How to Connect Yuneec Drone to Controller (Step by Step Guide)

Yuneec drones are some of the best drones on the market as shown by the fact that they hold third place in the entire drone industry. For good reason too – Yuneec has a great lineup of different drones that are amazing in their own right. If you are a new owner of a Yuneec drone, you may be wondering how to properly connect it to the controller so that you can get the best out of your Yuneec drone.

Why can’t I find the companion app for my Yuneec drone? #

One major problem that many people are running into when buying discontinued Yuneec drone models is that the companion controller apps they need to fly are no longer available. Even though you can still buy a Yuneec Mantis G, Yuneec Mantis Q, and Yuneec Breeze, if you do buy one, it’s practically impossible to fly them. 

The companion apps for these drones that need to be installed on your smartphone in order to control and fly the drone are no longer available from either the Google Play store (Android) or the App Store (iOS). The Yuneec Pilot app and the Breeze Cam app have been discontinued. 

You can try to download the Yuneec PilotUpdate app (which may or may not support these older drone models). Or you can try using an independent flight control app such as Litchi or Autopilot that may (or may not!) be able to connect to the drone. The problem with these is they may not have full access to all the settings, etc. of the drone. 

This is a sad case of Yuneec leaving their customers high and dry without the ability to fly a drone that they can still purchase. However, for those who have just bought a current Yuneec model, here are some steps for how to connect them with the controller. 

How to connect controller to Yuneec Typhoon H Plus #

Step 1: Power on your controller #

Unlike many other drone models, the Yuneec Typhoon H Plus already comes with a screen that is integrated with its controller, which is called the ST16S. The ST16S comes with its own 7-inch screen that runs on Android. As such, the moment you connect your controller to your Typhoon H, the screen itself is already connected to the drone and the controller unlike with other drones that require you to connect your smartphone as well.

So, to start, the first thing you need to do is to turn on your ST16S controller by simply flipping the controller switch. Turning on the Typhoon H’s controller will usually connect your controller automatically but there are some cases where the controller is not bound to the drone.

Step 2: Power the drone on #

After turning on your Typhoon H Plus’s controller, the next thing you need to do is to turn on the Typhoon H drone itself. Turning the drone on is quite easy because, just like the ST16S, it comes with a power switch that you simply need to flip to turn the drone on. No need to hold a power button for a few seconds.

Step 3: Bind the drone and the controller #

Usually, the Typhoon H Plus and the ST16S are already bound to one another out of the box. However, there are some cases where they may not be bound to one another such as when you purchased the controller separately. So, in that case, the next thing to do here is to bind the drone and the controller.

You can start the binding process by carefully turning the drone upside down. You will tell that the drone is already ready to bind with the controller if you see the LED lights on the drone begin flashing rapidly.

Step 4: Complete the binding process on your controller #

Finally, when the drone is ready to be bound, all you need to do is to go to your ST16S controller. Go to the Settings icon on the top right of the screen and then tap the signal icon on the switching interface. Tap on the refresh icon and then “Unbind” if the controller has been previously bound to a different drone. After unbinding the controller, choose the name of your Typhoon H Plus on the list to bind the two.

How to connect controller to Yuneec Typhoon 4K #

Step 1: Power on your controller #

The best part about the Yuneec Typhoon 4K is that it already comes with a complete remote control called the ST10+, which has its own screen. That means that you don’t have to use the screen of a smartphone to connect to the Typhoon 4K as its controller already has the screen that you need to be able to see what the drone is seeing. So, that said, first power on your controller to start using your Yuneec Typhoon 4K.

Step 2: Power the drone on #

Once you have powered on your ST10+ controller, the next thing you need to do is to power the drone on. It is easy to turn the Yuneec Typhoon 4K on because it comes with a power switch that you only need to toggle to turn the drone on. When you flip the switch, the drone should power on.

