Skydio and Skydio 2 Battery (Helpful Tips)

For the most part, the high-tech batteries used in your drone are based on the same technology and will provide a long time of use if you take care of them properly. With a few exceptions, proper use and care for your battery systems are no different for the Skydio and Skydio 2 than other brands.

**The Skydio and Skydio 2 battery is an intelligent battery that gives up to 27 minutes of flight time. It takes about 45-90 minutes to fully charge, and can be charged with the included power adapter and USB cable or a charging base. The Skydio battery attaches to the base of the drone magnetically.  **

Get ready to dive into all you need to know about the Skydio and Skydio 2 drone batteries. 

Overview of the Skydio drone battery  #

With most drone systems, you receive a battery with your standard purchase that can charge either while attached to the drone or removed and attached to a separate battery charger. 

Purchasing an accessory bundle will typically get you an additional battery or two and a multi-battery charger to use. This will enable more flight time with each session. 

The basic starter kit for the Skydio comes with a single battery and a USB-C cable for both charging and data transfer. Other Skydio drone kits include three batteries and a dual charging base. These accessories enable you to charge all three batteries concurrently and get you back out flying quicker. 

Attaching your Skydio battery  #

The Skydio batteries magnetically attach to the drone and charging base, rather than clipping in or sliding into a compartment. The battery will only fit one way and attach securely to the drone or charging base. You will feel it magnetically attach securely. 

The battery connects to the bottom of the Skydio drone and acts as its landing surface. Because of this, you may want to use a landing pad or other protective mat to prevent scuffing up the battery housing. 

With the dual charging base, one battery connects on each side of the unit, with no right side up or down. 

When securely connected to the drone or charging base and plugged in, an LED light on the battery lights up, indicating it is actively charging.

You can also determine the relative charge remaining charge by clicking the small button adjacent to the LED light to display the current level as 1-4 individual lights. 

When charging is complete, the LED will shut off. You can press the button again to display the charge at any time. 

How do I reset my Skydio battery?  #

When your Skydio battery displays a blue light, everything is working as it should. But, there are a few possible reasons the Skydio battery LED may glow red, indicating a potential issue. In most instances, a reset of the battery should fix it. The solution is relatively simple and takes less than a minute.

If your battery lights up red when pressing the button, just press and hold the button ****again for 45 seconds. After about 10-15 seconds, the red light will shut off. Continue holding the button pressed for the remainder of the 45-second count. 

A timer on your watch or phone may be helpful here. Once you reach 45 seconds, release the button and press it again. You should see the blue LED light now indicating how much relative charge the battery has. 

If this process does not resolve the issue, you may want to try again to ensure holding the button pressed for a 45-second count. If this issue persists, you may need to contact Skydio for further assistance. 

Damaged or defective batteries are potentially hazardous. 

» MORE: How to Safely Dispose of Drone Batteries

Why is my battery not charging?  #

Your battery LED light should begin blinking blue when securely attached to the drone or charging base. If the battery lights do not initiate, there may be a simple solution to get your battery charging. 

As with most current drone batteries, they have been developed with intelligent capabilities to ensure safe use, efficient and reliable power, and keep working reliably. These batteries are programmed to discharge when not in use. Keeping batteries 100% charged is not optimal for their long-term reliability. 

The same principle applies to most batteries in modern high-tech electronics. My MacBook Pro stays plugged in at my home workstation and maintains a 70% charge since I rarely use it on the go using only battery power. 

After 14 days of no flight use, Skydio batteries will slowly discharge until they reach 60% (assuming the battery was above 60% on day 14). This process ensures that battery health is maintained when not being used. Before your next flight, pop your batteries **back on the charger to top them off. **

Some owners have reported that the LED will light up blue as expected for a few minutes before stopping its charge cycle. If this happens, you can reset the battery by attaching it to the Skydio drone itself and plugging it in to charge. 

This process kicks in the battery charging mode so you can move it back to the dual battery charger. The battery should now continue charging to full. 

How long does a Skydio battery take to charge?  #

Generally, drone batteries can take 45-90 minutes to reach a full charge when connected to a charging base or directly through the drone. There are some exceptions to this. 

The Skydio comes with a 65W power adapter and a supplied USB-C cable. It ****should take 60 minutes for a battery to charge using these supplied accessories, according to Skydio. However, any charging accessories rated between 40-100W should also work, but the rate of charge will vary depending. 

In most cases, the recommendation is to use the charging accessories provided by the manufacturer to ensure the best operations.

If you happen to have a charging accessory for your car to make sure you can recharge on the go and out in the field, you may notice different charging times. Vehicle charging accessories have built-in power adapters for use with the 12V outlet. 

These accessories ensure the correct amount of power is reaching the battery. The amount of current can vary depending on the vehicle. Some vehicles provide more power through the outlet with the engine running, and possibly not at all if not running. 

Typically, the USB chargers in vehicles these days may be either a lower or higher power rating, depending on the intended use. If you are using these USB chargers, ****make sure you use the higher-rated one rather than the AUX plug that you would use ****for streaming music from your smartphone. The AUX plug will not likely provide enough power to your drone battery to charge it efficiently. 

How to store your Skydio battery  #

Skydio batteries have an intelligent system developed to ensure they manage their charge optimally, even when being stored for some time, as previously mentioned. In addition to the battery charge of 60% being optimal and the battery discharging to that level after 14 days, there are other things to consider. 

You need to make sure that you recharge the batteries once every 1-2 months when not in regular use. Your batteries will eventually drain to 0%. When fully discharged for an extended period, they could lose their ability to hold a reliable charge. 

This situation is not unique to Skydio batteries, so for those of you with a fleet of drones, consider rotating through them occasionally to work out their batteries and maintain their health. 

Another condition to consider is temperature. Skydio recommends that your batteries be stored at room temperature, between 71-82℉ (22-28℃), and in a space with relative humidity no higher than 75%. 

Operating temperatures also have some thresholds to keep in mind. Freezing air and moisture conditions can cause issues with your drone during flight operations. Skydio batteries may not optimally hold their charge at extremely high and low temperatures. 

Skydio recommends avoiding flying your drone below freezing temperatures (32℉ / 0℃). 

How to remove the Skydio battery  #

As previously mentioned, the batteries for the Skydio drone systems attach to the drone and charging base using strong magnets. Removing the batteries is done by simply holding the drone or charger in one hand and pulling the battery away from it with the other. 

Remember to use a little care when reattaching them. The batteries fit correctly to the drone and charging base only one way, with the connecting pins lined up. 

You can store your drone and battery while connected. Just make sure the drone is shut down completely before storing. But, it is probably safer to remove the battery from the ****drone and keep them stored separately. The standard Skydio 2 drone case actually will close properly with the battery attached. 

Also, it’s best to store your batteries either in a case designed for it or the box it came in to ensure the connection pins are not damaged. The battery connection pins are protected somewhat, but they could be damaged if thrown in a bag with other accessories and equipment. 

» MORE: Drone Battery Care

Your Skydio batteries should provide you with many hours of reliable performance as long as you handle them properly. Remember, these batteries are an integral part of your Skydio drone system and any potential issues could cause suboptimal performance with your drone. If you encounter an issue and cannot find answers online, you should contact Skydio support for further assistance.

Image Credit: Skydio