Have you ever been on a plane and wanted to use the in-flight Wi-Fi—then noticed how much it costs?
Using Wi-Fi in an airplane is, generally speaking, pretty expensive. Depending on the airline and the length of the flight, one could end up paying between $5 and $25 for internet.
Plus, once one actually buys the internet, the speed isn’t great. For example, the average internet download speed in the United States is 214 Mbps, while some in-flight Wi-Fi providers offer less than 10 Mbps.
However, sometimes, you just can’t help but feel the need to buy an internet connection. But what if you didn’t have to pay for it? One user on TikTok says he has a method for avoiding Wi-Fi fees—but some say he should keep it secret.
Can You Really Get Free In-Flight Wi-Fi With This Trick?
In a video with over 126,000 views, TikTok user Mike Sheffer (@mike.sheffer) explains how one can use this trick to get free Wi-Fi on a flight.
First, one should try to connect to the Wi-Fi. From there, they should be prompted with a login page asking them to buy the Wi-Fi—unless they’re a T-Mobile customer. As Sheffer notes, some T-Mobile customers get free in-flight Wi-Fi.
However, there’s a loophole.
“You don’t actually need to have T-Mobile,” he shares. “You just need to know someone with a T-Mobile phone number. Then, you can just type in their phone number, and then you’ll get the Wi-Fi.”
While he says people are occasionally prompted for a code sent to their phone number, Sheffer claims that one can circumvent this by connecting while they still have signal, then asking their friend with a T-Mobile number to forward the code along.
Does This In-Flight Wi-Fi Hack Really Work?
Immediately, commenters began to question if this “hack” really worked.
“Nope. It sends a confirmation code each time,” said a user.
“United patched it. Doesn’t work anymore . Hasn’t for months,” offered another.
So, who’s correct?
The answer seems to be that this trick worked in the past but will likely no longer work as the company rolls out verification checks.
While users on Reddit claim this trick has worked for them previously, the T-Mobile website states that one must complete verification before accessing the complimentary Wi-Fi.
Could one simply get a code from a friend with a T-Mobile account? It’s technically possible, though unlikely.
Here’s The Problem With The Trick
In short, the OTP codes that are required for verification are sent after the Wi-Fi signal is active. While they appear as a regular SMS, they are actually being sent through “Wi-Fi calling.” It is unlikely that one will be able to receive this message and one from their friend with a T-Mobile connection in time to connect.
Furthermore, T-Mobile saves device information. This means that, if T-Mobile catches onto a customer repeatedly letting other people use their phone number for Wi-Fi access, they could face consequences. That said, there do not appear to be internet users discussing being reprimanded for this behavior.
@mike.sheffer
Commenters Have Their Own Tricks
In the comments section, many users said that, even if this trick works, they will likely not need to use it in the future.
“Delta has free WiFi. United is in the process of rolling out free WiFi to its whole fleet,” wrote a user. The former is true for SkyMiles members, while the latter will be true for MileagePlus members on Starlink-enabled planes.
“Southwest has free WiFi when you sign into your rapid rewards account,” echoed another.
Still, for those times where Wi-Fi is needed, some said there were still ways to circumvent the system.
“Android phone > mac address randomization = true > after you use you’re free 20 min, then disconnect/reconnect the wifi,” detailed a commenter. “Thank u, you’re welcome.”
BroBible reached out to T-Mobile and Sheffer via email.