i finally solved this issue.

How to fix:

1. change to an android device, make SURE wifi/4G & GPS is on and go into DJI Go 4
2. wait for a message saying "you have switched resion" to pop up, press "ok"(note: there is no other option)
3. wait 30 seconds and reboot the drone, controller & restart the DJI go 4 app
4. go into the settings -> wifi and make sure you see the 5.8 GHz band and that it DOSNT say 1 - 10 channels but ses 1 - 11(or 1 - 13 if ur in a CE region)
5. thats it.

My theories:

i belive the DJI go 4 app cant access GPS location on the iphone's, therefore never switching to its apropriate modes(FCC, CE.. etc) and stays in a "safe" mode that obays all regulations without knowing what region you are. therefore you dont see the 5.8 GHz band and only have 1 - 10 channels(sometimes 2 - 10).


General Info(personal experience)

- before doing this: 150 - 250 meters range, aweful
- after doing this, CE: 500+ meters FCC: 1000+ meters

update: i was honestly ready to just pack the drone up and get my money back. but thankfully my background is in hacking, programming & tech so i managed to fix the issue after alot of tinkering. very happy now getting 1k+ meters on 5.8 Ghz(my area has rlly had 2.4 Ghz congestion) with smooth transmission

Good for you!

Kevinab Posted at 2018-4-20 14:36
update: i was honestly ready to just pack the drone up and get my money back. but thankfully my background is in hacking, programming & tech so i managed to fix the issue after alot of tinkering. very happy now getting 1k+ meters on 5.8 Ghz(my area has rlly had 2.4 Ghz congestion) with smooth transmission

Hi Kevin, thank you for the update, I'm glad to know that you have solved the issue, that's really amazing. Hope you have a good time on flying the drone.

Good job. Thank you for the explanation but this doesn’t help me because I have no Android device.

DJI should fix this issue for iPhones very fast!
Flying my first drone in my holidays was not satisfying. I‘m very disappointed because of the low ranges. I got after 80meters Video connection losses and this on an empty island with less disturbances.

And yes I read the manual and how I the RC antennas should be positioned.
I did the firmware and app upgrade too.

Kevinab Posted at 2018-4-20 14:36
update: i was honestly ready to just pack the drone up and get my money back. but thankfully my background is in hacking, programming & tech so i managed to fix the issue after alot of tinkering. very happy now getting 1k+ meters on 5.8 Ghz(my area has rlly had 2.4 Ghz congestion) with smooth transmission

How ?? please share.

Thanks, the Android trick solved my issue.

kollmann Posted at 2018-4-21 03:17
Good job. Thank you for the explanation but this doesn’t help me because I have no Android device.

DJI should fix this issue for iPhones very fast!

yes, its very weird indeed. somehow DJI cannot access GPS on iphones from their app. when i toggled my mavic into FCC mode with my friends android, it said "you have changed region.. etc" after going into the app on his phone without the gps spoofer being on. but when i connect my iphone 8 it stays in FCC mode and dosnt display that message, meaning it really dosnt know my location even if GPS is on

Mike 904 Posted at 2018-4-21 06:47
Thanks, the Android trick solved my issue.

hope you get all the range u need and more.

also forgot to say, you can switch back to ur iphone(if u had one in the beginning). the RC will stay in FCC/CE mode, you dont need to keep using the android

Kevjones1959 Posted at 2018-4-21 04:10
How ?? please share.

ah my name didnt update for the thread author. im DjiUser so just follow the thread instructions

Kevinab Posted at 2018-4-21 06:59
hope you get all the range u need and more.

also forgot to say, you can switch back to ur iphone(if u had one in the beginning). the RC will stay in FCC/CE mode, you dont need to keep using the android

Yes Sir, I switched back to my iPhone immediately and all was good.
Range tested it and it's much, much better!
Thanks again.

Kevinab Posted at 2018-4-21 07:01
ah my name didnt update for the thread author. im DjiUser so just follow the thread instructions

I didn't see how to do if you can without access to android.  I am about to return it so if you can help that would be great!

fansc7cef43d Posted at 2018-4-21 11:41
I didn't see how to do if you can without access to android.  I am about to return it so if you can help that would be great!

sadly you need an android for about 5 minuts to do this, after you can switch back. so try to find someone with one

Kevinab Posted at 2018-4-21 11:58
sadly you need an android for about 5 minuts to do this, after you can switch back. so try to find someone with one

UUUGH. Got no one I know with one.  This is sad that you pay 900 bucks and still have to be a hacker just to make it work.  And Best Buy is gonna slam me with a restocking fee on top of it.

fansc7cef43d Posted at 2018-4-21 12:29
UUUGH. Got no one I know with one.  This is sad that you pay 900 bucks and still have to be a hacker just to make it work.  And Best Buy is gonna slam me with a restocking fee on top of it.

huh "hacker", more like trial an error. i like fiddling with things. and yes its very sad, very unlike DJI to release something half baked

DJI, will you put a rush on this one please?

