If suddenly you are unable to use Airplane Mode because it’s greyed out, here are some solutions that you can try out. If it is greyed out in Windows 11/10, then you cannot toggle it, i.e., on or off, while other controls such as WiFi and Bluetooth work fine. That said, here is one more situation in which users were stuck. If the Airplane mode was on, and it greyed out, then they were not able to go online.
Airplane mode greyed out Windows 11/10
The core issue of this problem is related to Radio Management and Airplane Mode Service. Along with the option to troubleshoot them, we will also include other network-related with troubleshooting tips.
- Start Radio Management Service
- Change RadioButton value via Registry
- Enable/Disable WiFi Network Adapter
- Run Network Troubleshooter
- Update Network Driver.
1] Start Radio Management Service
- Open Run Prompt ( WIN + R) and type services.msc to open Windows Services snap-in
- Locate Radio Management service, and double click on it to open
- Change Startup Type from Manual to Automatic or Automatic Delayed Start
- Next, click on the Start button, and to save the changes click on the OK button
Post this; the Airplane mode should not be greyed out anymore.
2] Change RadioButton value via Registry
Create a restore point so in case registry change causes a problem, you can instantly restore it
Open Registry Editor by typing Regedit in the Run Prompt (Win + R) followed by pressing the Enter key
Navigate to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class
Right-click on Class, and select Find.
Then Search for RadioEnable.
When you find it, double-click on it and set the value to 1.
3] Enable/Disable WiFi Network Adapter
- Open Device Manager using WIN + X, followed by M
- Locate Network Adapter under > Disable device
- Wait for 30-seconds, and then right-click again to enable it this time.
Check if you can now enable or disable Airplane mode on Windows.
4] Run Network Troubleshooter
- Open Windows Settings (WIN + I)
- Navigate to Settings > Update and Security > Troubleshoot
- Locate Network Adapter, select it and then click on the “Run the troubleshooter” button
- Wait for the wizard to complete the process and check if that helped.
5] Update Network Driver
You can use either Windows or any third-party app to update the network driver. Even if there is a minor chance that the driver is causing the issue, this step should resolve it.
Make sure to backup the existing driver using a third-party driver tool so you can roll back in case of any problems.
I hope the post was easy to follow, and you were able to resolve the problem where the Airplane mode greyed out Windows.
Read next: Airplane mode won’t turn off in Windows.
How to unlock Airplane mode on PC?
To unlock Airplane mode on a PC, navigate to the Action Center by selecting the speech bubble icon on the taskbar or pressing Windows + A. Click on the “Airplane mode” button to toggle it off. Alternatively, go to Settings > Network & Internet > Airplane mode and switch the toggle to “Off.”
Why won’t my PC let me turn off Airplane mode?
If your PC won’t let you turn off Airplane mode, try updating network drivers, as outdated drivers can cause issues. Additionally, check if any physical switch on your laptop controls Airplane mode, disable VPNs or other network software and see.
