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How to Connect Parrot Drone (Step by Step Guide)
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Parrot drones are some of the best drones outside of DJI, being pretty popular in their own right as well. As Parrot drones grow in popularity, we’ve found that quite a few people initially have trouble figuring out how to connect their new Parrot drone to the phone and the controller. Manuals can be confusing, to say the least, so if your manual has you scratching your head, how do you connect to a Parrot drone?
To connect to a Parrot drone, you need to download the appropriate Parrot app on your smartphone. These apps are available for both Android and iOS devices. Next, you need to connect to your drone’s Wi-Fi network through your smartphone and then use the app to configure the connection.
The thing you need to understand about Parrot drones is that they require you to use a smartphone or tablet with a compatible flight control app for you to be able to successfully connect. Thankfully, the apps that Parrot drones use are available for everyone to download. Of course, it is also great that Parrot drones aren’t really too difficult to connect to your phone once you know how to do it.
How to connect Parrot ANAFI to phone? #
1. Download the FreeFlight 6 app #
When connecting to a Parrot drone, the first and most important part is to make sure that you download the Freeflight 6 app on your phone. This can be downloaded on any smart device that’s running Android or iOS.
2. Power up the drone #
Before attempting to power the drone up, the first thing you need to do is to make sure that its batteries are fully charged. After charging the battery, insert it into the drone so that the drone will begin initializing. Its engines will start making sounds until the drone stabilizes. That means that the drone has now been powered up.
3. Connect to the drone’s Wi-Fi network #
When the drone has powered up, it will now begin to send out its own Wi-Fi signals. The next thing you need to do is to go to your phone and select its Wi-Fi settings so that you can connect to your Parrot drone’s Wi-Fi network. The name of the network will depend on the model of the Parrot drone you are using.
4. Launch the FreeFlight 6 app #
Once the drone has been connected to the phone using the Parrot drone’s Wi-Fi network, you can confirm this by launching the Freeflight 6 app. From there, you will be able to see the option to update the drone’s firmware, which you should do in case the drone has not been updated to its latest firmware. After that, you can now start piloting your drone by tapping on the start now button found on the Freeflight app.
How to connect Parrot Bebop 2 to SkyController? #
1. Download the FreeFlight Pro app #
When connecting your Parrot drone to a SkyController, the first thing you need to do is to download the free app that is available for Android and iOS users. The app to look for is the Parrot FreeFlight Pro app, which should be available on your phone’s app store.
- You may have downloaded the wrong app. Your drone will come with instructions on which app to download. That’s because there are specific apps that only work with specific Parrot drones.
- Turn off mobile data connection because you want your phone to connect to your drone via the Wi-Fi network the drone is transmitting.
- Close any background apps that may be open so that you can allow your phone to focus on its connection with the drone.
- If you are connecting to your drone via Bluetooth, disconnect all of the other Bluetooth devices that are connected to your phone.
- Make sure that your drone’s battery is full during the first time you connect it with your phone. Also, make sure that your phone has sufficient charge.
2. Turn the drone on #
After downloading the FreeFlight Pro app on your phone, the next thing you need to do is to turn the drone on. This can be done by pushing the power button on your drone. You will see the LED light blinking and the drone making an initializing sound. The drone will stabilize later on after it has finished the initialization process.
3. Link the controller to the drone #
The next thing to do is to link the controller to the drone. First, connect your SkyController to your mobile device using the cables found on the controller.
From there, connect your drone to the phone using the drone’s own Wi-Fi network. To do this, look for your drone’s Wi-Fi signal in your phone’s settings. As soon as the drone has been connected to the phone, the SkyController will automatically connect to the drone as well.
4. Launch the FreeFlight Pro app #
Launch the FreeFlight Pro app and you will see that the controller is connected to the drone if you see the Wi-Fi icon somewhere in the upper right part of the app. The app should automatically connect to the drone and will transmit the drone’s connection over to the SkyController via your phone, which is connected to the controller.
How to connect Parrot Jumping Sumo? #
1. Download the FreeFlight Jumping app #
The first thing you need to do when connecting to a Parrot Jumping Sumo is to download its app from your phone’s respective app store. Download the Parrot Jumping app on either Android or iOS. This is a free app that is available for anyone to download.
