DJI need to create totally seperate apps  for their newer models. Lke P3/P4? The app has grown 150% within 6 months -  no advantage to Spark owners - yet we get the update prompt. Our devices have limited capacity  It's not rocket science to work out why dis-connection issues occur.  

Hi, thanks for the inquiry. There will be an appropriate application on our DJI drones. However, we keep maintaining the stabilization of the app if there will be an update which will provide new features to the other drones. We ensure that other drones that are using the same application will not be affected by the new updated version. Thank you for continued support.

who said that you must upgrade??
https://dl.djicdn.com/downloads/ ... elease_Notes_EN.pdf

MavSpa_user Posted at 12-12 00:55
who said that you must upgrade??
https://dl.djicdn.com/downloads/Spark/20180719/Spark_Release_Notes_EN.pdf

Nobody said we must upgrade. The DJI Go 4 app & Google Play suggest updates. If auto-update is turned on your device then it updates.  
Faults in recent versions include video disconnects, reduced transmission range (why so many disconnects within short range?). Plus I can not turn on/off the video cache once 'activated' after a virgin install. Only deleting the sw & DJI folder can I correct this problem. Now it slows down with recent versions & disconnects within 5 m (~16 ft)  . I can not turn on/off the video cache once activated.  DJI Tony suggests otherwise - my real world experience (logs available) differs. If I go back to older versions, all is fixed. Why does DJI Tony ensure my experience is not affected by the most recent software when the field test proves otherwise?  Like you said MavSpa - don't upgrade, if you have auto update turned off.

DJI Tony Posted at 12-11 13:40
Hi, thanks for the inquiry. There will be an appropriate application on our DJI drones. However, we keep maintaining the stabilization of the app if there will be an update which will provide new features to the other drones. We ensure that other drones that are using the same application will not be affected by the new updated version. Thank you for continued support.

That is rubbish. New versions beyond 4.2.6 encrypt text logs - that's now using my device CPU to encrypt the data compared to older versions.  
The info in the old plain text logs contained all the gps location, wifi mode. flight zone areas  etc - now it is encrypted.  
My experience has changed with updates of DJI Go 4, regardless of DJI Tony suggesting otherwise.
I was hoping for a better answer considering the price & advertised features. Maybe I should take away the RC & DJI Go 4 device & try Jedi mode. Nah, it won't work here 'cos their is a small airfield nearby, even when I move 5 km away.
So..... ????  How do I turn on/off the video cache once activated? Why are later versions causing drama? Read the complaints - I am not alone!

Sparkz71 Posted at 12-12 20:13
That is rubbish. New versions beyond 4.2.6 encrypt text logs - that's now using my device CPU to encrypt the data compared to older versions.  
The info in the old plain text logs contained all the gps location, wifi mode. flight zone areas  etc - now it is encrypted.  
My experience has changed with updates of DJI Go 4, regardless of DJI Tony suggesting otherwise.

My handle refers to my job & age - created before DJI Spark existed, many moons ago.  I am an electrician that used to run a BBS in the '80s before the internet - FidoNet - testing BBS beta software. I know how it works. Updates may create problems for older devices, when adding new devices.  Please do not suggest otherwise, DJI representatives. The faults are true & exist, contrary to DJI Tony advise. Not good enough DJI!

DJI Tony Posted at 12-11 13:40
Hi, thanks for the inquiry. There will be an appropriate application on our DJI drones. However, we keep maintaining the stabilization of the app if there will be an update which will provide new features to the other drones. We ensure that other drones that are using the same application will not be affected by the new updated version. Thank you for continued support.

So if I fly with the latest app & crash due to DJI incompetence - Do I get a 100% refund or 30% off?  The main logs are now encrypted in the latest versions of DJI Go 4 so the average person has no idea - what are DJI hiding & why?

Sparkz71 Posted at 12-12 21:54
So if I fly with the latest app & crash due to DJI incompetence - Do I get a 100% refund or 30% off?  The main logs are now encrypted in the latest versions of DJI Go 4 so the average person has no idea - what are DJI hiding & why?

