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Life pro tip: How to get free airplane Wi-Fi

Let’s face it: airplane Wi-Fi is a total bummer. Entire jets full of people share a miniscule level of throughput that’s generally not even close to the threshold needed for video streaming. And you have to pay for it.

Not the case, according to one Reddit user who posted a relatively straightforward hack to the popular Reddit sub “Life Pro Tips.”

User Walkingtalkinghawkin wrote over the weekend that the seven-step hack works on US Airways and American Airlines with Apple Macs and iPads. Bear in mind that RCR Wireless News has not tested these instructions – yet.

Step 1: Connect to the Gogo Wi-Fi network.

Step 2: Browse the movie library and find a free movie.

Step 3: Click on the free movie and it will bring you to a page to download the Gogo app.

Step 4: Enter the code to access Apple’s App Store to get to the Gogo app.

Step 5: You will be in the App Store.

Step 6: Go back to Safari and open a new tab.

Step 7: Enjoy free Wi-Fi.

The Reddit poster adds the instruction: “For this to work you must leave the App Store running in the background and keep open the Safari tab that redirects you to the App Store. I am currently writing this post from 30,000 feet in the air with free Internet.”

Since going up on Reddit over the weekend, the story has been picked up by a number of tech-oriented websites.

If you attempt this hack on your next trip, tweet @rcrwirelessnews to share your experience with us.

ABOUT AUTHOR

Sean Kinney, Editor in Chief
Sean Kinney, Editor in Chief
Sean focuses on multiple subject areas including 5G, Open RAN, hybrid cloud, edge computing, and Industry 4.0. He also hosts Arden Media's podcast Will 5G Change the World? Prior to his work at RCR, Sean studied journalism and literature at the University of Mississippi then spent six years based in Key West, Florida, working as a reporter for the Miami Herald Media Company. He currently lives in Fayetteville, Arkansas.