my spark was plagued with constant disconnects from the rc wifi.  literally every 5-10 seconds it would time out, and then reconnect (usually, or it would return home).  so i did research on this forum and found the otg thread.  I purchased a nice OTG and although i find the annoying task of doing everything in the order of the day to get it running, i got pretty good at it, and learned the tricks.  like you have to power on the tablet, then the app, then RC, then plug in OTG cable, turn on rc, should be good.  i have successfully used this method for about 4 months and would consider myself an 'expert' in it.
now the latest firmware dji has made it so a number of things aren't working anymore with OTG.  For example, the distance/altitude is no longer showing with OTG.  i pull the plug and turn on wifi and it magically appears.  this information is important to me and its annoying to not have it.  It seems from my experience and other threads DJI is slowly ruining the OTG experience by limiting features in OTG mode.  It is undeniable its vastly superior to RC wifi mode on my android devices.

I find this unacceptable especially from a company that can't make an android app worth a crap.  my flying buddy uses a stupid apple product and it has no problems.  i hate apple and refuse to pay their bloated prices for what it consider to be an inferior device in most respects.

Why can't i just fly my drone without DJI constantly messing with it?  why has this change been made?  have others have similar problems?  i've used 2 different android devices and the constant disconnection is horrendous.  this isn't a newbie problem with interference, i've tried and done all the recommended things to solve this and nothing works accept the otg cable, which DJI has now ruinied.  of course all my firmware and such is up to date.  if i knew i had to buy an apple product to get the device to work properly i would have never bought it.

if someone can help resolve my issue or someone from DJI can chime in to answer these questions and provide an resolution i would appreciate it.  now i know why i see so many people have used modified firmware on their devices because i'm pretty sick of it working one day and not the next.  if you're going to constantly fiddle with something i've paid for and then break it, i'm going to do everything i can to take that ability away from the manufacturer.  

Please read through the forum first. This issue is well known by now and it was not intentional according to DJI. It is a bug in the latest App version 4.1.18 and hopefully will be fixed soon. It is NOT related to the latest firmware. In the meantime simply go back to DJI GO 4 version 4.1.15 and you will be happy again.

I will try that, however it doesn't answer the supplementary question of their android support being garbage, and they are heavily biased towards apple devices.  Most usage statistics say that people are over apple and not willing to pay the premium for a shiny case since android has a higher market share.  DJI has chosen to support android which means that it should be at the same quality level as their ios offerings.  i laugh at the fools that will buy the 'apple edition' of any drone DJI puts out.

i should not have to resort to OTG for android when i hear and see  on apple devices it really makes no difference.  why has dji chosen to be so unreliable on a OS that holds more share than apple?

Ok, I have tried to help you with your specific problem, but I shall not enter this debate. Something that might make you reflect your words before posting them is the fact that DJI has just launched the great CrystalSky monitor/tablet for their drones on large scale which is 100% Android and it works very well and is the future in my opinion. At least DJI has a very strong interest to have the Android App as reliable and good as the iOS one. As mentioned above, the problems in version 4.1.18 are to be considered being an accident and not negligence or intention.

and i thank you for your help, and it's not you i'm looking to debate, its DJI.  if you feel the need to defend their bogus practices then you will probably be drawn into my negative comments, but really i'm looking for a response from dji.

also, i don't see forcing us into a 600-800$ solution when we most of us have devices already.  and i haven't heard rave reviews about it, it will be nice IF it works out, but that is a horrible move for us consumers that already spent a pretty penny on the item to find out it doesn't work as advertised..then the answer is another 600-800$?

if this device makes it so android works out then great, but pigeon-holing us into paying double our initial investment for it to work as advertised is not a viable or consumer friendly option.  if they wanted the android app to be as good, then it would be, but they neglected it and so, for now, it's vastly inferior.

also, crimes of negligence and an accident are the same thing for a company with resources like theirs, they should have a decent testing procedure in place that isn't 'let the consumers figure it out, the world is our beta testers'

rxdeath Posted at 2017-11-23 13:22
I will try that, however it doesn't answer the supplementary question of their android support being garbage, and they are heavily biased towards apple devices.  Most usage statistics say that people are over apple and not willing to pay the premium for a shiny case since android has a higher market share.  DJI has chosen to support android which means that it should be at the same quality level as their ios offerings.  i laugh at the fools that will buy the 'apple edition' of any drone DJI puts out.

i should not have to resort to OTG for android when i hear and see  on apple devices it really makes no difference.  why has dji chosen to be so unreliable on a OS that holds more share than apple?

