Someone explain to my why I have to do this? Why isn’t in the play store?
(FYI: I tried to install, my pixle 5 phone rejected it.)
If someone could fill me in, I’m having a bit of buyers remorse now - kinda thinking I shouldn’t have spent money on this now…
You need it to do an initial activation & firmware updates. I was able to click through a prompt on my phone and allow it anyway (I got blocked initially).
It also allows you to easily control a drone via the app, and to more quickly download files.
@Nadine thanks for the reply!
I was able to go and turn on some override, but my phone rejected the installation due to security risks.
So if I don’t open anything I should be able to get a full refund if I send everything back, right? Because I’m not down with this sideways security stuff.
@RemotePilot Downloading an APK is no less safe than installing something from the Play Store, because Google barely checks anything that goes on there anyways. In fact, all the Play Store app actually does when you download an app is facilitate the downloading, unpacking, and staging of an APK. As long as you download the package from the official DJI website, you are perfectly safe. Pixels require an additional step to allow the app to be installed successfully. There are several other older posts on this sub that go into detail on what those steps are if you search for them.
Unfortunately, like it or not, nobody else in the market can even come remotely close to comparing with DJI’s products. They are both vastly superior to and less expensive than all of their competition. Closest was probably Autel a couple of years ago, but they’ve since fallen behind too. There are some options at the low-end that compete with the Mini 2SE and the Neo, but there is no viable alternative on the market that can touch the utter dominance of the Mini 3, Mini 4 Pro, Air 3, or Mavic 3 Pro, and it doesn’t look like anyone is poised to strike at them anytime soon…
@RemotePilot You can still override it and install it assuming your phone is compatible (there is some minimum OS version requirement).
It is not in appstore because DJI decided it wasn’t worth following all policies of the app stored and their user base didn’t complain. I don’t remember which exact policies they didn’t follow though.
@RemotePilot Depends on where you bought it, but yeah you should be able to get a full refund especially if it’s not even used.
If you have access to a computer, you don’t need the app unless you have a drone with a controller that requires your phone to function (RC-N1/N2/N3). If you have a drone that came with an RC/RC2/RC Pro, one of the FPV drones (FPV, Avata, Avata 2), or the Neo, you can just use the DJI Assistant 2 (Consumer Drone Series) program on your computer to do the initial activation and firmware updates via a USB cable, and do any binding manually through the button shortcuts on the drone/controller/goggles (usually just holding the power button down until the unit goes into pairing mode). Even though my LG Velvet took the app, I don’t use it very often, as none of my drones need to connect to my phone to fly (I only fly my Neo FPV).
Sucks man. Is there a different phone you can use just for flying your drone? Or get the RC with the screen
I was looking and there are a few model of phones that aren’t compatible
Its not on the play store because DJI packed it with SecNeo, this makes the app unable to be reverse engineered and the contents of the code cannot be examined by Google or anyone else. Why? Because CCP/PLA that’s why.
@kheedmartial This is the sort of reply I was looking for. Cheers!
The ability to side load apps is probably one of the top 5 reasons I use an Android device.
Turn on USB Debugging and install it through ADB (adb install whatever.apk). If it won’t be able to install it, ADB will tell you exactly the problem. Instead of the dumb-useless popups of Android. I assume minSDK.
@Jean Yeah or just dl the fly app, allow installs from “untrusted” sources and go about your day.
All this US government law against this company and all of its practices… It’s starting to make sense now. I’m not saying that I support it, FAAAAR from it, but I can see how their argument is easily derived when the first thing you encounter when trying to use this product is this.
@RemotePilot This is bullshit Argumentation.
DJI isn’t the first and won’t be the last usefully app not being in the Play store.
But yeah, better you return it, it looks like it’s not your thing.
You have to do a bit.of the work by yourself (as of educating yourself about drones, getting licenses etc), so if the side loading (download the APK from DJI straight and allow foreign once to be installed) is too much for you, you will not be happy with DJI.
@JamesHenry Yeah I think I’ll just go back to analog, they’re making leaps and bounds.
@RemotePilot In that case change your username to AnalogTech_Visions…
@RemotePilot Dont even use that as an excuse… The government crap is Skydio shoving their cock down the governments throat.