DJI Mini 3 / Mini 3 Pro: How to Connect/Pair RC (Video)

If you own either the DJI Mini 3 or Mini 3 Pro, no doubt you are among the thousands of owners that enjoy flying DJIs most recent Mini line of drones.

After recent firmware updates, the zippy handling can be tuned almost perfectly to anyone’s liking, making the Mini 3 line fun to fly.

Another thing that makes the Mini 3 line so enjoyable to fly is the option to use various DJI remote controllers with the Mini 3.

This article and the included YouTube video will serve as a step-by-step guide showing how to pair the Mini 3 and Mini 3 Pro with either the DJI RC or the DJI RC-N1 remote controllers.

The DJI RC and RC-N1 Controllers #

DJI RC #

Although many new Mini 3 owners might have opted to initially purchase the DJI RC-N1 controller bundle, quite a few are upgrading to the all-in-one DJI RC.

Most importantly to many, the DJI RC allows Mavic 3, Air 2S, and Mini 3/Pro owners to fly with fewer devices. Since the DJI RC has an integrated 5.5″ screen, it is not necessary to attach a phone to the RC to fly.

Additionally, the DJI RC has a constant screen brightness of 700 nits.

This level of brightness is comparable, and sometimes better in consistent brightness, than many of the current smartphones that tout mega-bright screens, which subsequently end up dimming after a few minutes of extreme heat.

The downside to the current iteration of the DJI RC is that, as of this article, it can only run the DJI Fly app. 3rd party apps cannot be side-loaded.

To pair the DJI RC with the Mini 3:

STEP 1: Turn on the DJI RC. After it has booted up, tap the Connection Guide button on the DJI Fly app main screen.

This will bring you to the Select Aircraft Model screen.

STEP 2: Scroll through the list and select your version of the Mini 3.

You’ll receive instructions for getting the Mini 3 prepared for flight, as well as turning it on. Turn the Mini 3 on.

STEP 3: After searching for the Mini 3 for a few seconds and failing to locate it, you’ll be presented with a message in blue stating “Unable to connect to aircraft“? Tap this message.

STEP 4: You’ll then be brought to the pairing screen.

Press and hold the power button on the Mini 3 for about 4 seconds. The Mini 3 will make an audible signal signifying it is in pairing mode.

Tap the Pair button at the bottom of the DJI RC screen. It will beep, loudly, signifying the pairing process.

After about 10 seconds, the Mini 3 should pair with the new DJI RC.

DJI RC-N1 #

You might be wondering if someone has already purchased the DJI Mini 3/Pro bundle, why would they want to pair it with an RC-N1?

That is a great question.

The first reason someone might want to pair the Mini 3 with the RC-N1 is they purchased a Mini 3-only kit, as they might already own a drone that came with the RC-N1 controller, so getting an additional RC would be unnecessary.

The second reason might be because of a possible release of the Mini 3 Pro and/or Mini 3 SDK.

The release of the SDK, or software development kit for the Mini 3 series, could enable 3rd party developers like Litchi, to add support for the Mini 3 in their software.

The RC-N1, unlike the DJI RC, enables the use of flight software outside of the DJI Fly app environment.

To pair the DJI RC-N1 with the Mini 3:

STEP 1: You’ll need to download the DJI Fly app for either Android or iOS.

» MORE: DJI Fly App for Android (Read This Before Downloading)

Connect your smartphone to the DJI RC-N1 with the included USB-C or Lightning cable that fits your type of phone.

STEP 2: Launch the DJI Fly app and turn on the RC-N1 controller.

After turning on the RC-N1, tap the Connection Guide button on the DJI Fly app main screen.

This will bring you to the Select Aircraft Model screen.

STEP 3: Scroll through the list and select your version of the Mini 3.

You’ll receive instructions for getting the Mini 3 prepared for flight, as well as turning it on. Turn on the Mini 3.

STEP 4: After searching for the Mini 3 for a few seconds and failing to locate it, you’ll be presented with a message in blue stating “Unable to connect to aircraft“? Tap this message.

STEP 5: You’ll then be brought to the pairing screen.

Press and hold the power button on the Mini 3 for about 4 seconds. The Mini 3 will make an audible signal signifying it is in pairing mode.

Tap the Pair button at the bottom of the pairing screen. The RC-N1 will give an alert letting you know it is paring with the Mini 3.

After about 10 seconds, the Mini 3 should pair with the RC-N1.