You seem to be blaming dji on all the problems with android, maybe take a long look at android to see where your problems may lie, I think dji has supported android but that support has not always been reciprocated in the same timeframe as iOS .

It is not in dji’s interest to not to support android users.

I don't know what problems you have guys with OTG and Spark but my setup with OTG wire working perfect.

please describe your setup in more detail, including where you bought the cord and what version of the dji app you're using.  also what tablet/media device.

Wachtberger Posted at 2017-11-23 13:32
Ok, I have tried to help you with your specific problem, but I shall not enter this debate. Something that might make you reflect your words before posting them is the fact that DJI has just launched the great CrystalSky monitor/tablet for their drones on large scale which is 100% Android and it works very well and is the future in my opinion. At least DJI has a very strong interest to have the Android App as reliable and good as the iOS one. As mentioned above, the problems in version 4.1.18 are to be considered being an accident and not negligence or intention.

' .....the fact that DJI has just launched the great CrystalSky monitor/tablet for their drones on large scale which is 100% Android and it works very well and is the future in my opinion.'

So the answer for android user is the CS then, if people dont want an apple, right?
Is it only me .......?
Btw: are you using it with wifi or cabel?

S-e-ven Posted at 2017-11-23 16:33
' .....the fact that DJI has just launched the great CrystalSky monitor/tablet for their drones on large scale which is 100% Android and it works very well and is the future in my opinion.'

So the answer for android user is the CS then, if people dont want an apple, right?

if you consider them forcing you to buy a 600-800 usd device in order to do what you were told you could do on any android device, then yes, that is the answer

if you don't like being hosed by a company to more than double your investment in their gear, then not so much

i try and use the OTG cable all the time, and just for verification, yes, switching back to the older app version does solve the problem... thanks again wachtberger.  you knowi read a bunch of threads over the past few days about the problem but managed to completely miss the one you referered to.

I am back to 4.1.14
Because 4.1.15 gave me already the Otg no but wifi yes on my huawei medipad, I decided not to go back only one step on the OP5.

Wachtberger Posted at 2017-11-23 13:15
Please read through the forum first. This issue is well known by now and it was not intentional according to DJI. It is a bug in the latest App version 4.1.18 and hopefully will be fixed soon. It is NOT related to the latest firmware. In the meantime simply go back to DJI GO 4 version 4.1.15 and you will be happy again.

Thanks for you advice  to this problem. Where can I get djigo 4 4.1.15. It doesn't  appear to be at any searches I've tried.

I just tried my new Spark today. Binds to RC and works. Works with wifi android. Can't use the RC and phone at the same time.

I don't think I'll be using a wifi connection from controller to phone. Nope, won't do that. If I was willing to do that I would have bought a much cheaper quad. I have a Phantom 4 and a Mavic so I'm familiar with some  of the djigo 4 problems.  The consistent low ratings on the play store seem appropriate.

I'm hoping a different version of the  djigo 4 app with fix things.

  Thanks for being here you guys.
      Bill

Rxdeath, thanks for your feedback and please note that we do not support OTG cable now. Please provide the following info of the situation and I would reflect this situation for you:
1. The screenshot of the app.
2. Please provide the flight data and the black box data for further check
Thanks for your support.

Then get on it.  Its an obvious feature that isn't just wanted by the community, it's necessary because of your cruddy android app.    there's no reason you shouldn't have this be your #1 priority in development right now because 60% or more of users are OTG based on the poll on this forum.   why would a company be so daft as to not either fix the issue that's causing poor wifi performance on android, or make OTG the number one priority to work around that issue is beyond me.  