Step 3: Bind the drone and the controller #

In most cases, the Yuneec Typhoon 4K and the ST10+ controller should already be bound together when you get the drone out of the box. However, in case your drone and controller are not bound together, you can start the binding process by tilting the drone about 45 degrees twice. You will see that the drone is trying to bind with the controller when the LED lights on the drone begin flashing rapidly.

Step 4: Complete the binding process on your controller #

Once the Yuneec Typhoon 4K’s LED lights have begun flashing, the next thing you need to do is to go to your ST10+ controller. Tap Flight Settings and then tap OK when a warning message appears. From there, you will be able to see the option to bind, which will show you your Yuneec Typhoon 4K’s name on the screen. Tap on the drone’s name and allow the two to connect so that you can now begin flying your Typhoon 4K.

How to connect controller to Yuneec Typhoon H3 #

Step 1: Power on your controller #

Similar to most of the newer drones on Yuneec’s roster, the Yuneec Typhoon H3 comes with a controller that already has an integrated screen that is powered by Android. The ST16S is the same controller that the H Plus uses (see section above). This being the case, there is no need for you to connect your drone to your phone because the controller itself already has a screen.

To start the connection process, all you need to do is to flip your ST16S controller on. If you bought your drone and controller as a pair out of the box, they should be bound together already and should connect right away. But there are some instances where the drone and the controller are not bound together.

Step 2: Power the drone on #

After turning your ST16S controller on, the next thing you need to do is to turn on your Typhoon H3 by flipping the power switch. Allow it to initialize first as you will hear it making sounds during the initialization process.

Step 3: Bind the drone and the controller #

If your controller and your drone are not bound such as when the controller was purchased separately, you need to bind your ST16S with your Typhoon H3. After turning the drone on, you should now turn it upside down. It will now flash its LED indicators, which means that it is ready to be bound.

Step 4: Complete the binding process on your controller #

When your Typhoon H3 is now ready to be bound, go to your ST16S controller. In the upper right corner of the screen, go to the Settings option and then tap on the signal icon on the switching interface. From there, refresh the screen and then unbind the controller from its previous drone by tapping the Unbind option. You are now free to select your Typhoon H3 on the list to bind the two together.

How to connect controller to Yuneec H520/E #

Step 1: Power on your controller #

The Yuneec H520/E drones also use the ST16S controller as its main piloting device. Of course, there is no need to use a smartphone because the ST16S already has a screen of its own. It is a 7-inch screen that runs on Android.

So, the only thing you need to do here is to turn the ST16S controller on to begin pairing the two devices together. Most of the time, the controller should already be connected to the Yuneec H520/E. But, if you bought the ST16S separately, the two probably aren’t bound.

Step 2: Power the drone on #

The next thing to do is to allow your drone to fully power on. Once you’ve pressed the power button on the top of the frame, you will hear the H520/E initializing. Simply allow the drone to initialize before you bind it with your controller.

Step 3: Bind the drone and the controller #

After the H520/E has fully powered on, tap on the WiFi logo on the right side of the screen. Tap Link Management, and available cameras will appear in the window. Tap on the desired camera to connect the ST16S and camera.

Why won’t my drone connect? #

Connecting to your Yuneec drone shouldn’t be that difficult as long as you follow the instructions carefully. However, there are some cases where some people may end up having trouble connecting to their drones. If that is the case, here are some quick fixes that will be able to help you connect to your drone easier:

• Your controller may be bound to another drone. Make sure that you unbind the controller from the previous drone before using it.
• Your drone may be bound to another controller. It’s a similar case here. So, what you need to do is to unbind the drone from its previous controller first.
• Make sure you are using the right controller. Most of the newer drones in Yuneec’s roster use the ST16S. Meanwhile, Typhoon H uses the ST16 and Typhoon 4K uses the ST10+.
• Always make sure you allow the drone to fully initialize first before tilting or flipping it to begin the binding process.

Image Credit: Yuneec