DJI Fly app missing from the Play Store - Why?

Hey everyone, I just got my first DJI drone (Mini 3), and I was surprised to find out that the app needed to control the drone isn’t available on the Android Play Store.

I did some searching, and apparently, you can download a .apk from their website, but it feels a bit weird to me.

Does anyone know why it’s not on the Play Store? It just seems strange.

This is crazy! I can’t load external apk files because of secure login issues. This is not okay at all since it’s a risk to install an app this way.

Aydin1 said:
This is crazy! I can’t load external apk files because of secure login issues. This is not okay at all since it’s a risk to install an app this way.

This is not okay since it’s a risk to install an app this way.

That’s not true. When you download from the Play Store, it’s the same apk file. The only risk is that Google hasn’t officially checked it, but Google’s checks aren’t always thorough either. Lots of apps on the Play Store can still access your info if you give permission.

Breitner said:

Aydin1 said:
This is crazy! I can’t load external apk files because of secure login issues. This is not okay at all since it’s a risk to install an app this way.

This is not okay since it’s a risk to install an app this way.

That’s not true. When you download from the Play Store, it’s the same apk file. The only risk is that Google hasn’t officially checked it, but Google’s checks aren’t always thorough either. Lots of apps on the Play Store can still access your info if you give permission.

Google’s checks aren’t always thorough

Exactly, which makes it even worse. If they failed Google’s checks, they’re probably doing something sketchy.

I.kyle1 said:

Breitner said:
Aydin1 said:
This is crazy! I can’t load external apk files because of secure login issues. This is not okay at all since it’s a risk to install an app this way.

This is not okay since it’s a risk to install an app this way.

That’s not true. When you download from the Play Store, it’s the same apk file. The only risk is that Google hasn’t officially checked it, but Google’s checks aren’t always thorough either. Lots of apps on the Play Store can still access your info if you give permission.

Google’s checks aren’t always thorough

Exactly, which makes it even worse. If they failed Google’s checks, they’re probably doing something sketchy.

[deleted]

Miles said:

I.kyle1 said:
Breitner said:
Aydin1 said:
This is crazy! I can’t load external apk files because of secure login issues. This is not okay at all since it’s a risk to install an app this way.

This is not okay since it’s a risk to install an app this way.

That’s not true. When you download from the Play Store, it’s the same apk file. The only risk is that Google hasn’t officially checked it, but Google’s checks aren’t always thorough either. Lots of apps on the Play Store can still access your info if you give permission.

Google’s checks aren’t always thorough

Exactly, which makes it even worse. If they failed Google’s checks, they’re probably doing something sketchy.

[deleted]

Hey there, President Xi! Having a boring Sunday?

Miles said:

I.kyle1 said:
Breitner said:
Aydin1 said:
This is crazy! I can’t load external apk files because of secure login issues. This is not okay at all since it’s a risk to install an app this way.

This is not okay since it’s a risk to install an app this way.

That’s not true. When you download from the Play Store, it’s the same apk file. The only risk is that Google hasn’t officially checked it, but Google’s checks aren’t always thorough either. Lots of apps on the Play Store can still access your info if you give permission.

Google’s checks aren’t always thorough

Exactly, which makes it even worse. If they failed Google’s checks, they’re probably doing something sketchy.

[deleted]

Well, it’s not like they don’t do that. They just collect everything on your device when you open the app. Tech companies in China are required to share their data with the government.

EvansBrown12 said:

Miles said:
I.kyle1 said:
Breitner said:
Aydin1 said:
This is crazy! I can’t load external apk files because of secure login issues. This is not okay at all since it’s a risk to install an app this way.

This is not okay since it’s a risk to install an app this way.

That’s not true. When you download from the Play Store, it’s the same apk file. The only risk is that Google hasn’t officially checked it, but Google’s checks aren’t always thorough either. Lots of apps on the Play Store can still access your info if you give permission.

Google’s checks aren’t always thorough

Exactly, which makes it even worse. If they failed Google’s checks, they’re probably doing something sketchy.

Well, it’s not like they don’t do that. They just collect everything on your device when you open the app. Tech companies in China are required to share their data with the government.

I’d rather have the Chinese government spying on me than my own.

surveylance said:

EvansBrown12 said:
Miles said:
I.kyle1 said:
Breitner said:
Aydin1 said:
This is crazy! I can’t load external apk files because of secure login issues. This is not okay at all since it’s a risk to install an app this way.

