Can You Carry An iPhone In Checked Luggage? | FAA & TSA

You’ve probably heard conflicting advice: one travel blog says keep your phone in your carry-on, another insists TSA allows it in checked bags. Which one wins when you’re trying to pack light and avoid juggling extra items at security?

The short answer is that TSA officially permits iPhones in checked luggage — but that’s not the whole story. The FAA strongly recommends keeping all portable electronics with lithium batteries in the cabin, and several major airlines enforce their own restrictions on what can go below deck. This article explains what’s allowed, what’s recommended, and how to pack safely if you do decide to check your phone.

What TSA And The FAA Actually Say

TSA’s official stance is clear: cell phones, including iPhones, are permitted in both carry-on and checked bags. If you’re scanning the TSA checklist, an iPhone in your checked suitcase does not break any rules.

The FAA, however, takes a different view. Its PackSafe guidance recommends that all portable electronic devices containing lithium metal or lithium ion batteries — phones, laptops, tablets — should travel in carry-on baggage. The recommendation is about fire safety, not regulation.

So you have two different voices: one permitting, one advising. Understanding the reason bridges that gap.

Why The FAA Wants It In Your Carry-On

The risk comes down to lithium battery fires. In the cabin, flight crews can spot smoke or heat, reach the device, and use a fire containment bag to extinguish flames. In the cargo hold, a fire can smolder undetected for minutes before triggering alarms.

• Flight crew trained for battery fires: Crews learn how to recognize lithium battery thermal runaway and have tools to isolate smoking devices.
• Immediate access in the cabin: A phone overheating inside a checked bag may not be noticed until it’s too late.
• Spare batteries are always banned in checked bags: Any loose lithium battery — power bank, spare phone battery, vape device — cannot go below deck.
• Damaged or recalled batteries are especially dangerous: The FAA advises never packing recalled or visibly damaged batteries in any checked luggage.
• Regulatory focus on cargo hold safety: The FAA maintains dedicated guidance on lithium batteries in baggage to minimize fire risk from unchecked devices.

The FAA’s concern isn’t hypothetical. Lithium ion battery fires have been documented in cargo holds, and the agency’s PackSafe page exists because the risk is real.

Airline Policies Can Be Stricter

Even though TSA permits iPhones in checked luggage, individual airlines often impose tighter rules. American, Southwest, and Delta each handle lithium batteries differently, and these policies override the TSA baseline if you’re flying with them.

If you’re flying a carrier not listed, check their banned items page before you pack. Many US airlines follow the FAA carry-on recommendation more strictly than TSA’s baseline permission.

How To Pack Your iPhone If You Must Check It

Sometimes you have no choice — maybe your carry-on is full, or you’re traveling with medical gear that takes priority. If you decide to check your iPhone, follow these steps to reduce risk and comply with airline rules.

1. Switch it off completely. A phone left in sleep mode can still draw power, generate heat, or accidentally turn on from pressure in the bag. Hold the side button and volume up, then slide to power off.
2. Protect the power button and screen. Use a padded case, wrap the phone in a soft cloth, or place it in an interior zippered pocket to prevent accidental activation during baggage handling.
3. Remove all accessories with batteries. Spare batteries, power banks, charging cases, and wireless earbuds must travel in your carry-on. Only the phone itself (with its installed battery) may stay in checked luggage.
4. Inspect the battery for damage. If the back is bulging, cracked, or hot to the touch, the phone should not fly at all — report it to your airline or leave it home.
5. Place the phone near the center of the bag. Avoid putting it against the outer wall where it’s more likely to be crushed or hit by shifting cargo.

European aviation authorities also advise that if you must pack electronics in checked baggage, the device should be completely off and protected from accidental activation — a sensible rule for any international flight.

Power Banks And Spare Batteries Are A Different Story

Your iPhone itself might be allowed in checked luggage per TSA, but anything that counts as a “spare battery” is not. The FAA defines a spare battery as any battery not installed inside a device. That includes power banks, charging brick cases, and even a second iPhone that’s loose in your bag.

Spare lithium ion batteries face watt-hour limits. Those under 100 watt-hours (most consumer power banks) are allowed in carry-on without individual approval; between 100 and 160 watt-hours, you’re limited to two per passenger, and they must be in carry-on. Above 160 watt-hours, you need airline approval.

TSA’s official policy clearly states that cell phones are carry on and checked, but the TSA cell phone policy doesn’t address the fire risk distinction that the FAA cares about. For power banks, the rule is simple: carry them with you, never check them.

The Bottom Line

TSA allows iPhones in checked luggage, but the FAA strongly recommends carry-on due to lithium battery fire risk in the cargo hold. If your airline permits it and you must check the phone, power it off completely and protect it from accidental activation. Spare batteries, power banks, and most lithium battery accessories cannot go below deck at all.

Before your next trip, check your specific airline’s policy — a quick search for their battery restrictions page will tell you whether an iPhone in checked luggage is allowed or if they follow the stricter FAA guidance.