You’ve finally got your DJI drone and you can’t wait to take it out of the box to start your first fly. DJI drones are ready-to-fly, though you don’t need to build them by yourself, you will have to activate them before flying.
In this guide, we will walk you through all the steps of activating a DJI drone if you need some help doing so.
What to do before you start to set up your DJI Drone
1. Unboxing your drone. Open the box and take out the drone, battery, controller, and other accessories.
2. Prepare your Remote Controller. DJI drones released in recent years including DJI Mini 3, DJI Mini 3 Pro, DJI Mini 2, DJI Air 2S, DJI Air 2, Mavic Mini, Mavic 3, and so on come with either the DJI RC-N1 or DJI RC remote controller or both.
The DJI RC-N1 has no built-in screen, you need to use a mobile device to activate and fly your drone. The DJI RC comes with a screen and built-in DJI Fly app, so you don’t need any mobile device.
DJI RC-N1 users: Take out the control sticks from the storage slots at the bottom of the controller and install them. Then install your mobile phone or tablet on the device clamp on the top, and connect your device and the remote controller via the cable.
DJI RC users: Take out the control stick from the slots at the back of the controller and install them.
3. Prepare your Aircraft. Remove all the protection foam on your drone, especially the one used to protect the gimbal camera. Charge the battery to 75% or above to ensure enough power for activation and firmware update.
4. Register a DJI Account. You will need a DJI account to activate your drone.
How to Activate your DJI Drone
Depending on which remote controller your drone comes with, the activation process is slightly different.
1. Activate with DJI RC-N1 Controller
Once you get everything ready, we can start the activation process.
1. Download and install the DJI Fly App
For the DJI RC-N1 controller (no built-in screen), you will need to download and install the DJI Fly app. iOS users can find the app in App Store, and Android users can find the App on DJI’s website. Here is a guide to installing DJI Fly app on Android.
2. Connect your Remote controller to your mobile device
Once the DJI Fly app is successfully installed on your mobile device, place it in your controller’s mobile clamp and connect it to your remote controller via the cable. Press and hold the power button for about two seconds to power the controller on. Turn on your DJI drone and Controller.
3. Turn on your drone to activate it.
Press the power button once, then press and hold the power button for more than 2 seconds to turn on your aircraft, then launch the DJI Fly app on your mobile device. Wait for the controller to connect to the aircraft, then follow the instructions to finish the setup.
2. Activate with DJI RC (Built-in Screen)
1. Press the power button once, then press and hold the power button for about 2 seconds to turn on the controller, then follow the instructions to set up and activate the remote controller. You will be prompted to choose the country/region, and language, and connect to WiFi.
2. log in to your DJI Account and Activate it.
3. Take off the gimbal cover, and power on your drone by pressing and holding the power button for about 2 seconds.
4. Wait for the Remote controller and the aircraft to connect. Once it’s done, you are ready to fly. If there is any firmware update available, don’t forget to update your drone before flying.
Now you are all set for your first flight.
Please note that DJI RC remote controller is only compatible with DJI Mini 3, DJI Mini 3 Pro, Macic 3, and DJI Air 2S.
Can’t activate my DJI Drone: Problems and Troubleshooting
The activation seems pretty straightforward, but you might encounter some trouble and fail to activate it. Below are some actions you can consider if there is a failure.
1. Make sure you download and install the latest DJI Fly app on the DJI website if you use an Android device.
2. Try a different mobile device
3. Update all the firmware via DJI Assistant 2
4. Disconnect the cable and then reconnect it
If none of the above works for you, it’s probably a hardware or software issue that only DJI can fix, you will need to contact DJI Support or the local dealer for further help.