This is not okay since it’s a risk to install an app this way.

That’s not true. When you download from the Play Store, it’s the same apk file. The only risk is that Google hasn’t officially checked it, but Google’s checks aren’t always thorough either. Lots of apps on the Play Store can still access your info if you give permission.

Google’s checks aren’t always thorough

Exactly, which makes it even worse. If they failed Google’s checks, they’re probably doing something sketchy.

Well, it’s not like they don’t do that. They just collect everything on your device when you open the app. Tech companies in China are required to share their data with the government.

I’d rather have the Chinese government spying on me than my own.

Why?

Aydin1 said:
This is crazy! I can’t load external apk files because of secure login issues. This is not okay at all since it’s a risk to install an app this way.

Downloading an APK from a known company like DJI isn’t unsafe. Just because it’s not from the Play Store doesn’t make it unsafe. If you download the right file, you’re good. Also, the Play Store has had malware before, so it’s not foolproof either.

It’s been off the Play Store for years, something about security concerns.

Jamesfavor said:
It’s been off the Play Store for years, something about security concerns.

Real security concerns. Look at the permissions it asks for…

Rhea said:

Jamesfavor said:
It’s been off the Play Store for years, something about security concerns.

Real security concerns. Look at the permissions it asks for…

Haha, good one. But seriously, it’s on the Apple Store, so what’s the difference?

Daredevil said:

Rhea said:
Jamesfavor said:
It’s been off the Play Store for years, something about security concerns.

Real security concerns. Look at the permissions it asks for…

Haha, good one. But seriously, it’s on the Apple Store, so what’s the difference?

Apple doesn’t take responsibility for what they do. You’re the one who gives the permissions for your phone, contacts, and location.

Rhea said:

Daredevil said:
Rhea said:
Jamesfavor said:
It’s been off the Play Store for years, something about security concerns.

Real security concerns. Look at the permissions it asks for…

Haha, good one. But seriously, it’s on the Apple Store, so what’s the difference?

Apple doesn’t take responsibility for what they do. You’re the one who gives the permissions for your phone, contacts, and location.

Apple still has some responsibility since they approve apps before they go live on the store.

EvansBrown12 said:

Rhea said:
Daredevil said:
Rhea said:
Jamesfavor said:
It’s been off the Play Store for years, something about security concerns.

Real security concerns. Look at the permissions it asks for…

Haha, good one. But seriously, it’s on the Apple Store, so what’s the difference?

Apple doesn’t take responsibility for what they do. You’re the one who gives the permissions for your phone, contacts, and location.

Apple still has some responsibility since they approve apps before they go live on the store.

Nope. Apple’s checks are just about their rules, not your security. They just want to make sure in-app purchases go through their system.

Daredevil said:

Rhea said:
Jamesfavor said:
It’s been off the Play Store for years, something about security concerns.

Real security concerns. Look at the permissions it asks for…

Haha, good one. But seriously, it’s on the Apple Store, so what’s the difference?

Apple locks down their platform, while Android is more open. Android might let something slip, but Apple is stricter about the code.

Hi! Sorry about this. You can’t download the app from the Play Store right now because we’ve changed how the DJI app works with it. You can get the app from our website instead. The app will work just fine, and you don’t need to worry. Remember to always download from official sources. Thanks for your support!

Amanda said:
Hi! Sorry about this. You can’t download the app from the Play Store right now because we’ve changed how the DJI app works with it. You can get the app from our website instead. The app will work just fine, and you don’t need to worry. Remember to always download from official sources. Thanks for your support!

Because we’ve changed how the DJI app works with it

Can you explain what changed?

I think most people consider the Play Store as the official place to get apps, so if you’re worried about fake apps, you could just link directly to it on your website.

Julius said:

Amanda said:
Hi! Sorry about this. You can’t download the app from the Play Store right now because we’ve changed how the DJI app works with it. You can get the app from our website instead. The app will work just fine, and you don’t need to worry. Remember to always download from official sources. Thanks for your support!

Because we’ve changed how the DJI app works with it

Can you explain what changed?

I think most people consider the Play Store as the official place to get apps, so if you’re worried about fake apps, you could just link directly to it on your website.

Thanks for your suggestion. You can use the QR code on the box to download the app. We’ll pass your feedback to the team. Thanks again for your support!