There's no point in me wasting my time collecting data for your company, its obvious from my research on this and other threads, you will do nothing about it.  It's not something to do with me, its your product that has shortcomings.  my data will not help solve this issue because its a design flaw, not a malfunction with my product.

This is also a issue of where overseas customer support is a joke.  its like a cookie cutter response to everything and no attempt at understanding the issue or the customer.  I'm willing to bet DJI has a spark that they can test and confirm everything that is being said.  we are not your (willing) guinea pigs or beta testers.

Every dji response I see on this makes me more worried there is more to this...

Fact:  - OTG cable worked very well in versions 4.1.10 upto 4.1.15 with a large range of android devices, improving reliablity and range of wifi, especially in CE regions
Fact: - The changelog for 4.1.18 only mentions improvement to panorama and marrying the rc and drone firmware updates.  Its says nothing about disabling telemetry over the "unsupported" otg option, which is the only change we really notice... this is bad.

Theory 1 - Some strange accident in coding caused by changing the way the firmware gets checked by the app or something - didn't affect wifi so DJI rolled it out anyway as otg us unoffical.  Disappointing but hopeful fixed again soon.

Theory 2 - This might be deliberate to optimise future CS integration, and discourage OTG users.  The point that CS connection is planned for official support has already been seen in Elektra's responses... but the DJI line does say "other mobile devices" so hopefully this doesnt become a "CS only" feature to fly connected with the spark rc

worrying comment now is "please note that we do not support OTG cable now"
OK- but it worked fine until they broke it in the last app update, and this was the way many of us flew elusively.   This breaking of a feature, even unofficial, is not a good look, and I hope they understand that some of us are worried about the motives and the party line reponses.

It would be nice to see an "Opps - this is why.....  this is planned.... this will be fixed soon..." rather than, "not supported, unstable, use wifi"  when wifi isnt good for many of us and otg was huge improvement and working for so long now....  There'll be more threads as more people realise whats happened.....

yes this is very disturbing because its a prelude to them forcing us to send another 600$ overseas.  also i doubt 'elektra' is the same person everytime, that's why they don't use their own names or anything that makes them accountable as an individual -- again typical overseas customer service practices. that's also why its cookie cutter responses because its likely not the same person everytime, just another drone commanded to tell us to take the black box data and otg isn't supported, but our new 600$ option will be great.

as a programmer myself, i highly, highly doubt this wasn't intentional, there's no reason they should have to mess with that portion of the program to integrate the new features they put in the change log, in fact, i believe they would have to specifically do something to stop this data over otg but not wifi.  my belief is that it was 100% deliberate and them warming up the bus to force us into shipping them more of our money.  

i'd be willing to bet we will see:
1. this not get fixed in the next version of djigo app or any future ones
2. other features will 'accidentally disappear' after that until otg is unusable.

i will gladly say i'm wrong when the next version of the app comes out and this is all fixed or they start supporting the android app with the appropriate resources to make it usable.

Ardenno Posted at 2017-11-23 14:58
I don't know what problems you have guys with OTG and Spark but my setup with OTG wire working perfect.

With new update of app? Mine working now perfectly also. Didn't yet updated app.

lK89jQGlZCVm Posted at 2017-11-23 18:54
Thanks for you advice  to this problem. Where can I get djigo 4 4.1.15. It doesn't  appear to be at any searches I've tried.

I just tried my new Spark today. Binds to RC and works. Works with wifi android. Can't use the RC and phone at the same time.

https://www.apkmirror.com/apk/dj ... -release/#downloads

S-e-ven Posted at 2017-11-23 16:33
' .....the fact that DJI has just launched the great CrystalSky monitor/tablet for their drones on large scale which is 100% Android and it works very well and is the future in my opinion.'

So the answer for android user is the CS then, if people dont want an apple, right?

No, this is not what I meant. I tried to illustrate that Android is of importance and that I am sure that DJI will provide good app versions in the future (and has a strong interest to do so). That's all.

rxdeath Posted at 2017-11-23 22:07
yes this is very disturbing because its a prelude to them forcing us to send another 600$ overseas.  also i doubt 'elektra' is the same person everytime, that's why they don't use their own names or anything that makes them accountable as an individual -- again typical overseas customer service practices. that's also why its cookie cutter responses because its likely not the same person everytime, just another drone commanded to tell us to take the black box data and otg isn't supported, but our new 600$ option will be great.

as a programmer myself, i highly, highly doubt this wasn't intentional, there's no reason they should have to mess with that portion of the program to integrate the new features they put in the change log, in fact, i believe they would have to specifically do something to stop this data over otg but not wifi.  my belief is that it was 100% deliberate and them warming up the bus to force us into shipping them more of our money.  

First, comparing IOS with Android, it's like comparing ..apples with pears.
As a programmer, you should know that the Android ecosystem is much much fragmented that on IOS, compared to couple of IOS own manufactured devices, on Android there are hundreds of flavors, OS versions and so on...So developing an Android app that is compatible with all the devices is very hard, maybe quite impossible. I bet this is one of the reasons why DJI says OTG is not officially supported, if it would say otherwise then on each problem people would say "hey DJI why are you lie, you say OTG works, but look, it doesn't work on my XYZ phone!".
So I think isn't quite fair to relate on comparing IOS to Android on what works and what doesn't work.

Also, what do you mean with typical "overseas customer service practices"? Overseas, like in Europe, or just overseas?

I sympathise with these problems. My android worked fine initially, but after august's update had massive video lag rendering it unuseable.
Then all or nothing, I bought a crystal sky.
Well you should not have to. It's a lot of money.
But now I wouldn't bother to fly at all even if my phone worked fine.
Clean app with no bloatware or third party apps. I absolutely refuse to install anything else on it.
But I know not everyone can afford it.
But the brightness of the screen  is a game changer.

muntos Posted at 2017-11-24 00:39
First, comparing IOS with Android, it's like comparing ..apples with pears.
As a programmer, you should know that the Android ecosystem is much much fragmented that on IOS, compared to couple of IOS own manufactured devices, on Android there are hundreds of flavors, OS versions and so on...So developing an Android app that is compatible with all the devices is very hard, maybe quite impossible. I bet this is one of the reasons why DJI says OTG is not officially supported, if it would say otherwise then on each problem people would say "hey DJI why are you lie, you say OTG works, but look, it doesn't work on my XYZ phone!".
So I think isn't quite fair to relate on comparing IOS to Android on what works and what doesn't work.

i'll buy into this a little bit, but really its not as bad as you're making it out to be.  yes i give apple an advantage because they are software+hardware makers.  however if DJI made it work on vanilla android (like a nexus)  then 90%+ of phones it would work with that are on a reasonably updated version of android would work too.  they could say even say it works x,y,z tablet/phone/android version/etc, and its unsupported on others, ymmv. by not supporting even 1 tablet or version of android, they are leaving a majority of people to get ripped off -- either quality experience using their product, or money

not europe -- that was a direct stab at the usual asia culprits for abysmal service, and lack of addressing the problem with mind-numbing repetition of the script they are supposed to read

i can afford their cs, but why should i have to?  i bought this knowing i have 3 android tablets laying around the house and any of them 'should' work.  even worse they did work, and dji took active steps to break it.

not to mention its pretty obvious that their user base needs this based off the 1000 posts on the forum  and app rating that their android app sucks.  the community figured out a way around it for now and they stiffle it instead of working hard to make it not necessary.

BerkoZg Posted at 2017-11-23 22:22
With new update of app? Mine working now perfectly also. Didn't yet updated app.

Me too, I'm still flying fine with OTG...but I don't like what I'm reading, I hope they don't force the use of version 15 to fly.

You definately shouldn't have to buy cs.
But from where I was it was either give up, buy a new phone/tablet which I had no need of for any other reason for several hundred pounds and which I could not test/ evaluate first, thus wasting more money.
I also accept that most hobbies are expensive, and to get the best
will cost.
The cs may also be good on resale, since it's dedicated to the task.
It's horses for courses, and what matters is that it works for you!

Beejay81 Posted at 2017-11-23 20:48
Every dji response I see on this makes me more worried there is more to this...

