Quite frankly, I am bloody well fed up with the Chinese and their slimy "marketing" techniques. Had I known that DJI would pull out of the software for the drone I have, I would never have purchased the Mini 2 , or, more recently, the Pocket 3. This company should be CUT OFF completely. I found it surprising that the U.S. and Canada were so free and open about drones from China, considering that country's reputation. It makes one wonder if the electronics in these expensive "toys" for adults are not linked somehow to receiving stations that are providing information that Red CHINA can use militarily.
I think this happened to me earlier this year. I fly my Mini 2 quite infrequently, being a casual hobbyist, but decided to get some aerial footage of a lake on the resort where I was holidaying.. Of course DJI informed me the app needed to be updated, so I attempted to do this outdoors through my phone. This however failed, so I went back to my chalet and connected to WIFI, and went to the Google store to get the latest version. This installed but failed to connect to my drone when I started the app, and I seem to recall it wanted me to navigate to another site to download a patch. Out of frustration I uninstalled anything to do with DJI on my phone, then used the QI code from the handbook to re-install the software, which I presume would have been from the DJI site. This worked OK, but I then had to re-charge my phone, so I was delayed by over an hour before finally getting the footage I wanted. I was totally unaware that DJI do not post their software on the Google store, and I think this should be pointed out on the box, and in the instructions. Thank you Sean for pointing this out. Fortunately I didn't get scammed, or my drone held to ransom, but this was more by luck than anything else.
Thank you Phillip. It helps everyone to hear how this can happen. It is a natural thing to do and many people would assume the official app would be the first one on the store!
Nothing has changed since 2020. We have a drone rules video just for the DJI Mini which is only a few mins long. Would recommend a quick watch of that.
I borrowed a friend's RCN1 and tried to download the App in the Play Store thinking i was getting the DJI Fly App but something felt wrong. The App has VERY poor appearance looking amateur. I only hope there's not something... Now that I'm typing this I'm going off to reformat that tablet... later Sean
It is an awful app isn't it. The first pages are clear it is not genuine. Although it might not be as obvious to people who haven't seen it yet. Thanks for sharing your experience of the app, hope you are well.
Hello Sean, thank you for your news update. WOW, everyone is out trying to rob us blind. I always update from the DJI website since they are the drone & firmware manufacture. Take Care!
I just picked up my first DJI product. Went to the android app store and all I saw were the fake DJI Fly apps. I hadn't realized that the real one was not allowed on the app store, so I had to do some research. Thankfully, I am a skeptic when it comes to stuff on any of the app stores.
Wow glad I did not pay for that fake app. I have had my mini 3 pro for 3-4 weeks. I did download the app from google play but never paid or used it because I have the control with the built in software and display. When I did looked at the app kept asking for £39.00. I have now deleted the fake app and have download the app from DJI and its the same as my control. Comes up with all my flights I have made and all my settings. Thanks you so much for this very useful video. What a con.
Thank you Steve, that is interesting to hear your experience of the app. It is a shame because the confusion is understandable without the real app on the store.
It is more a way points and mission based software that can also do a few other tricks rather than being something to get around the limits placed by DJI. You would need something similar to DroneHacks for that.
Clearly not from the reviews on Google Play Store and the comments here. Many people will automatically go to Google Play seeing that as a safer option.
How many users want to sideload an app? Should you trust an app that is not on the play store? Most phones have that disabled by default, many users may stop when the phone say allowing this may put your phone or data at risk. As many use their phones for banking selecting that option needs caution.
Hi Sean, so pleased I have found your channel. Going back maybe 8 years or more I brought a DJI Phantom 2. Well that soon broke down that's another story . Those rules and what I understood from early days have changed a lot. Well a few weeks ago my wife insisted I had a new drone lol. I now own a dji mini 3 pro what I use for recreational use. I did all the correct things registering the drone with the CAA and even passing the simple test. Downloading Drone Assist and Airdata UVA. I even added the NT map to my web browser last night after watching your video on NT new guidelines. Now it would be a real pain for you bu,t is there any chance of an upto data video with links we may need to watch as new drone owner with some handy printouts, ie acronyms what they mean. I know you are a very busy man and I really appreciate the knowledge you share on this channel.