2. Power on the drone #
After you have downloaded the FreeFlight Jumping app, turn on your drone. Make sure that your Jumping Sumo’s battery is fully charged. If the battery has already been fully charged, insert the battery into the drone. You will notice the drone’s LED lights blinking as the drone itself will also begin to move around.
3. Connect to the drone’s Wi-Fi #
When your Parrot Jumping Sumo has been powered on, its Wi-Fi connection should now be on as well. On your smartphone, go to your Wi-Fi settings and look for the drone’s Wi-Fi network to connect to it. After connecting to the drone’s Wi-Fi network, your Jumping Sumo drone should now be connected.
4. Update the drone #
To complete the connection process, go to your Freeflight 3 app and look at your Jumping Sumo’s firmware to make sure that it is updated to its latest firmware. If not, allow the app to update the drone’s firmware. After updating, simply press the start button on the screen to start piloting your Parrot Jumping Sumo.
How to connect Parrot MiniDrone? #
1. Download the FreeFlight Mini app #
The Parrot MiniDrone uses its own specific app that is not used by the other Parrot drones. The app to look for to download to your phone is the Parrot FreeFlight Mini app. This app should be available for free for Android and iOS devices. Remember that no other app will allow you to connect to the MiniDrone aside from the FreeFlight Mini app.
2. Activate your smartphone’s Bluetooth #
The Parrot MiniDrone uses a Bluetooth connection instead of a Wi-Fi network to connect with your phone. That’s because this drone is too small to carry its own Wi-Fi transmitter. That means that you need to activate your phone’s Bluetooth so that you can connect to your MiniDrone.
3. Power on your drone #
Find the power button on your Parrot MiniDrone to turn it on. You will be able to hear a few sounds coming from the drone when you turn it on. This means that the drone is initializing and is readying itself for stabilization. Once it has been turned on, the drone will now be able to connect to your phone using a Bluetooth connection.
Check on your phone’s settings to see that it has found the Bluetooth connection from the MiniDrone.
4. Launch the FreeFlight Mini app #
Finally, the next thing you need to do is to launch the Parrot FreeFlight Mini app on your phone. Look for the menu on the app so that you will be able to see the MiniDrones that are within the range of your smartphone.
Once the app detects a MiniDrone, it will automatically connect to it. You will be notified of such when the messages “Sending” and “Connected” appear on your screen.
How to connect Parrot Rolling Spider? #
1. Download the FreeFlight Mini app #
Like the Parrot MiniDrone, the Parrot Rolling Spider uses the Parrot FreeFlight Mini app. This can be downloaded for free on your phone via its respective app store. You can download it for Android and iOS devices. No other FreeFlight app other than the FreeFlight Mini will allow you to connect to the Rolling Spider from your phone.
2. Activate your smartphone’s Bluetooth #
Like the other Parrot Mini drones, the Rolling Spider uses Bluetooth because it is too small to have its own Wi-Fi transmitter. As such, it is important to turn your phone’s Bluetooth connection on to connect it to the Rolling Spider. You can do so by going to your phone’s settings or by pulling down the quick connect menu from the top of your phone’s screen.
3. Power on your drone #
Find the power button on your Parrot Rolling Spider so that you can turn it on. Once you have turned it on, you may notice it moving and making sounds. Allow it to do so because this is how the Rolling Spider initializes. It will begin to stabilize later on and will eventually transmit its own Bluetooth connection, which you should be using to connect the phone to the Rolling Spider.
4. Launch the FreeFlight Mini app #
Finally, you should now launch the FreeFlight Mini app on your phone so that you can connect your phone and your Rolling Spider. Simply open the app and then look for the menu, which will allow your phone to detect any Rolling Spider drones or mini drones within its range.
The app will automatically connect to the Rolling Spider when it is within the range of your phone, and you will be notified of such when the messages “Sending” and “Connected” appear on your screen.
Why won’t my drone connect? #
Even though connecting to a Parrot drone is typically easy, there are some issues that you may need to look at a little closer if you have trouble connecting with the drone. Here are some of the fixes and tips that you may want to use: