DJI Mini 2 Issues: 7 Things You Should Know (Must-Read)

The DJI Mini 2 is one of the most popular DJI drones. That’s because it strikes a balance between professionalism and hobbies. On the one hand, it shoots 4K at 30 fps, has an optimized gimbal, and has a 30-minute flight time. 

As another bonus, it weighs less than 250 grams, so you don’t have to register it unless you’ll be using it for commercial purposes. But like any other electronic device, the Mini 2 has issues we can’t ignore. So, what are the main DJI Min 2 issues?

Battery not discharging, connection failures between a drone and a controller or a smartphone and a controller, not charging, and instability are some of the issues you may face with the DJI Mini 2.

Please keep reading to learn more about these DJI Mini 2 issues and how to fix them.

1. DJI Mini 2 not turning on
2. DJI Mini 2 not connecting to the controller
3. DJI Mini 2 not connecting to phone
4. DJI Mini 2 not charging
5. DJI Mini 2 not taking off
6. DJI Mini 2 not hovering in place (not stable)
7. How do you factory reset a DJI Mini 2?

1. DJI Mini 2 not turning on #

If you tried to switch on your drone and nothing happened, below are some of the reasons this could be happening.

You’re doing it wrong #

As a beginner, it’s easy to assume that a drone will switch on like most devices by pressing the power button once. But that’s not the case with DJI Mini 2. To switch on a Mini 2, you have to press the power button once, then press it a second time and hold for at least 3 seconds. If everything else is working, your drone will power on and will be ready for use.

If you need a few tips on how to turn off your DJI drone, check out our article on this topic here »

The battery isn’t charged #

This often happens if you leave your batteries for some time (more on this later) or when you’ve just bought your drone and want to test it right away. If it’s the latter, all you need to do is fully charge your battery. 

The best way to charge the Mini 2 is through the charging hub, which is included when purchasing the Fly More Combo. To know if the batteries are fully charged, observe the LEDs as follows:

• All LEDs are on and not blinking – Charge levels above 80%
• Three LEDs solid and one LED blinking – Charge levels between 50 to 75%
• Two solid LEDs and 2 Blinking LEDs – Charge levels between 0 and 50%

We have discussed all you need to know about DJI Mini 2 batteries in this post »

Damaged chargers #

Another reason your batteries may not have any charge could be because the chargers are damaged. Sometimes, the charging hub will charge the battery halfway or not at all. I don’t think there’s any easy way to repair a charger, so the best thing you can do is replace it.

DJI Mini 2 power button not working #

This is another reason your drone could be failing to power up. In most cases, dust and debris have stuck in the button, preventing it from going all the way to initiate the booting process. 

You can clean the button by blowing some air or choose to replace it if you’re experienced in doing that. If not, find a verified DJI vendor or technician or ship the drone back to them for fixing.

Damaged batteries #

If you left your batteries for some time, they could be damaged. Drones use LiPo batteries which, even though they are the most powerful for RC devices, are quite sensitive. Below are some factors that can damage them:

Damp or wet conditions #

If you have flown in fog or rainy conditions or stored your batteries in damp areas, you may have compromised your batteries and rendered them useless. For instance, water can cause short circuits, causing the drone to crash instantly. 

However, water damage doesn’t always manifest instantly or in a dramatic event. It also causes corrosion. And flying in fog, landing in wet areas, or being stored in damp areas help accelerate the corrosion process. And before you realize it, the batteries are beyond repair.

Too high or too cold temperatures  #

LiPo batteries are made of chemicals that, if exposed to very high temperatures, could cause a fire. To avoid this, make sure you store the batteries in a fireproof bag. 

At the other end of the spectrum, cold temperatures also compromise how batteries function (more on this in a minute). Always store these batteries in a cool and dry place, preferably between 71.6 degrees F and 86 degrees F.

Failure to discharge  #

DJI manufactures smart batteries which are designed to self-discharge to the optimal charge levels for storage.  However, the Mini 2 came with an issue, which DJI hadn’t warned about, but they later acknowledged it and fixed it in a recent update. 

What used to happen is, if you left the batteries in the charging hub or the drone, they would not discharge. And as you probably already know, storing the batteries when fully charged could damage them. You had to remove the batteries from the hub or the drone for them to discharge. 

So, if you’ve not updated your firmware, this could be one of the reasons your drone is not be powering up.

Blocked or damaged connectors #

If you’re certain the batteries are okay, the issue could be dirt and debris in the battery port. Or worse, some of the pins could be damaged. 

You can use compressed air or a soft brush to clean the debris along this area and try again. If the pins are broken, you might have to seek a professional to help fix or replace them.

Not allowing the batteries to cool down #

After flying for some time, the batteries are hot, and charging them immediately wears them out further or even damages them. After flying, let the batteries cool down for at least 30 minutes before charging them. 

The same case applies to the drone itself. One of the reasons drones like the Mini 2 are designed to last 30 minutes is because the propellers can’t rotate continuously for a very long time. If they do, the drone too gets too hot and could explode, considering the battery is in there. The rotors also wear out faster.

It’s too cold #

If you’re trying to fly in very cold temperatures, your drone may fail to switch on. As mentioned earlier, very low temperatures inhibit how the batteries function. The lowest temperature a DJI Mini 2 can handle is 14 degrees F.

2. DJI Mini 2 not connecting to the controller #

This issue can be frustrating. You’re ready to fly your drone, but once you get to the site, the drone won’t connect to the controller. But before I describe what the issue could be, let’s first briefly review how to connect the Mini 2 to the controller to make sure you’re doing it right.

1. Switch on the drone and the controller, and the smartphone.
2. Connect the smartphone to the controller.
3. On the DJI Fly app, go to “Connect to Aircraft.”
4. Tap on the Settings icon on the top right, then tap on Control
5. Scroll until you find Connect to Aircraft and tap on it.
6. The controller will start beeping with the 4 LEDs flashing.
7. Tap the drone’s power button and hold for at least 4 seconds.
8. The drone will beep once, and the LEDs will flash in sequence, initiating the connection process.
9. If the process is successful, both the drone’s and RC’s LEDs will stop flashing, and you’ll see the drone’s live footage on the mobile device.

Fixing DJI Mini 2 pairing issues #

It turns out, a very simple error when naming the SD card can cause pairing issues. As discussed in this thread and this thread, the Mini 2 prefers short names. If you use very long names on your files, it may cause a pairing issue. 

Users have been able to fix this issue by formatting the SD card before using it on the drone. Besides naming problems, you could have added files in the SD card only for them to cause the drone’s firmware to malfunction. Windows also has its own file naming system that could alter how you name files on the drone. 

Either way, reformatting the SD card before use seems to fix this issue.

3. DJI Mini 2 not connecting to phone #

This is another frustrating issue that happens in many drones. If your controller can’t connect to the smartphone, you can’t view the footage, and you can’t even access camera settings, altitude settings, and other crucial adjustments you may need to make on the drone.

If you’re facing this issue, one of the following could be happening:

Smartphone compatibility #

Some beginners often overlook this aspect, but not all smartphones can run the DJI Fly App. Spend some time in the drone forums, and you’ll find some drone users even returned the drones thinking they were damaged, only to realize their smartphone was not compatible. 

Knowing which smartphones will work with your drone’s app will save you lots of time and avoid all of this trouble.

Currently, the DJI FLY APP requires the following specs.

• iPhone 11.0 and above
• Android 6.0 and above
• 64-bit system

DJI lists Samsung, Pixel, Oppo, and Mi as some of the smartphone brands known to work with their app, but they are always updating this list.

Connection issues #

Sometimes, the connection between the controller and the mobile device fails due to how the cables function. The cable provided by the manufacturer has two types of pins, the power pins, and the data pins. Power pins are longer and easily connect, that’s why you’ll find the controller is charging the smartphone, but you still can’t see live footage. 

There are two reasons why the data pins may not reach far enough; debris or they’re too short. Before trying anything else, try to clean the debris with compressed air. If that fails, dig out the debris with a soft brush.

If you think the pins are too short, find a way to adjust the pins’ length to ensure they transfer data between the smartphone and the controller. Buying new cables with better pins can also work.

You’ve selected the wrong option #

When you connect any USB device to your smartphone, you always get a prompt to choose between charging and data transfer. You should always choose file transfer when using it with your drone.

Check the firmware #

The controller is a mini-computer on its own, with both firmware and hardware. Like with the drone, you should also make sure the controller’s firmware is up to date. You should also make sure you’re using the latest version of the DJI Fly app.

Low battery levels #

If your smartphone or controller has very low battery levels, the connection between them may fail. Checking the battery levels of all the devices is part of the standard flight check.

The controller could be damaged #

If your smartphone is compatible and everything else checks out, then the RC could be damaged, or the settings could have changed. This often happens if you drop it too much or when you’re updating your drone. 

If you think this may be the case, try resetting the controller to a previous version of firmware, and allow it to update into the new one. If everything else fails, you may have to look for a local technician or ship the drone back to DJI and get a replacement.

Other ways to fix this issue #

• Log out of the DJI Fly app, log in again, and then retry connecting.
• Switch off any background apps running on the smartphone. Bluetooth, WiFi, and other basic phone operations interfere with the connection between a drone and a smartphone. You can also try using the phone in flight mode.
• Get a smart controller. The DJI smart controller is an all-in-one device featuring a screen, joy-sticks, the app, and everything else you can find in a controller and a smartphone. The DJI Mini 2 was not compatible with the controller until after a recent update. The controller is also compatible with the Phantom 4 V2.0, Mavic Enterprise Series, and Mavic Air 2.
• Instead of connecting the cable directly into the controller, get an OTG device and connect it to the cable, then connect the other end of the OTG into the controller, as the video shows.

4. DJI Mini 2 not charging #

As mentioned earlier, there are three reasons why your drone could not be charging;

• Damaged batteries
• Damaged charger
• Damaged connectors or cables

Unfortunately, there isn’t much you can do to fix them. It’s always easier to replace them with new ones. But the batteries can be quite expensive. With that in mind, below is a summary of ways to prevent the DJI Mini 2 batteries from being damaged.

• Store the batteries in temperatures ranging from 74.6 degrees F to 86 degrees F.
• Allow the batteries to cool down after flying before charging them again.
• Ensure you update the drone and battery to the latest firmware to benefit from the updates.
• Store the batteries in fireproof bags.
• Avoid flying or storing batteries in wet or damp areas.
• Never store the batteries when fully charged.
• Don’t drain the batteries to zero before recharging them.

5. DJI Mini 2 not taking off #

Below are some reasons why your drone may fail to take off and how to fix them.

Potential damage after a crash #

Drone crashes are inevitable at times. They can be caused by a strong wind, hacking, electromagnetic interference, or the batteries being depleted. After a crash, your drone may look fine, but you may not realize that there’s internal damage that will prevent the drone from flying. 

That’s why it’s always important to analyze the drone after a crash to make sure everything works as it’s supposed to. Check the propellers, motors, wires, and all other components. 

Propellers are the first part that gets affected in a crash, and they’ll often stop spinning, and you’ll have to replace them. A technician can also help detect more complex damage and fix it.

GeoFencing #

Most DJI drones, including the Mini 2, are designed not to fly in restricted airspace, also known as No-Fly zones. These areas include schools, prisons, army bases, airports, the White House, etc. Unless you have a workaround against this restriction, your drone will not take off.

Poor GPS connection #

The Mini 2 relies on GPS for stability and navigation, especially when in beginner mode. And GPS relies on the number of satellites it can connect to at the time of light. The fewer the satellites, the poorer the connection, and the drone might not take off. 

If it does, it will be using Infrared and Visual sensors, and the altitude will be limited to 5 meters.

Improperly installed propellers  #

Drones rely on propellers to take off, hover, pitch, yaw, and roll. To achieve this, each pair of a propeller rotates in a different direction. So, if when replacing the propellers, you installed them wrongly, the drone will not take off. 

Luckily, DJI Mini 2 propellers are marked A and B. A represents the propellers for the upper right arm and lower left arm. The B propellers go to the upper left arm and lower right arm.

Another reason your drone is not taking off could be that the propellers are loose. This may be after installation or after a crash, the propellers will appear wobbly, and they will not generate enough lift. You can fix this by tightening the screws.

6. DJI Mini 2 not hovering in place (not stable) #

The DJI Mini 2 is surprisingly stable despite being very light, unless it’s very windy. But what if the DJI Mini 2 is not stable while it’s very calm outside? Let’s find out.

Poor compass calibration #

You should always conduct a compass or IMU calibration when you first get your drone. This helps the drone know where it is and orient itself based on the Magnetic North. 

After that, you don’t have to always recalibrate. It’s only necessary if the drone isn’t hovering after a crash or a firmware update. You can access the recalibration menu by going to Settings, Control, and scrolling down to Sensors. There you’ll see both the Compass and IMU. The app will guide you on the calibration process.

The controller #

Besides calibrating the compass and IMU, you also need to calibrate the RC to ensure the drone is stable. In most cases, if the controller needs calibration, it will beep quite loudly and won’t stop until you fix it. 

You can find the calibration Menu in Settings – Control – and scroll down to RC Calibration, and the app will guide you.

Weight #

If you’ve altered the drone’s weight, you may cause an imbalance, affecting the hovering motion. Getting a heavy battery, attaching filters, or the gimbal being misplaced are some of the causes of a drone imbalance. 

You can remove any unnecessary filters or find lighter ones, use the batteries provided by DJI, and recalibrate the gimbal to minimize the imbalance.

Damaged motors #

All motors have to be rotating at the same speed to achieve a hover. But if one motor is slower or faster, it makes the drone unstable. Debris such as small grit or threads could be stuck in the motor, slowing it down. Or the motors could be damaged and need to be replaced.

Damaged or loose propellers #

If the propellers are damaged, loose, or your drone’s hull is damaged, the drone may not take off, and when it does, it will not be stable in flight.

7. How do you factory reset a DJI Mini 2? #

Factory resets are crucial, especially when you crash, want to sell your drone, or experience errors after updating the firmware. Unfortunately, DJI Mini 2 lacks a factory reset function. 

In response to one of their customers on Twitter, DJI affirmed that you can’t factory reset a Mini 2 drone. If you experienced an error after updating, you could revert to a previous firmware update using the DJI Assistant 2. 

This is another area DJI Mini 2 owners are unlucky since the DJI Assistant 2 only shows Log Export for the Mini 2.

Luckily, we have explained how exactly you can upgrade and downgrade your Mini 2’s firmware using the DJI Assistant 2 in this post »

Conclusion #

And there you have it. I hope I have addressed most of the DJI Mini 2 issues drone users face. If you’ve encountered a unique issue, just let us know, and we’ll do our best to find ways to fix it. 

Image Credit: Photo by Bruno Yamazaky on Unsplash