DJI Controller not Connecting to Phone: Here’s How You Fix it!

DJI is probably the top drone brand on the market as of now but each one of its models comes with several different issues you may face once or twice in your drone’s lifetime.

Some problems are easier to fix than others, so I’ll go over some of the most frequent ones with you along with the answers I was able to find online about the communication issues between your phone and the DJI controller. Let’s begin!

Before doing anything, make sure the controller is actually ON.

If you press the Power Button on the RC only once, it will show the battery level but will not turn on. This is a common mistake for new drone users.

To turn it ON, press the button twice and hold down on the second press.

After you do so, the light should turn on. If you have turned it on correctly already and it still doesn’t connect, you can now move on with the next solutions.

Reason #1: Defective USB connection

A faulty USB connection may be the reason why the phone doesn’t connect to the RC. Check the cable for damage. If there is no visible damage, try a different cable and see if it connects.

If not, try using another phone with the RC as older devices may not be supported by newer DJI models.

Make sure both your phone and the drone/controller have the latest firmware updates. If none of the above works, try cleaning the ports on both the phone and the controller with pressurized air.

As a last resort, try rebooting both the phone and the drone/controller and try again.

Reason #2: Cable connected to both devices at the same time

This is extremely rare but, if you connected the cable to the RC and the phone at the same time, this may be the reason why they won’t connect. If you set up the drone with a friend, please make sure that you don’t connect the cable at the same time.

First, connect the cable to your controller. Then open the DJI Fly app, follow the connection instructions and connect the second end of the cable to your phone when the instructions tell you to.

Reason #3: The wrong side of the cable is connected

I have accidentally done this myself. Connecting the wrong side of the cable on the controller can result in connectivity issues as well.

If one side of your cable has a logo on it, connect that side to the controller and the other to the phone. If there is no logo, switch sides of the cable and check if the issue persists.

Reason #4: The tutorial is not complete

This is one of the silliest reasons that your controller cannot synchronize with your phone. However, it can happen. So, if you skipped half of the tutorial process, reset it and start it all over until you reach the very end.

Reason #5: No DJI Fly app

One of the most common reasons why the phone can’t connect to the RC is the absence of the DJI Fly app.

You may have noticed it is nowhere to be found in the App Store/Play Store. To download it, you have to go directly to https://www.dji.com/downloads/djiapp/dji-fly and download the app from there.

Reason #6: Flight Zone Restrictions Agreement

One more reason that could prevent your phone from connecting to the controller is you have not accepted the Flight Zone Restrictions agreement. But that is only if you are a new user. It is essential that you accept the restrictions prior to flying your drone.

Final thoughts

Some of these reasons above may sound silly but they are the most common issues found among new DJI users or new drone users in general.

Before trying all these fixes, please make sure that the controller is turned on properly, that the cable is not damaged and that you have the latest updates on both your phone and RC. Then try the above fixes.

If everything else fails, you may have to replace your controller or send it to DJI to fix it.

Let me know in the comments if you have a different issue and I will try to help you out.