Active Track Not Working on My Mavic Air 2 (How to Fix It)

One of the things that makes DJI drones popular among drone enthusiasts is the focus they place on intelligent flight modes. Active Track is one such mode. It is a real success, and nowadays, it is a really good reason for buying drones made by DJI. This flight mode was designed to give you an easier mode to take amazing shots with your drone. However, some owners have had issues with Active Track, especially on newer versions of DJI drones such as the Mavic Air 2. But what is the reason behind this problem and how do you fix it?

Active Track on Mavic Air 2 will not work if your drone is in Sports Mode, and P-mode (Positioning Mode) must be enabled. Active Track will also have trouble if inadequate lighting keeps the subject from being easily recognizable. If your drone’s firmware is out of date, Active Track will not work.

In this article, we will discuss all that relates to Active Track on the Mavic Air 2 drone and much more. So if you’ve run into trouble with Active Track on your Mavic Air 2, read on to get the inside scoop.

Does the Mavic Air 2 have Active Track? #

The DJI Active Track function first came on the scene in 2016 after the Phantom 4 drone was unveiled. This feature revolutionized the ability of aerial photographers to achieve cinematic shots while flying. When you enable Active Track, your drone will follow a particular subject throughout the shot. While intelligently tracking the subject (be it a moving car, person, etc.), the drone will use its sensing systems to maintain safe flight while allowing you to focus more on getting the best shots.

With this power to fly and film like the most experienced aerial photographers, it’s no wonder that this feature has become a mainstay for almost all of the DJI drones released since the Phantom 4 drone.

Is Active Track is available on the Mavic Air 2? The answer is yes! Active Track is available on the Mavic Air 2. This is one of the reasons this particular drone from DJI is a hit with many drone enthusiasts. The Mavic Air 2 is one of the latest drones from DJI, released in April of 2021. So, it only makes sense that it has the Active Track feature, which has become so much in demand by many drone pilots.

Active Track is also available in Mavic 2 Pro, Mavic Pro Alpine White, Mavic Pro, Phantom 4 Pro Advanced, Mavic Pro Platinum, Inspire 2, Mavic 2 Zoom, Phantom 4 Pro, and Spark. It is notably not available on the Mavic Mini or the Mini 2.  

Why is Active Track not working on my Mavic Air 2? #

If you own a drone and are into taking professional and cinematic photos or videos, then there’s a huge chance you know all about Active Track. This feature has become a necessity for most professionals using drones. Most people will buy drones that have this feature built-in, and it isn’t uncommon for someone to forego buying a drone just because it doesn’t have the Active Track function.

So, if you own a Mavic Air 2 and the Active Track feature isn’t functioning the way it should, you are no doubt extremely frustrated. If your drone is in perfect working condition, then there are a few reasons why Active Track may not be working. These reasons include:

1. If your drone is in Sports Mode, then Active Track will not work.  #

The Active Track intelligent flight mode is heavily dependent on various sensors that cannot operate at the top speeds in Sports Mode. So for Active Track to work on your Mavic Air 2, Sports Mode has to be disabled. You’ll have to fly it in a different mode to get Active Track to work.

2. Active Track will not work on your Mavic Air 2 if the firmware is out of date.  #

Always ensure that you have updated to the latest firmware for your drone; otherwise, you’ll have problems with Active Track. Try updating the firmware and see if this resolves the problems with Active Track.

3. Active Track will not work if P-mode is disabled on your drone.  #

Active Track requires a strong GPS signal and the use of your drone’s vision systems for it to work properly. This is only available when P-mode or Positioning mode is enabled. To use Active Track, make sure your drone is set to P-mode.

4. Active Track won’t work if the subject isn’t clearly visible from the surroundings.  #

Active Track will have trouble locking on to an object and following it if it can’t distinguish it from the surroundings. This is usually the case if there isn’t sufficient lighting. So if you’d like Active Track to work on your Mavic Air 2, make sure there is sufficient lighting.

If you check into the above scenarios, your drone should be able to perform the Active Track function with no hiccups. If you are still having issues, you may have to contact DJI customer care.

How do I start Active Track on Mavic Air 2? #

Like all other intelligent flight modes on the Mavic Air 2, you can easily activate the Active Track mode in the Intelligent Flight Modes menu. Here’s exactly how to go about it:

1. Get your Mavic Air 2 drone in the air.
2. In the DJI App screen, you will see a Remote Control icon on the far left. Tap on this icon.
3. From the modes you see, select Active Track. Check to confirm you are in Active Track by looking at the top of the screen for the Drone symbol, which should now say “Active Track”.
4. After this, you need to select what is to be tracked. You can either tap or draw a box around the object. You may have to move the drone or camera to get the object in the shot.
5. A green box will appear around your subject with a “GO” over or next to it.
6. On the right, you can select the Active Track mode you want, i.e., Trace, Profile, or Spotlight.
7. To start tracking the subject, hit the green box with “GO”. Now, if the subject moves, the drone will follow.

Hopefully, if you follow the above tips and configure your drone correctly, Active Track will work just fine on your Mavic Air 2. If you’re still having problems, try contacting DJI, and they should be able to help you figure out what the problem is and help you fix it.