DJI Avata App (Explained for Beginners)

Did you get your DJI Avata and are wondering how to use the app or even which app to use?

Worry not, as this is a walkthrough of navigating the Avata app, the various settings available, and how to get the most out of it.

Which app does the DJI Avata use? #

The DJI Avata uses the latest version of the DJI Fly App.

You’re using an outdated version if you already had the DJI Fly App, but it’s not working for Avata. Update the app or uninstall and download the latest version from the DJI website.

Other drones that work with the DJI Fly App include:

DJI Mini 3
DJI Mavic 3 Classic
DJI Mini 3 Pro
DJI Mavic 3
DJI Mini SE
DJI Air 2S
DJI FPV
DJI Mini 2
Mavic Air 2
Mavic Mini

Where can you get the DJI Fly App? #

You must download the app from DJI’s official website in the downloads section (link).

DJI Avata app walkthrough #

DJI provides a convenient way to access the app and change various settings through a touchpad on the right side of the goggles.

All you have to do is swipe through the menu and select the settings you’re looking for as you see them through the goggles.

Below are the main finger movements you can take on the touch panel and what they mean.

Swipe from bottom to top – This gives you access to the camera settings.
Swipe from top to bottom – This opens the shortcut menu with features like head tracking, screen lock, and record button.
Swipe from right to left – This gives you access to the menu you have opened before you can start navigating it.
Swipe up/down/right/left – This allows you to navigate the menu, selecting the desired features.
Single tap – This allows you to confirm or select a feature on the menu.
Tap with two fingers – This allows you to move back.
Tap and hold with two fingers – This lets you lock and unlock the screen.

When playing a video, this is how you can control the playback through the touch panel.

Swipe left/right – This allows you to fast forward or rewind.
Swipe up and down – Increase and decrease the volume.
Tap once with one finger – Pause or play the playback.

With that in mind, below are the main menus/settings and how to use the touchpad to access them.

Home #

This is the default menu when the drone is connected to the controller and the goggles. Besides seeing the live footage of what the drone sees, below are other features on the Home menu in a clockwise motion.

SD card information – This shows how much footage the remaining SD card space can hold.
Gimbal tilt bar that shows the gimbal’s tilt angle.
Notification bar that updates you on things like a change in modes or low battery levels.
Goggles battery level.
GPS strength depending on the number of satellites found. Make sure you are in an open space to access the satellites faster.
Video bitrate – This shows how fast the live video is being rendered. A higher bitrate means you should get better live video transmission.
Signal strength and video transmission strength – This will frequently change since signal strength is affected by distance, interference from other objects, or weather.
Battery time left.
Drone battery levels.
Altitude when the drone is higher than 30 feet from the ground.
Flight telemetry info such as distance from the Home Point, aircraft speed, vertical distance, and speed.
Flight modes – This shows the mode you are in. You can only access Normal and Sport when using the Motion Controller, but you can switch to Manual Mode with the DJI FPV controller.
Home Point – This shows you the saved Home Point location. You can use it to navigate back home, update it if you are on the move, or confirm the location is accurate before taking off.

Top/shortcut menu #

To access this menu, swipe with one finger on the touchpad from top to bottom. This should bring down a menu with the following items from left to right.

Refer to the finger prompts mentioned earlier since that’s how you will access the items in the menu.

Record button – This functions like the record button on your controller, but it’s also good to have it on the app. You can take photos and start and stop recording in photo and video modes.
Screen lock – This feature allows you to lock the screen so that if you accidentally touch the touchpad when flying, nothing will come up on the screen.This is convenient when actively flying, where one slight distraction from a menu you didn’t expect could lead to a crash.To activate it, tap the pad with two fingers and hold until the padlock icon locks and turns red. To unlock, tap and hold with two fingers.
Enhanced display – This increases the contrast of the live footage. You can choose to have it on or off.
Head tracking – This allows you to control the drone’s yaw by moving your head. However, it only works with the Motion Controller.
Brightness – Don’t let this be too dark to make sure you can see clearly, but not too bright that it drains the battery.
Volume – Increase or decrease the volume of the notifications.

Main Menu #

To access this menu, swipe from left to right with one finger. You should see the following from top to bottom.

Status – This gives you alerts related to your drone and also allows you to switch the aircraft connected to the drone.
Album – Here, you can access the preview of the footage on the SD card.

Transmission #

Here, you can broadcast your footage live. Go to the same setting, click on Audiences, and select your drone to see the live footage.

Secondly, you can toggle Focus Mode on or off. Focus Mode is a feature that allows the drone to focus on good-quality transmission to the center of the screen in case of a drop in transmission strength.

When it’s on, you will note significant blurring on the edges and a better resolution in the middle. When it’s off, you will note a drop in resolution on the whole screen.

Lastly, you can switch the channels. You can change the frequency, bandwidth, and channel in Manual Mode. You can always leave this on auto since the firmware will select the best settings for your location.

Settings #

This is where most of the drone settings will be.

Safety #

Here, you set parameters such as maximum distance and height. You also set the RTH altitude, update the Home Point, and set the failsafe in case of a lost connection (RTH is the best option unless flying indoors).

In the Advanced Safety Settings, you can also switch on AirSense to get notifications of low-flying manned aircraft and Emergency Propeller Stop, where if you push the sticks down and out or down and in, the drone will lose power and crash.

You can also calibrate the IMU and Compass in general safety settings.

Camera View before Loss is also a safety feature that allows you to find your drone based on the last footage recorded.

Below it, you also have the option to toggle ESC beeping on, allowing you to find the drone through the beeps.

Control #

Here, you adjust the remote controller settings, such as selecting the stick mode, customizing the buttons, or adjusting the responsiveness for the drone and the gimbal.

You can also adjust the invert horizontal swipe, switch Turtle Mode on or off, and calibrate the gimbal and the controller.

Camera #

Here, you get access to all camera settings such as:

Aspect ratios
Grid lines
ISO
Stabilization system (HorizonSteady or RockSteady)
ISO limit
Switch between recording options
Access storage
Format the SD cards
Reset camera settings to default

You can also access the camera on the home screen by swiping from bottom to top. This shortcut gives you access to the primary camera settings without hiding the live footage.

Display #

Here, you adjust the brightness and display scaling or hide the Home Point when you want to.

About #

This gives you information about the drone, such as the model, serial number, and firmware versions on all the devices, etc., and allows you to reset everything to factory settings.

More #

Here, you can connect your goggles to your phone or laptop to practice flying on the DJI Avata simulator. Below it is an option to stream content from your computer, such as YouTube videos, to your goggles.