DJI Mavic Air 2 phone app recomendation

[corsair]

Hello.
I just obtained a DJI Mavic Air 2 drone.
1) Does anyone know what phone app to use with this drone?
2) Could this drone be flown without the app?
Thank you for any assistance that one can render.
- Jim

[xviper]

I have the DJI Mini 2. I need the iphone for the video screen and some of the control and recording features. Your Air 2 remote is likely the same as mine. The phone needs the app so it can communicate with the drone for telemetry of all the readouts and to control the recording features and some flying features. Your owners manual should tell you specifically which APP is required. It's likely the same as mine - "DJI Fly".
So, no, it won't fly without the APP and the phone. The APP is kind of like a nanny. It has all the areas in N. America where you are not allowed to fly the thing (Geofencing). You have to register yourself within the APP and no matter where you go, it will know where the drone is and knows where you can and can't fly. Eg. At one of my flying fields, I can fly almost anywhere except in one particular direction. Once I reach the Geofence, it just stops and won't go any further. I believe you can contact DJI and request them to consider removing the fence at specific locations but you have to have an acceptable reason. I believe they are bound by the FAA and DOT (Canada) to these nannies built in. This is the one thing I don't like about DJI.

[corsair]

Thank You XVIPER.
Your above information is very helpful and informative!! So, I went to download the app from the QR code found on the 'Quick Start Guide,' and
I got this message: "Your phone and personal data are more vulnerable to attack by unknown apps. By installing apps from this source, you agree that you are responsible for any damage to your phone or loss of data that may result from their use."
Is that something to be concerned about?
Did you get that message, when you downloaded the app for your DJI Mini 2?
However, if you did not get that message, I have an idea.
Would it work, if you took a picture of your QR code and placed it here, would it work for me to scan the pictured QR code and see if it works? Just a thought!
Also, I received this drone, from a friend of mine who recently passed away. I think it is about 3-4 years old. So I also wonder about that QR code that is on the Quick Start Guide, now being - valid.
Thank you again.

[xviper]

Now that you mention it, I do recall getting a warning like that. I installed it anyway. So far, it hasn't done anything weird to my phone. Here is the QR out of my quick start guide. It's probably the same as yours. However, you could simply just go to the APP store or Android store and get it there without the QR. Just search DJI Fly.

[corsair]

Hello again xviper. Thank you for sending a pic of your qr code. Technology is amazing, as I was able to download the app, from the picture of yours - on my computer. I will give it a try and let you know how it goes!! Thank you again!!!!!

[corsair]

The app downloaded. Now, I just have to figure out how to use it. With all of the stuff in it, I really think that I need a '5th grader' to help me with it.

[xviper]

Try to find the complete manual and download it. Even without it, you should be able to follow the prompts. You may be able to use it right away but you might have to register as a new owner. Once that's done, you shouldn't have to do much with your account. There is a kind of manual built into the APP. Find it and go through it. You don't need the drone on to do this.
If you can use it without registering, make sure both the controller and the drone are charged up. Place your phone into the controller and hook it up to the cable that's tucked in there. (You may need an adapter for today's newer phones.) Turn on the controller (transmitter - TX) and turn on the drone in a place where it can secure all the satellites it needs - clear line of sight to the sky. You can use it indoors but it won't have any of the automated features like auto take off and Return to Home and land. You fly it manually using the joy sticks. Just be gentle with the stick movements indoors.
If outside, give it at least a couple minutes to find all the sats it needs. Last I recall it needs between 5 to 8 satellites. Once it has them all, it will know the "home" position. Use the auto take off on the screen. It will rise to a designated height (about 6 feet), then you can fly it using the sticks. To be sure it has enough sats, fly it out about 50 feet and try to RTH using the button on the screen. If it comes back and lands and shuts off, it's good. Now you can fly it manually and know that if you get lost or lose sight of it, you can hit RTH and it'll come back. Get used to the telemetry that shows you the altitude, distance from your position and battery level. Even with the screen showing you what it's looking at, it's still easy to not know where it is. Don't fly too long or the battery will get too low and it'll default to RTH all on its own.

[corsair]

Omg, you are a wealth of information and highly appreciated. Thank you for all of your help here!!!!!
So, in regards to the Return To Home feature, if I fly the drone from "Point A" and then land it right back there at "Point A", and then sometime later, I move (drive my car - miles away) waaaaaay over to "Point B," will the drone recognize it's new location - as home?
So if I now take off from "Point B" and fly around and then hit the Return to Home button, will the drone come back and land at "Point B?"
I guess what I mean here is, does the drone automatically know that it has a new starting home point and updates itself, OR does one have to put that new starting home point manually into the drone somehow?
Thank you again xviper. You are a very huge help!!!!!
Regards and respect.
Jim

[xviper]

Everytime you power off and the next time you power up, it will fix the home position at the latest power up. So, to answer your question, yes. Just make sure it sits long enough to acquire all the satellites it needs. Give it at least couple of minutes with a direct line of site to the sky (ie, no tall buildings/trees too close). Always check the RTH function at the beginning of the flight, say, after you fly out about 50 feet. When it gets back near you, you can disable RTH and continue to fly at will. The drone may also be limited to 400' above ground as it is for me in Canada. But know that even if it's only 400' straight up above you, you won't see it if you blink too long. If you ever lose sight of it, hit RTH immediately. Don't spend a lot of time trying to find it. You likely won't. If you're too close to an airport or one of its flight paths, it won't allow you to go there. Any other type of drone, you can but you'll get arrested. Where I am, the fine can max out at $10,000.00. Know where your "no fly zones" are.
As an aside, since your drone is less than 250g, you don't need a license, but still can't break any regulations. More than that and you'll need what we call a "Beginners" or an "Advance" license if within an airport control zone.

[corsair]

Thank you - very much - for helping me out here!!!!! Your answer and added information is highly appreciated. I am glad that with GPS, the drone automatically recognizes the RTH home point, every time it starts up.
Oh, our 'ceiling limit' here is also 400' agl (above ground level). That is a very good idea to not waste time looking for the drone at a far away distance. These things are quite small compared to my fixed wing r c airplanes that are quite visible at a long distance away.
I will try the RTH function procedure, that you mentioned, at the beginning of each flight. And I did discover how to change the readout measurements from metric to imperial (feet)!
I also like that it will not let one fly, where one shouldn't be flying near anyway. There are some less than intelligent drone flyers out there, that have really mucked things up for us in R C!
So, xviper, you have been a great help. And if you ever move down here, I would vote for you for president!!!!!

Thank you again.
Jim

[xviper]

And if you ever move down here, I would vote for you for president!!!!!

You better not let that get out. Pressure could be applied and your boss might fire you.

[corsair]

Ha ha, but I have been retired for a few years now, sooooooo, no one can fire me. And even my wife likes me quite a bit. And she has only thought of firing me on a few - to maybe several - different occasions, when she let me do some laundry and some of her clothes, and when they were done, had been mysteriously transformed into different sizes, than when I had originally put them in!!
So, I think that maybe I have figured out why a note was put up on the laundry room door, stating something to the effect that: "BEFORE attempting to do laundry unassisted, PLEASE Ask how to do it!" And here I thought that laundry machines just simply sat there and then the insides just joyously spun around like amazing aircraft propellers!! But who in their right mind would know that one should have maybe read some "doing laundry" instructions first?

[xviper]

I'm not allowed to do her laundry no more.

[corsair]

Hmmmmm, you must have done a 'better job' than me, ha ha. Because I still get to do the laundry though.