Fact:  - OTG cable worked very well in versions 4.1.10 upto 4.1.15 with a large range of android devices, improving reliablity and range of wifi, especially in CE regions

These comments sum up the situation for me....well described.

It's the underhand lack of transparency around the OTG change, which is irritated the hell out of me.

WE KNOW IT'S NOT SUPPORTED DJI, WE CAN READ...THAT IS NOT THE POINT WE ARE MAKING.
Come clean, be honest and open...and tell us that you modded latest App to remove the functionality!  

We'll all know where we are then and I can happily sell my Spark... ...as flying 70 metres and losing video on a £700 machine is nothing short of scandalous and of no use to me.

In summary DJI, respect your customers and at least be honest.

DJI accidentally made a good product "Spark". DJI then made another good but not great product "CS". DJI are not going to make the not great product great to tempt you to buy it. They just simply make the originally good product worse and you must pay more to buy the not great product to gain back the good you originally have. I suppose an android app exclusively good for CS will come out soon and it also support OTG only for SC. For other Android device, good luck.

Mildman Posted at 2017-11-24 04:46
These comments sum up the situation for me....well described.

It's the underhand lack of transparency around the OTG change, which is irritated the hell out of me.

There is no lack of transparency around otg, right from the get go you and I and everyone who purchased spark knew it was not going to be supported by any cable, you knew from day one that they’re was problems with otg , you ignored this and used it anyway your now complaining that it’s not working properly for you, but you already knew this so it shouldn’t be a problem.

I think dji are trying to get otg or similar to work on spark but as of yet they still haven’t worked out how they can do this so are continuing to work on as we’ve been told.
I don’t think it’s in dji’s interest to brick anyone’s Aircraft, but what your looking for may just take a bit longer to refine.
I don’t have a problem with video feed when using WiFi , but those who have problems whether this is caused by lack of signal or app it’s both of these that need to be sorted out first, not otg.

I have no idea why anyone is buying Crystal Sky for Spark - it is not in the compatibility list.
From DJI Website:

DJI Aerial System Compatibility

The CrystalSky monitor can quickly connect to the Inspire series, Phantom 4 series, Phantom 3 series (Phantom 3 Professional, Phantom 3 Advanced), Matrice series,Mavic Pro and Osmo series (except the Osmo Mobile) over Wi-Fi or via a remote controller USB port, depending on your specific product.

pmshop Posted at 2017-11-24 08:54
I have no idea why anyone is buying Crystal Sky for Spark - it is not in the compatibility list.
From DJI Website:

https://store.dji.com/product/crystalsky

Check out this page you will clearly see in the small print that indeed Spark is compatible with CS.

Good point! (They have said in writing on this forum that it is suitable.)
At first I was not even intending to buy the rc. It was quite good just using my phone. In some ways gesture mode with one battery was all I required.
But most of my hobbies go the same way!

pmshop Posted at 2017-11-24 08:54
I have no idea why anyone is buying Crystal Sky for Spark - it is not in the compatibility list.
From DJI Website:

That will get changed, methinks.
I think I saw somewhere a "now also for spark" already

hallmark007 Posted at 2017-11-24 08:32
There is no lack of transparency around otg, right from the get go you and I and everyone who purchased spark knew it was not going to be supported by any cable, you knew from day one that they’re was problems with otg , you ignored this and used it anyway your now complaining that it’s not working properly for you, but you already knew this so it shouldn’t be a problem.

I think dji are trying to get otg or similar to work on spark but as of yet they still haven’t worked out how they can do this so are continuing to work on as we’ve been told.

HI.

thanks for taking the time to respond, none of this is directed at anyone but DJI...I do wish I had your faith.

The lack of transparency I refer to is the fake confusion by DJI over why it doesn't work in the latest App.   Anyone who knows anything about software development know that is just plain nonsense.
It's not a new device either, al that pretence about 'we are looking into it'...they are taking us for fools.

I ONLY used OTG when I found I lost video at 70metres...I wouldn't have even known about the OTG option until I googled for what I assumed was a fault with my Spark.   

If DJI are trying to get OTG or similar to work..tell us...if they are not...tell us that then.   Instead, we are getting vague, fake surprise from them about it being disabled.

