Games That Don't Need Internet

Single-player games that keep their levels on your phone usually work offline: puzzles, card games, story games, most paid games. Anything online against other people doesn't.

A store page rarely tells you for sure. One minute in airplane mode does.

The one-minute airplane mode test

1. Update the game and open it once on Wi-Fi. Many games download levels on first launch.
2. Turn on airplane mode, then check that Wi-Fi is off too.
3. Close the game fully: swipe it away in the app switcher.
4. Open it again and play one whole level.
5. Close and reopen once more. If your progress is still there, you're set.

Do it at home, not at the gate. Test every game you plan to play, not just one.

Signs a game needs a connection

• It asks you to log in on every launch. No server, no game.
• Matches against real people. Online multiplayer and live events never work offline.
• It's a cloud game. Streamed games run on a server, not on your phone.
• Lots of ads. Many still run offline with the ads gone, but some refuse to start. Test it.

A good sign: paid games and games from subscriptions like Apple Arcade are downloaded to your phone, so most of them run without a connection.

Keep games off mobile data

Abroad or on a small plan, you can let a game use Wi-Fi only.

• iPhone: Settings → Cellular, scroll to the game and switch it off. It still works on Wi-Fi.
• Android: Settings → Network & internet → Data Saver, or the game's own data settings. Names differ by phone.

A game that stops working after this was quietly using your data.

A game that also clears your phone

Picmori (our app) is a pixel-art adventure where every level is made from your own photos. Swipe right to keep, left to let go, and your camera roll gets lighter as you play. The map, levels, swiping, deleting and music all work offline. Free, no ads, iPhone and Android.

Try the swipe

1/5

0 MB freed up

2 similar

2 similar

Sample photos: swipe left to delete, right to keep. Nothing on your phone is touched.

Good to know: buying Premium needs a connection. Photos stored only in iCloud show a smaller copy offline, and their videos play once you're back online.

App Store · Google Play

Going on a flight? More offline ideas in things to do on a plane without Wi-Fi.

Quick questions

Do games work in airplane mode?

Single-player games that keep their levels on your phone usually do. Online multiplayer, cloud streaming and games that check your account on every launch don't.

Does airplane mode turn off Wi-Fi?

Not always. If you once turned Wi-Fi back on while in airplane mode, your phone remembers it. For an honest test, check that Wi-Fi is off too.

Does Picmori work without internet?

Yes. The map, the levels made from your photos, swiping, deleting, rewards and music all work offline. Only buying Premium needs a connection.