If your phone with fm radio  has a built-in FM radio chip, it can stream audio from local broadcasts without consuming cellular data. It’s a great feature to have in emergency situations, such as severe storms, where it can help you stay informed and communicate. This is why the National Association of Broadcasters has lobbied for mobile phone makers to activate these chips. But despite this feature being included in most modern devices, the chips remain switched off by default on two-thirds of phones. The carriers who make money from cellular data have argued that the demand for this feature isn’t there.

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Fortunately, you can turn your smartphone into an FM radio with third-party software. Apps such as NextRadio can activate your device’s internal receiver circuitry, allowing you to listen to local broadcasts that you may not have access to with other streaming apps. The most popular FM apps allow you to search for stations by frequency and can even scan and play the station that’s currently playing. They also support frequencies that end in even decimal places, which can be useful when traveling internationally.

You can use the headphones or wired earbuds on your device as an antenna to catch FM signals. Some devices will ask you to plug in headphones if the FM radio is activated. This is to prevent your device from using cellular data, which can eat up your battery quickly.

Thankfully, major US carriers now allow you to activate your built-in FM radio. As of early 2018, Apple is still missing from the list, but it’s possible that the company will flip the switch soon.