Track Flights in Safari on iPhone iOS 11

If you’re on iOS 11 and want to follow a flight without installing a dedicated app, Safari can do it for you using a built-in feature that recognizes flight numbers in your search results or on web pages. This guide shows you how to tap a flight number and get live tracking right in your browser, plus how to search for flights manually when the automatic link doesn’t appear.

What You’ll Need

• An iPhone or iPad running iOS 11 (or later; steps are the same for newer versions)
• Safari (the default browser, not a third-party browser)
• An active internet connection (Wi-Fi or cellular)
• The flight number you want to track (e.g., AA100, DL1234, BA178)

Step-by-Step

1. Open Safari. Tap the Safari icon on your Home screen or in your Dock. It looks like a blue compass.
2. Go to a page that mentions the flight. This could be a search engine results page (like Google or Bing), an airline’s website, or an airport’s arrival/departure page. For example, search for the flight number in the search bar.
3. Look for the tappable flight number. On iOS 11, Safari automatically detects flight numbers in web content and turns them into a link (usually blue and underlined, or just tappable). It also does this on search results pages – the flight number may appear as a special card or a link right in the results.
4. Tap the flight number. A pop-up or a new view will appear showing a preview of the flight status, including departure and arrival times, terminals, gates, and a map.
5. If you don’t see a tappable link, search manually. In the Safari search bar, type the airline name and flight number (e.g., “United 123”) and search. The top results often include a flight tracker widget directly in the search results – tap that to see the live status.
6. To get more detail, tap “Track Flight” or the airline’s link. This will open a full tracking page, either in Safari or in the airline’s app if you have it installed.
7. If the pop-up doesn’t appear, use a flight-tracking website directly. Go to a site like FlightAware or FlightRadar24 (they work in Safari) and enter the flight number in their search box. The site will show you the live map, altitude, speed, and estimated arrival.

Common Mistakes

• Tapping the flight number in a non-Safari app. The automatic link only works in Safari. If you’re in Chrome or another browser, copy the flight number and paste it into Safari.
• Using the wrong format. Flight numbers are usually two letters (airline code) followed by numbers, like “AA100” or “BA178”. Sometimes they include a space (“AA 100”) – that’s fine, but make sure you have the correct airline code. If you use just the numbers without the airline code, it won’t work.
• Expecting a link on every page. Safari’s flight detection is smart, but it doesn’t work on every website. If the page is not a well-known travel site, the link may not appear. In that case, use the manual search method.
• Forgetting to update iOS. The automatic flight detection was introduced in iOS 11. If you’re on an older version, you won’t see it. Check Settings > General > Software Update to see if you can update.

Tips

• Use Siri Suggestions. On iOS 11, you can also ask Siri “Track flight AA100” and it will show a card with the status. This works even if you’re not in Safari.
• Add a flight-tracking website to your Home screen. If you frequently track flights, open a site like FlightAware, tap the Share button (square with arrow), then “Add to Home Screen”. This creates an icon that opens the site directly, like an app.
• Use the search bar for quick tracking. Type the flight number directly into Safari’s search bar and hit search. The top result is often a live tracker card – no need to visit a specific site.
• Turn off content blockers if the link doesn’t appear. Some ad blockers or content blockers can interfere with Safari’s automatic link detection. Try disabling them temporarily in Settings > Safari > Content Blockers.

Troubleshooting

No tappable flight number appears. This can happen if the website uses a script that prevents Safari from recognizing the text. Try copying the flight number and pasting it into the search bar. If that doesn’t work, go directly to a flight-tracking website and enter it there.

The flight status says “No data” or “Flight not found.” Double-check the flight number – it’s easy to mix up digits. Also, if the flight is in the past (more than a day ago), most trackers won’t show it. If it’s a future flight, it may not be in the system yet; try again closer to departure.

Safari crashes or is slow. Close all other tabs by tapping the tab icon (two squares) and swiping away tabs you don’t need. Then force-quit Safari by swiping up on the app switcher, and reopen it.

The link opens a blank page. This might be a pop-up blocker issue. Go to Settings > Safari > Block Pop-ups and turn it off temporarily. Also, make sure JavaScript is enabled (Settings > Safari > Advanced > JavaScript).

Flight tracking works in Safari but not in other apps. That’s expected – the feature is exclusive to Safari. Use Safari for this purpose, or install a dedicated flight app if you need it elsewhere.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this work on iPad? Yes, the same steps apply to iPad with iOS 11 or later.

Can I track a flight by flight number only, without the airline? No, you need the airline code. The flight number alone (e.g., “123”) is not enough – there are hundreds of flights with the same number on different airlines.

Will I get live updates (delays, gate changes) automatically? Not automatically – you have to refresh the page or tap the link again. Safari does not send push notifications for flight changes.

Is this free? Yes, it uses the built-in Safari feature or free websites. No subscription needed.

What if I’m traveling and have no internet? You won’t be able to track flights without a connection. You can save a screenshot of the status before you lose signal, but it won’t update.

Can I track a flight that happened yesterday? Usually not – most trackers only show current or future flights. Historical data is rarely available to the public.

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