When I was scrolling through the internet I saw that so many Mavic Air drone pilots report that DJI Mavic air not connecting to phone. Then I thought about writing a blog post for this problem in thedronestop. So I started my job and went deep into the problem. I researched on DJI forums and discussed with my fellows who also own DJI Mavic Air.
Ultimately I was able to find reasons and ways to fix the issue. Big thanks to my fellows. So let’s talk more about why Mavic air is not connecting to smartphones and how to fix the issue.
When I was researching the problem, I found that there are two types of connecting issues with Mavic Air.
- Issue 1: DJI Mavic Air remote controller not connecting to the phone.
- Issue 2: DJI Mavic Air not connecting DJI GO 4 app.
Luckily, I was able to find reasons and fixes for both problems. First, let’s talk about why the Mavic air controller is not connecting to the phone.
Issue 1: DJI Mavic Air remote controller not connecting to the phone.
The main reason the DJI Mavic Air controller does not connect to the phone using the cable is the phone has equal or more battery capacity than the controller. In that kind of situation both of them try to output power and no one is willing to intake. Also, USB cable issues and USB port issues also could cause the issue.
Some pilots report that the controller only connects the mobile or tablet only if both are fully charged. I think it happens because of the situation I mentioned above.
DJI GO 4 app is the mobile and tablet application for the DJI Mavic Air. Let’s check whether your device is compatible with the DJI GO4 app.
Step 1: Check whether you’re plugging in the right port!
“I am a total noob and spent yesterday troubleshooting this issue in Android. The Solution? Make sure you are plugged into the right side port on the controller. I was plugged into the left side, tried everything, and finally tried the right side. Instantly fixed the problem.”
That’s a comment which was left in the DJI forums by djiuser_caU3SQqLFLG6. Yeah, be sure to plug the cable right side. There’s nothing to do with the left side
Step 2: Replace the USB cable and connect it to the controller under the USB port.
- Replace the current USB cable with a strong USB cable.
- Connect the USB cable to the USB port under the remote controller. This port won’t malfunction even though the side USB port malfunctions often.
Step 3: Upgrade DJI Mavic Air RC firmware.
I found that most users were able to solve the problem by updating or reverting the firmware. Because the Mavic air is not connecting to the phone you’ll have to update it through the DJI Assistant 2.
- Download and install the DJI Assistant 2 application to the PC.
- Open DJI Assistant 2 application and log in to your DJI account connected to the Mavic Air.
- Then connect the Mavic Air remote controller to the PC using the USB cable.
- Turn on the Mavic Air RC.
- Once the DJI Assistant 2 detect the DJI Mavic Air it would pop the “RC for DJI Mavic Air”. Choose “RC for DJI Mavic Air”.
- Once you enter the firmware update panel of the Mavic Air, you can find all the previous and latest firmware for the Mavic Air.
- Click on the “Upgrade” or “Refresh” button in front of the latest firmware. (If you started to get this issue after updating the firmware click the “Downgrade” button in front of the previous firmware)
- Click “Start Update”.
- Wait until the firmware is completely downloaded and installed.
- Then you need to upgrade/refresh/downgrade the aircraft’s firmware also. For that follow the same steps connecting the aircraft.
Step 4: Try turning on USB debugging on your phone
Also, I found an article from one who was able to fix the issue after turning on the USB Debugging. I think It’s worth trying.
- Connect the Mavic Air controller to the smartphone using the cable
- Go to phone’s Settings -> Systems->Developer Options and find the USB Debugging
- Then turn on the USB Debugging
- Then check whether the Mavic Air controller is connecting
Step 4: Try Using OTG Adapter Instead of the default cable
What’s an OTG adapter?
USB OTG is short for USB On-The-Go. With a USB OTG cable, you can connect your smartphone or tablet to other devices. In this case, we can connect it to the controller. The cable has a connector for your phone on one side and a USB-A connector on the other side. When you use a regular type c to type c or another USB cable to connect the controller, the Controller is the main device. With an OTG cable, your smartphone or tablet is the main device.
Connect the OTG adapter with a USB data cable and make sure that it is connected to a controller and the data cable is connected to a phone or tablet. Simple as that.
Issue 2: DJI Mavic Air not connecting DJI GO 4 app.
Usually, the DJI Mavic Air won’t connect to the DJI GO 4 app when the installed DJI GO 4 app is outdated or glitched.
Step 1: Make sure your device is compatible with DJI GO 4 app.
DJI GO4 app system requirements
- 3 GB of RAM (According to users)
- 64-bit operating system
- Android 6.0 or above / iOS 11.0 or above.
Phones and tablets which compatible with the DJI GO4 app
| Iphones & Ipads | Huawei | Samsung | OPPO |
| iPhone 12 Pro Max iPhone 12 Pro iPhone 12 iPhone 12 Mini iPhone 11 Pro Max iPhone 11 Pro iPhone 11 iPhone XS Max iPhone XS iPhone XR iPhone X iPhone 8 Plus iPhone 8 iPhone 7 Plus iPhone 7 iPhone 6S Plus iPhone 6S iPhone 6 Plus iPhone 6 iPad Pro – 9.7 inch iPad Air 2 – 9.7 inch iPad Mini 4 – 8 inch iPad Pro – 10.5 inch iPad Pro 2018 – 11 inch iPad Pro – 12.9 inch | Huawei Mate 40 Pro Huawei Mate 30 Pro Huawei P40 Pro Huawei P30 pro Huawei P30 Huawei P20 Huawei P10 Huawei Mate 20 Pro Huawei Mate 10 Huawei Nova 5 Huawei Nova 4 Huawei Nova 3e Honor 8X Honor V10 Honor 9 Honor 20 Pro Honor Magic 2 | Samsung Galaxy S21 Samsung Galaxy S20 Samsung Galaxy S10+ Samsung Galaxy S10 Samsung Galaxy S9+ Samsung Galaxy S9 Samsung Galaxy S8+ Samsung Galaxy S8 Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge Samsung Galaxy S7 Samsung A51 Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ Samsung Galaxy Note 9 Samsung Galaxy Note 8 | OPPO Find X OPPO R15 OPPO Find X2 Pro OPPO Find 2 OPPO Find X OPPO F9 Pro OPPO Ax 5 |
| Xiaomi | Vivo | LG | OnePlus |
| Mi 11 Pro Mi 11 Mi 10 Mi 8 Mi MIX 2S Mi MIX 2 Redmi Note 8 Redmi Note 5 | Vivo NEX Vivo X27 Vivo X21 Vivo X20A Vivo Y83 Vivo V11 Pro | LG V20 LG V30 LG V50 LG G6 LG G7 LG G8 | OnePlus 9 Pro OnePlus 9 OnePlus 7 OnePlus 6T |
Step 2: Update the DJI GO 4 app from the DJI Download center.
- First, uninstall the currently installed DJI GO 4 app version from the device. This would clear app data and cache data.
- Visit the DJI Downloads center using your mobile device.
- Choose DJI GO 4 app. Then you’ll be directed to the app’s download page.
If you are an IOS user,
- Tap on the IOS icon and the app would be open in Appstore. Tap on the “GET” button and install the app.
If you are an Android user,
- Tap on the Android icon and the apk file would be downloaded to the mobiles downloads directory. Once it is downloaded visit your downloads directory and click on the downloaded file. Then follow the simple steps prompted by the device and install the app.