For me it is simple; I have had my Spark for 1 month.  1 month of choppy video, poor range, misleading customer services and no promises of resolution.
As mentioned before, in a £50 toy, that's fine... for £700 I demand more!

I would prefer if tall this wasn't happening of course, ultimately though it is my problem and the simple resolution is to sell the Spark, reluctantly.

Mildman Posted at 2017-11-24 09:10
HI.

thanks for taking the time to respond, none of this is directed at anyone but DJI...I do wish I had your faith.

https://store.dji.com/product/cr ... om=search-result-v2

In the link above you will see in the small print that dji are working on otg cable compatible to spark and have announced in the link that it will be coming soon.

Yes I understand some are having problems with video feed and this needs to be corrected, with regards to distance otg should not make any difference you would have to explain how this works to me distance .

Seems like it's time to sell my two week old Spark if it's continues like this...

marikello Posted at 2017-11-24 09:28
Seems like it's time to sell my two week old Spark  if it's continues like this...

You don’t need to sell, I live in Ireland I can fly spark comfortably 600 metres using just WiFi with perfect WiFi and iPhone 7

kind of funny , we are all here arguing something we can't fix and the people who can , doesn´t care about us,
but we still buy from DJI, so that's why DJI doesn´t care about  us, somethig like " let them cry we have more new customers to sell"
i have a P3a  and the spark, but maybe i' sell both and try another company.

hallmark007 Posted at 2017-11-24 09:31
You don’t need to sell, I live in Ireland I can fly spark comfortably 600 metres using just WiFi with perfect WiFi and iPhone 7

That's a good range for CE. Tried 2.4GHz and WiFi with your CrystalSky or any android yet?

Flip_L Posted at 2017-11-24 10:23
That's a good range for CE. Tried 2.4GHz and WiFi with your CrystalSky or any android yet?

Yeah I can only fly 5.8ghz and although video feed is excellent I’m struggling over 200 metres so waiting to see this being sorted.

rxdeath Posted at 2017-11-23 15:31
please describe your setup in more detail, including where you bought the cord and what version of the dji app you're using.  also what tablet/media device.

Ipad 4 mini, otg wire from dji, dji go 4.1.17.

Dear all, I am really concerned about many posts in this discussion and happy about others. But to be honest I am not happy at all about the OP. The tone has been agressive and hostile from the outset and despite all valid explanations given by other users did not change in following posts. And unfortunately many others jumped on this escalation of emotions apparently with little prior reflection and further reading across this forum. And what should or could all this be good for any of us? Nothing at all! Please allow me to summarise the course of events:
1. As soon as the first of us got their Android Go 4 App updated to version 4.1.18, credible and well documented reports about serious issues with this version were published here (more than a week ago).
2. Instead of joining the discussion(s) on that topic that were already in place (what would be my usual attitude in a forum like this one: Reading what has already been reported and responded/clarified and then adding to it),  on a daily or sometimes hourly basis new discussions were opened on the very same topic, making it very difficult for everyone to be on the same page concerning statements made by DJI to clarify the situation.
3. By now it has been repeatedly recognised by DJI representatives in this forum that there are issues with this version of the app (and that they are working on fixing them) and it has also been clearly stated that this version was not an attempt to make the use of OTG cables impossible for the Spark.
4. To the contrary there a clear promises in place, that OTG will be officially supported also for the Spark in the near future (and we all know that it is already working well).
Seeing the development of this discussion and the hostile tone kept up by OP and others, I start to wonder if other motivations might play a role in this behaviour...
I for myself can assure that I am neither working for DJI nor am I being influenced by them or receiving any benefits for my postings here. I am only writing about my own experiences. And the only problem I can see right now is that after a number of relatively good versions of GO 4 (at least improving one after the other), the very last one is definitely for the bin. An obvious accident that can happen in software development and does happen everywhere from time to time.
And here we come back to the beginning of my post. All this has already been reported more than a week ago. Do we really want to continue spending our time whining over one unfortunate release of the app and bashing DJI for something that has definitely not been intentional?
Thank you all for your kind attention and consideration!