs your phone’s GPS
The inflight moving map reads the aircraft’s own navigation data; your phone uses GPS. Which is more accurate, and what to do when there is no screen.
- Roundup
The best apps to log your flights after App in the Air
App in the Air closed in 2024. Flighty Passport, myFlightradar24, OpenFlights and SkyDot all keep a log of flights you have taken, in quite different ways.
- Guide
What to do on a flight with no wifi
Download films, music, podcasts, books and offline maps before you board, then use the window. A practical list of things that work with every radio off.
- Troubleshooting
Phone GPS not working on a plane? How to get a fix
No GPS signal in Airplane Mode usually means Location is off, an app permission is missing, your seat, or a slow first fix. Checks for iPhone and Android.