How to Use DJI Assistant 2 with DJI Mini 3 / Mini 3 Pro (Step-by-Step Guide)

The DJI Assistant 2 App isn’t really a secret. However, many drone pilots may not realize it’s available to them until they receive a warning to calibrate their vision sensors or they’ve crashed, and they are trying to figure out why.

DJI doesn’t talk much about the Assistant 2 App, either. After all, there is just a brief mention of it in the user manual, and of course, it shows up on the downloads page for your device. So maybe, sort of a secret anyway.

For a program that is so integral to your device’s continued operation, you’d think there would be more fanfare around it.

Since there’s not, new pilots might not even be aware of it at all. Even visiting the DJI’s website, there’s just not much there to tell you what the DJI Assistant is.

Don’t worry. We’ve got it covered below and more.

The DJI Assistant 2 App is a program that allows you to connect your DJI Mini 3 or Mini 3 Pro to a computer or laptop and access some pretty nifty additional features. Such as:

• Updating the firmware.
• Accessing the flight logs/black box information.
• Calibrating the flight sensors.
• Restoring the aircraft to factory settings.

There’s quite a bit in the DJI Assistant 2 App, and there is a version of this program for everything DJI has. It’s due to this that you can easily download the wrong version.

For the DJI Mini 3 and the Mini 3 Pro, you will want the DJI Assistant 2 (Consumer Drone Series) app. This is the correct version for these systems.

Before we use the Assistant 2 app, though, we’ll need to install it. Let’s cover that next.

How to install DJI Assistant 2 #

1. Download the app DJI Assistant 2 (Consumer Drone Series) from the DJI official website onto your computer or laptop.
2. To access the executable file, simply double-click it and follow the prompts.
3. Permit Assistant to make changes to your device by clicking “Yes.”
4. Accept the user agreement.
5. To make a desktop shortcut, tap the “Next” option.
6. After clicking “Install,” Wait for the installation to begin after the file extraction.
7. To finish the process, select “Finish” when prompted to do so.

These are the steps for installing the DJI Assistant 2 App onto your computer or laptop. Once installed, we can now connect the DJI Mini 3 or Mini 3 Pro to the DJI Assistant 2 app.

We simply need to follow the steps below.

How to connect my drone to DJI Assistant 2 #

1. From your computer or laptop, launch the Assistant 2 app.
2. Remove the propellers from the aircraft for safety, and power on the Mini 3 or Mini 3 Pro.
3. Connect a mini-USB to USB cable between your computer and the Mini 3 or Mini 3 Pro. Wait for the two devices to connect. Once paired together, a small icon will appear in the app.
4. Click on your drone’s name/icon when it appears.
5. You can then choose firmware upgrade, log export, and DJI Assistant log.

Now that you have successfully connected and opened the Mini 3 or Mini 3 Pro and the DJI Assistant 2 App, you can proceed to use the Assistant 2 app. As stated above, within the App, you will have four options.

The first option is Firmware Update. The second option would be Log Export.

It’s good to mention here that the files that these downloads are DAT files, and you will need special programs to use and view these files, such as Flight Log Viewer.

The third of these options is Calibrate. This is the one we would select to take care of that pesky Notification about the vision sensors.

The last option you will find is the DJI Assistant Logs. These files are just what they sound like.

If you’re ever working with DJI on a problem, they may request a copy of these logs to assist in troubleshooting, but these are mainly for when they have received an aircraft back for repair.

Circling back, let’s dive that building right on into that first option, Firmware.

How do I do Firmware updates with DJI Assistant 2? #

DJI Assistant 2 lets you update your firmware; it will also allow you to revert to a previous version or refresh the current firmware that’s installed. 

Here’s how to update your Mini 3 or Mini 3 Pro’s firmware. This same process can be used to update the controller as well:

1. Navigate to the left pane and choose “firmware update.”
2. Pick the latest firmware version once the list of available firmware updates appears on your screen.
3. Start the update by clicking “Start Update.”
4. DJI Assistant 2 then downloads and flashes the most recent firmware to your drone. It takes some time, during which the drone may reboot a few times.

How do you recalibrate vision with DJI Assistant? #

Nothing is scarier than when you’re out and about flying and a strange warning pops up on the screen. This is how many have been introduced to the DJI Assistant 2 App.

A warning appears that states, “Calibrate the Vision Sensors with DJI Assistant on PC or Mac.” Oh boy! The fun’s just begun.

What this boils down to is something in the vision system/obstacle avoidance system is out of wack, and we need to manually reset it.

This is a similar process to calibrating the compass, but we will be using our monitor screen for the procedure.

This can be a bit of pain in the, well, you know. The DJI Assistant 2, however can help you get it back in tune through this calibration process.

To calibrate your Mini 3 or Mini 3 Pro’s vision system, follow these steps:

1. Click “Calibration” on the left side of the new window.
2. Examine the calibration tutorials shown.
3. After mastering all the steps, tap “Start Calibration.”
4. Place the drone carefully before the screen at the appropriate distance. Begin with your drone nearly touching the screen’s center, then pull away from it until the square’s corners turn blue.
5. Follow the squares while keeping your drone fixated in one place. Only tilt and rotate it.
6. After that, step back and redo the process.
7. After calibrating a set of sensors for both “Far” and “Close,” the app will ask you to do the same for the following sets (if available).

With all of the vision sensors calibrated, the app will then calculate the gathered data, and it will then upload the new current settings to the aircraft. Once finished, you’ll see a “Calibration Success!” notification.

You can now exit DJI Assistant 2, disconnect, and then shut down your drone and fly without that warning popping up on you, knowing that your vision system is in perfect tune.

How do I get my DJI flight logs? #

You can export your drone’s flight logs to your computer from the DJI Assistant 2 app. Besides the quadcopter’s data, you can also transfer your remote controller’s logs as well.

These downloadable files come as .DAT files and will require a special program in order to open and view them.

These logs, although very handy, are not really meant for you or me. They are used by DJI to analyze flight information in the event of a crash or the aircraft flying strangely.

The DJI technician analyzes the flight log information containing flight control data when you take the drone in for repair.

If you’re interested in easier-to-view log files, you would want to download them through the DJI Fly App.

1. Click on the “Flight Logs.” This will bring up a list of the current logs stored.
2. Select the Log you want, or there is a button for Select All. Click “Save To Local.”
3. Pick a folder on your computer, choose your file and name it.
4. The DJI Assistant 2 app will then export the file to the destination you choose.
5. When complete, it will display “Export Complete.”
6. You can now open the folder containing this file and verify it has been downloaded.

Flying Again

Now that we’ve covered the DJI Assistant 2 App, what it does, what it’s for, and how to use it, get back out there and fly. We all know you’ve earned it if you were doing the Vision Sensor Calibration thing.

That one’s a real pain in the, well you know. We covered it earlier. Nothing is like having your own experience, though.

Fly Safe, Fly Always, Always Fly Safe!