DJI to Disable Flight Records Sync in the U.S. and Remove Thumbnail Previews Globally
While flight records, images, and videos are not collected and synced with DJI by default across DJI’s consumer and enterprise drone products, drone operators have always had the option to opt-in and sync this data based on personal preference, and in cases where they need to send their drone to DJI for repair or after-sales service.
DJI continually evaluates its data policy in line with market demands and privacy expectations. As such, starting June 2024, DJI will no longer offer the option for consumer and enterprise drone operators in the United States to sync their flight records to DJI’s servers.
Additionally, thumbnail previews will no longer be generated and shown on the DJI Fly app interface for consumer drones globally. Enterprise drone operators are not affected, as their drones did not feature thumbnails to begin with.
Key Dates
From June 12 onwards
U.S. only: The “Sync Flight Data” option in the flight app’s Settings will be disabled. Operators who try to upload their local flight records will receive an error message that the upload failed.
From June 27 onwards
U.S. only: The “Sync Flight Data” option will disappear from the Settings page as part of the next update of DJI Fly (Mid-July for DJI Pilot 2).
Global: Thumbnail previews will no longer be generated or shown on the flight app interface as part of the next update.
DJI recommends that operators who have previously opted in to syncing their flight records with DJI, download and create a backup of their flight records as soon as possible.
Disabling the flight record sync option will only take effect in the U.S. at this time. DJI will assess user experience and feedback before considering a broader rollout to other regions. This initiative demonstrates DJI’s continued commitment to striking a balance between user convenience and increasing privacy expectations.
Additional Information
If I’m based outside of the U.S., what changes will happen to my flight app if I fly in the U.S.?
If a user from another region travels to the U.S. and generates flight records during their stay, those flight records will not be synced to their flight data after leaving the U.S.
What will happen if I don’t download the data stored in the cloud?
This change does not affect normal flight functions. However, once flight records which users previously opted-in to sync on the server are deleted, the flight data cannot be retrieved.
If I am from the U.S. but travel overseas, what happens to my flight app?
When a user from the United States travels to another region, the flight record synchronization toggle may reappear, allowing flight records generated in that region to be uploaded and downloaded normally. However, upon returning to the United States, the flight record synchronization toggle will be disabled again, and uploading will not be possible.
Can I opt-out of this update? I want my flight records!
Please note that you will still be able to access your flight records manually. It will be stored in the controller or the SD card.
How will this update affect third-party apps?
Third-party flight software that has been built through DJI’s Mobile SDK will not be affected.
Will previously uploaded flight records be affected?
Flight records that have already been uploaded to the cloud are currently still available for download. However, those generated within the U.S. will be deleted moving forward. To ensure that your valuable flight memories are not lost, it is recommended that users within the United States back up their cloud-based flight records as soon as possible.
If the user does not update the flight app, will the original interface remain unchanged? Can flight records still be uploaded?
The user will need to be connected to the internet in order to try and upload (or download previously uploaded) flight records. From June 12, operators will no longer be able to upload new flight records as the connection to the server would have already been disabled in the U.S. Instead, operators will see a “Download” button that they can use to access and save a copy of their previous flight records data manually to local storage in the next update.
