Can you bring a phone on Delta Air Lines?
Allowed, with conditions
Short answer: Yes, in carry-on bags with battery capacity up to 100 Wh, and in checked bags with battery capacity up to 100 Wh (reviewed 2026-10-27).
Short answer: not available right now. Some of the rules below are being rechecked against their official sources, so we do not sum them up. The rules that are still current are listed below; check the official sources before you travel.
This page puts Delta Air Lines' own rules for a phone next to the security screening (TSA) and dangerous goods (FAA) rules for flights departing the United States. All of them apply at once when Delta Air Lines operates the flight, and you need to meet every one. Each rule is listed as its official source states it, with the date we last reviewed it.
Most recent review on this page: 2026-10-27.
What Delta Air Lines adds to the TSA and FAA rules
Delta Air Lines policy
Allowed, with the conditions listed
Cell phone on Delta: allowed as carry-on or checked baggage; at most 160 Wh per battery.
- Limits
- Battery capacity: up to 160 Wh
Being rechecked: we are comparing this rule with its source again, so it is not shown. Check the official source below.
Source: Delta Air Lines: Battery or Fuel-Powered Items. Reviewed on 2026-10-27.
Allowed, with the conditions listed
Cell phone on Delta: allowed as carry-on or checked baggage; at most 160 Wh per battery.
- Limits
- Battery capacity: up to 160 Wh
Being rechecked: we are comparing this rule with its source again, so it is not shown. Check the official source below.
Source: Delta Air Lines: Battery or Fuel-Powered Items. Reviewed on 2026-10-27.
Other rules for mobile phone in a carry-on bag on Delta Air Lines
Security screening (TSA)
Allowed, with the conditions listed
Cell phone: allowed in carry-on bags at the TSA checkpoint.
Being rechecked: we are comparing this rule with its source again, so it is not shown. Check the official source below.
Source: TSA: What Can I Bring? Cell Phones. Reviewed on 2026-10-27.
Dangerous goods (FAA)
Allowed, with the conditions listed
Mobile phone with a lithium ion battery up to 100 Wh: allowed in carry-on baggage.
- Applies when
- Battery capacity: up to 100 Wh
Being rechecked: we are comparing this rule with its source again, so it is not shown. Check the official source below.
Source: FAA: Airline Passengers and Batteries. Reviewed on 2026-10-27.
Airline approval required
Mobile phone with a lithium ion battery of 101-160 Wh: airline approval required (carry-on baggage).
- Applies when
- Battery capacity: at least 101 Wh
- Battery capacity: up to 160 Wh
Being rechecked: we are comparing this rule with its source again, so it is not shown. Check the official source below.
Source: FAA: Airline Passengers and Batteries. Reviewed on 2026-10-27.
Not allowed
Mobile phone with a lithium ion battery over 160 Wh: forbidden.
- Applies when
- Battery capacity: more than 160 Wh
Being rechecked: we are comparing this rule with its source again, so it is not shown. Check the official source below.
Source: FAA: Airline Passengers and Batteries. Reviewed on 2026-10-27.
Other rules for mobile phone in a checked bag on Delta Air Lines
Security screening (TSA)
Allowed, with the conditions listed
Cell phone: allowed in checked bags by the TSA.
Being rechecked: we are comparing this rule with its source again, so it is not shown. Check the official source below.
Source: TSA: What Can I Bring? Cell Phones. Reviewed on 2026-10-27.
Dangerous goods (FAA)
Allowed, with the conditions listed
Mobile phone with a lithium ion battery up to 100 Wh: allowed in checked baggage when powered off and protected.
- Applies when
- Battery capacity: up to 100 Wh
Also note
- In checked baggage the device must be powered off and protected from short circuit and unintentional activation.
Being rechecked: we are comparing this rule with its source again, so it is not shown. Check the official source below.
Source: FAA: Airline Passengers and Batteries. Reviewed on 2026-10-27.
Airline approval required
Mobile phone with a lithium ion battery of 101-160 Wh: airline approval required (checked baggage).
- Applies when
- Battery capacity: at least 101 Wh
- Battery capacity: up to 160 Wh
Also note
- In checked baggage the device must be powered off and protected from short circuit and unintentional activation.
Being rechecked: we are comparing this rule with its source again, so it is not shown. Check the official source below.
Source: FAA: Airline Passengers and Batteries. Reviewed on 2026-10-27.
Not allowed
Mobile phone with a lithium ion battery over 160 Wh: forbidden.
- Applies when
- Battery capacity: more than 160 Wh
Being rechecked: we are comparing this rule with its source again, so it is not shown. Check the official source below.
Source: FAA: Airline Passengers and Batteries. Reviewed on 2026-10-27.
Check your own mobile phone
The item checker combines these rules for the values of your own item and gives a result for a Delta Air Lines flight. Battery rules use watt-hours (Wh): the Wh calculator works it out from the Wh, or the mAh and rated voltage, printed on the battery.
Related pages
Official sources
- Delta Air Lines: Battery or Fuel-Powered Items (source checked on 2026-10-01)
- FAA: Airline Passengers and Batteries (source checked on 2026-10-01)
- TSA: What Can I Bring? Cell Phones
This page lists rules as the official sources state them, for travel departing the United States. It is not a decision about your item: security officers and your airline make the final call, and rules can change after the review dates shown. Destination customs and quarantine rules are not checked. See the terms and disclaimer.