How to Pair DJI Air 3 (With Pictures & Video)

As the Air 3 rises in popularity, due to a combination of features and accessible pricing, many 1st-time drone owners and those new to the drone community are buying the Air 3.

Like with the Mini 3 Pro, there are two different remote controller options available to fly the Air 3.

This article and video will serve as a step-by-step guide showing how to pair the Air 3 with either the DJI RC2 or the DJI RC-N2 remote controllers.

The DJI RC2 and RC-N2 Controllers #

The DJI RC2 and RC-N2 versions of the Air 3 controller are functionally similar and, in the case of the RC-N2, almost identical to their DJI RC and RC-N1 counterparts that many have become familiar with, with the DJI RC2 having an additional set of rabbit ear antennas.

Unfortunately, the DJI RC2 and RC-N2 are the only remote controllers that will work with the DJI Air 3, as there is currently no support for the previous DJI RC, DJI RC-N1, or the pro-level DJI RC Pro.

Time will tell if DJI allows for backward compatibility with the Air 3.

Something else to be aware of, which is very important, is that although the Air 3 sells with either the DJI RC2 or the DJI RC-N2, as of the writing of this article

DJI is not selling the RC-N2 as a standalone unit, as it previously did with the original RC-N1 remote controller.

Conversely, the DJI RC2 is being sold as a separate unit, although they seem to be out of stock quite frequently, possibly due to their popularity.

For the purposes of this article, the DJI RC2 was used for the connection guide, as it was purchased with the DJI RC2 Flymore combo.

Purchasing a separate RC-N2 sadly was not an option.

However, the same methods are used to connect the DJI RC-N2 as with the DJI RC2.

» MORE: DJI Air 3 Review – Is This the Drone for You?

DJI RC2 #

As mentioned, the DJI RC2 can be purchased in a Flymore combo, or purchased separately, after the Air 3 has been bought with the DJI RC-N2.

Those who currently own an RC-N2 might later purchase a DJI RC2 for various reasons.

One of these is the constant screen brightness of 700 nits on the 5.5″ integrated Android-based screen.

A constant screen brightness of 700 nits works well in bright sunlight (which we experience here in Sunny Central Florida), especially when using a matte screen protector.

Although there are currently brighter smartphones on the market, many of these phones start dimming after a few minutes of extreme heat, oftentimes rendering their screens useless for extended flight times.

A second reason the DJI RC2 is popular is having the ability to forgo using a smartphone, which cuts down slightly on set-up time, making the RC2 very convenient.

» MORE: DJI Air 3 vs. Mini 3 Pro (Here’s My Choice)

To Pair the DJI RC2 to the Air 3: #

**STEP 1: **Turn on the DJI RC2. After it has booted up, tap the Connection Guide button on the DJI Fly app main screen.

STEP 2: You’ll be prompted to power on the Air 3, with instructions to do so.

Additionally, there are more instructions to view when tapping the 1/2 at the top of the screen. After reading that information, you can Continue.

STEP 3: After searching for the Air 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 Air 3 for about 4 seconds. The Air 3 will make an audible signal signifying it is in pairing mode.

Tap the Pair button at the bottom of the DJI RC2 screen. It will beep, loudly, signifying the pairing process.

After about 10 seconds, the Air 3 should pair with the new DJI RC2.

» MORE: Do I Have to Register My DJI Air 3 (All You Need to Know)

DJI RC-N2 #

The DJI RC-N2 is a fair bit smaller than the DJI RC2, due to the absence of the 5,5″ screen and subsequently slightly more comfortable in hand.

If someone has already purchased a DJI RC2 Flymore combo, why would they want to then purchase a separate RC-N2, when/if DJI makes them available for standalone purchase?

There are two main reasons for this.

The first reason is that in the future (as with a slew of DJI drones) DJI could very well release the Air 3 SDK (software development kit). This is quite plausible considering the Air 3 has worked well for commercial drone operators.

The release of the Air 3 SDK could enable 3rd party developers, like Litchi, to add support for the Air 3 in their software.

The RC-N2, unlike the DJI RC2, would enable the use of flight software outside of the DJI Fly app environment.

The second reason is that using an RC-N2 enables one to use any supported electronic device of their choosing, whether this be Android or Apple.

As there are indeed high-brightness tablets on the market, one might choose to use one of these over the 700-nit brightness DJI RC2.

I personally use a commercial grade 1000-nit screened device on the DJI RC-N1 for commercial work with the multiple DJI drones supported by it.

» MORE: How to Connect the DJI Air 3 to a Computer (Video)

To Pair the DJI RC-N2 to the Air 3: #

**STEP 1: **Connect your smartphone/device to your RC-N2 controller, as seen below.

Note: After connecting your smartphone or device to the RC-N2 controller, the steps for pairing the RC are identical to connecting the DJI RC2.

STEP 2: Launch the DJI Fly app and turn on the RC-N2 controller.

After turning on the RC-N2, tap the Connection Guide button on the DJI Fly app main screen.

STEP 2: You’ll be prompted to power on the Air 3, with instructions to do so.

You can view the additional instructions by tapping the 1/2 at the top of the screen. After reading that information, you can Continue.

STEP 2: After searching for the Air 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 Air 3 for about 4 seconds. The Air 3 will make an audible signal signifying it is in pairing mode.

Tap the Pair button at the bottom of the RC-N2 screen. It will beep, loudly, signifying the pairing process.

After about 10 seconds, the Air 3 should pair with the new RC-N2.

» MORE: How to Download from DJI Air 3 (Step-By-Step Guide with Photos, Screenshots & Video)