Best iOS Apps To Keep You Entertained When iPhone In Airplane Mode

If you’re looking for an iOS app collection to keep you occupied during long flights you landed on the right web page! I’m the modern globetrotter with tens of thousands of airline miles gathered in the past decade. I’m now ready to share with you my favorite iPhone and iPad apps, that I like to spend time on, when traveling and have no Internet connection, or my smartphone is in Airplane Mode.

Lately, many airlines have started to provide Wi-Fi connections to passengers, but the network is often overloaded and not reliable enough. More, I like to play by the book and switch the Airplane Mode ON, as soon as I’m seated in the airliner. So, there’s no room for App Store games or other software that rely on Internet connectivity or GPS access. All apps listed below work at optimal parameters when the iPhone is offline.

Best iOS Apps That Work In Airplane Mode
1. Mini Metro ($4.99) – Develop subway maps for the ever growing metropolis. Choose between 11 real-world cities and help them develop their underground infrastructure. City growth is randomized, which means that each game is different. Build stations, draw lines between them and let the trains run. Carefully use your resources and expand the public transit to unprecedented high scores. Includes an iMessage app for iOS and is about 112 MB large.
2. The Battle of Polytopia (FREE) – A turn based strategic adventure game that requires you to build cities, fight evil tribes, expand your civilization, craft new technologies and ultimately, rule the world! It’s a great free game that you can play offline. It occupies only 36.2 MB and has a 4.5 App Store rating.
3. Alto’s Adventure ($4.99) – A snowboard-themed iPhone game that will amaze you. Slide along Alto and his friends through amazing alpine landscapes. Pick between one of the 6 available snowboarders and rescue runaway llamas, grind over rooftops and leap over spectacular valleys. A 4.5 out of 5 rated App Store game that’s worth every penny!
4. Lumino City ($4.99) – is a BAFTA 2015 award winning game for Artistic Achievement. It was also nominated for Innovation and Best British game. It’s a 5 out of 5 star, iOS puzzle adventure game that focuses on finding Lumi’s grandfather, the caretaker of Lumino City. He has been kidnapped. Explore the city to find him. There are 8 – 10 hours of gameplay, with not in-app purchases. The game can be fully played offline, its impressive 2.44 GB size confirms it.
5. RunGunJumpGun ($2.99) – A simple but electrifying action game that brings you in control of a powerful weapon. One button gives you flying abilities while the others helps you to shoot down obstacles. This challenging arcade game will test your reflexes during more than 120 levels. Single-hand gameplay makes the app accessible to people with disabilities too. Good luck!
6. Human Resource Machine ($4.99) – The developer describes this App Store game as a “puzzle game for nerds”. In every level you receive a task from your boss. You have to automate it with the help of the little office worker. If you complete the job you’ll be promoted and secure your work position for one more year. Else, you’ll lose it to the machines. Think outside of the box and solve the 40+ levels. Lots of hours of gameplay available, especially from level 15 onwards!
7. Oceanhorn ($8.99) – This is a must have app for any iOS gamer. Embark on a 10+ hour of story driven gameplay. Sail through the islands of the Uncharted Seas in an attempt to find your missing father. His notebook and a mysterious necklace are the starting point for your adventures. Grow from a boy to a hero while exploring the mysteries of the ancient kingdom Arcadia and the sea monster Oceanhorn. Includes support for the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus flagships.
8. Last Horizon ($2.99) – You’re the last survivor of an extinct civilization and are piloting your way in space, looking for a new home. Land on planets and explore them in search of a new habitable world. Nurture your oxygen reserves and other resources in order to succeed.
9. Little Kitten – My Favorite Cat ($1.99) – A great game for children of ages 5 and under that brings a virtual pet to your iPhone and iPad. Explore the wonderful kitten world and spend quality time with your favorite cat. Mini games, little puzzles and other challenges have the role to entertain the little ones, while stimulating their imagination, creativity, memory, focus and determination.
10. Really Bad Chess (FREE) – brings any chess player out of his comfort zone. Play regular chess with random pieces. You can have a go with 7 knights, 6 bishops and 2 pawns? Why not! Try it out and you’ll have a a wacky chess experience. The app works both on iPhone and iPad, is 70.1 MB big. Have fun!
11. Netflix (FREE) – Download the app, subscribe for the service and download your favorite movies and TV shows. It’s as easy as saying 1, 2, 3. The American entertainment company adds daily new episodes and series of your favorite shows. Most of the airlines block the app on their Wi-Fi networks, so you’ll have to save your movies and favorite media for offline watching before you head to the airport. If you haven’t used Netflix yet, you’ll be happy to know that you can benefit from 1-month of free trial!
12. Kindle (FREE) – Turn your iPhone and iPad into a Kindle with the free Kindle app for iOS developed by Amazon Mobile LLC. All your eBooks, including those with narration, that you purchased from Amazon for your Kindle, will appear in your app and become accessible from your iOS device. You can grab a sample for any eBook for free. Edit font style, size and more to customize your reading experience. Adjustable brightness and page color allows you to optimize reading during day and nighttime. You’ll be surprised to find a bigger collection of books, when compared to Apple’s iBooks service.

Fact: If you have a great app that works when your iPhone is in offline mode, feel free to share it with us via mail or the comment section available below. We’ll review it and add it to the above collection if it’s interesting enough!