My next step is to record all wifi data via DJI Go 4 4.4.6 within Spark, in plain text & compare encryption methods with later versions....   The proof is their. DJI?

My FPV (wifi module in the My Phantom 2 vision+ ) burnt out after an update of the DJI vision app. A lot of people had the same. There where no spare parts (see phantom2 forum) and DJI wasn't @ home.  It was just after the release of the phantom 3!! Now this day I have a Spark and Mavic Pro. I still use the old DJI go app which give me the most stable version. (4.1.15 for Spark and 4.1.22 for mavic pro) Never had any app crashes or other strange things and I keep it this way.

MavSpa_user Posted at 12-13 01:59
My FPV (wifi module in the My Phantom 2 vision+ ) burnt out after an update of the DJI vision app. A lot of people had the same. There where no spare parts (see phantom2 forum) and DJI wasn't @ home.  It was just after the release of the phantom 3!! Now this day I have a Spark and Mavic Pro. I still use the old DJI go app which give me the most stable version. (4.1.15 for Spark and 4.1.22 for mavic pro) Never had any app crashes or other strange things and I keep it this way.

I am totally with you, sir.... it's some time around 4.1.9 I think when DJI started to add potentially unwanted stuff to the app... And since then, it only grows without any benefit for the end users.

Sparkz71 Posted at 12-12 21:54
So if I fly with the latest app & crash due to DJI incompetence - Do I get a 100% refund or 30% off?  The main logs are now encrypted in the latest versions of DJI Go 4 so the average person has no idea - what are DJI hiding & why?

Hi, we perfectly understand your concern. If the drone crashed for some reason, we highly recommend syncing the flight records using our application so that we could be able to identify if there was a malfunction that has been happened on your drone for us to provide an appropriate resolution as long as the aircraft is still in warranty period. Thank you for continued support.

I got a new phone a few months ago; a Pixel 3 which has the latest version of Android 9. Unfortunately the old "reliable" app versions won't run on the new Android, so I was forced to update to the latest Go4. I braced myself for experiencing all the issues that people were complaining about, but everything worked great. I flew out approx. 1km away following my friends riding their bikes and landed on the beach where they ended up. No connection issues until I started descending to the beach with some trees between me and the Spark. Even then I was still able to land it with the sporadic connection.

So there are people out there who are not having issues with the new app. Perhaps it only works well if you have a newish device?

Firehawk989 Posted at 12-13 11:25
I got a new phone a few months ago; a Pixel 3 which has the latest version of Android 9. Unfortunately the old "reliable" app versions won't run on the new Android, so I was forced to update to the latest Go4. I braced myself for experiencing all the issues that people were complaining about, but everything worked great. I flew out approx. 1km away following my friends riding their bikes and landed on the beach where they ended up. No connection issues until I started descending to the beach with some trees between me and the Spark. Even then I was still able to land it with the sporadic connection.

So there are people out there who are not having issues with the new app. Perhaps it only works well if you have a newish device?

You have a device capable of 5 Ghz wifi?  Older devices may only support 2.4 Ghz.  That is half the problem - we don't all have 5 Ghz devices & the latest DJI Go 4 app does not always agree with 2.4 Ghz devices. Old versions allow access to plain text logs & works during flight -  I can not read the newer encrypted logs to find the cause of the problem.  When I purchased Spark, I was never told the latest device was required. I thought palm control without the DJI Go 4 app would work - as advertised. Where did I go wrong?  I watched all the DJI YouTube videos in advance & it worked 100% until DJI released new versions of DJI Go 4...     Why should I buy a new device when the old device worked 100%. I flew 500 m high with the original version, now the new version fails within 5 m - wifi disconnects. I raised it with DJI & was told new versions should work. That is not true. So I'll go back to the version that worked for my device. Simple.
Happy flying!