Interesting… this presumably means that if a Mavic Air owner sets up their machine in the US (where 5.8Ghz is fine) and then flies to say Israel where I am and where 5.8 is not allowed, if they’re using an iPhone, the Drone will be using the wrong frequencies!

If you set up your Drone (with an Android phone) in the US where 5.8Ghz is valid but then move or travel to (for example) Israel where 5.8Ghz is not allowed, and you’re using only an iPhone, the remote will continue using 5.8Ghz.

I think this is what was going on when a US tourist next to me was using his Spark on 5.8Ghz while I was only using 2.4Ghz next to him on my new Air.

I’ve not bothered to try this trick with the Android device yet because I understand it won’t help me.

brianoflondon Posted at 2018-4-22 00:37
If you set up your Drone (with an Android phone) in the US where 5.8Ghz is valid but then move or travel to (for example) Israel where 5.8Ghz is not allowed, and you’re using only an iPhone, the remote will continue using 5.8Ghz.

I think this is what was going on when a US tourist next to me was using his Spark on 5.8Ghz while I was only using 2.4Ghz next to him on my new Air.

yes it keeps on using 5.8 as the dji app cant seem to pinpoint your location with the iphones GPS. also no you wont have 5.8 even if you set it up in the US. if it cannot find your location it goes into the "safe" mode that follows all regulations without knowing were you are. AKA no 5.8 and 2 - 10 channels

Hi, you probably have to go to settings on iPhone DJI GO 4 app and allow Location - while using the app option.

kirbyvid Posted at 2018-4-22 05:58
Hi, you probably have to go to settings on iPhone DJI GO 4 app and allow Location - while using the app option.

thats pretty obv isnt it? and yes iv done that. everything i tried failed until i changed to an android for 5 mins to toggle it into FCC mode than switched back to my iphone

kirbyvid Posted at 2018-4-22 05:58
Hi, you probably have to go to settings on iPhone DJI GO 4 app and allow Location - while using the app option.

after that i got far superior range


Using 5.8 as its pretty noisy on the 2.4 Ghz band were i live. but 2.4 will get you better range in less noisy areas

Great that you have found the solution! I was puzzled why a number of users are having this problem and this is the answer. The MA was delivered in the MIC mode (like it was for mine too) which only has reduced 2.4 Ghz channels. Since I am using Android it was easy to switch to the correct mode.

kollmann Posted at 2018-4-21 03:17
Good job. Thank you for the explanation but this doesn’t help me because I have no Android device.

DJI should fix this issue for iPhones very fast!

You can certainly find somebody else who has an Android device. You only need to switch it once, the setting will remain then.

Wachtberger Posted at 2018-4-22 08:53
Great that you have found the solution! I was puzzled why a number of users are having this problem and this is the answer. The MA was delivered in the MIC mode (like it was for mine too) which only has reduced 2.4 Ghz channels. Since I am using Android it was easy to switch to the correct mode.

Looks like the real issue is that the pop ups asking to switch the wifi settings stopped appearing since the last update. For some reason it does not switch from MIC to CE or FCC depending on the region. I don't think the issue is that DJI GO 4 can't obtain the location in iOS, but for some reason it stopped switching from FCC, CE or MIC mode since the last update.

Kimosabe Posted at 2018-4-22 09:02
Looks like the real issue is that the pop ups asking to switch the wifi settings stopped appearing since the last update. For some reason it does not switch from MIC to CE or FCC depending on the region. I don't think the issue is that DJI GO 4 can't obtain the location in iOS, but for some reason it stopped switching from FCC, CE or MIC mode since the last update.

I cannot confirm or verify this since I do not have the new GO 4 version for Android yet, but this would somewhat surprise me.

It's not better leave wifi settings in auto mode?

kirbyvid Posted at 2018-4-22 05:58
Hi, you probably have to go to settings on iPhone DJI GO 4 app and allow Location - while using the app option.

No, that’s not it.

thossessess-sp Posted at 2018-4-22 00:18
DJI, will you put a rush on this one please?

Yes, please fix. I don’t have an Android device!

Night and Day difference, holy moly.

What about us that use a crystalsky?

Crystalsky is android so why don’t they work?

Can someone post some screenshots of where to change all these settings? I don’t  use an iPhone I use crystalskys

That doesn’t work either.

DJI Diana Posted at 2018-4-21 01:44
Hi Kevin, thank you for the update, I'm glad to know that you have solved the issue, that's really amazing. Hope you have a good time on flying the drone.

what is DJI doing about this Diana?

I have a brand new air.  Located in US.  Just upgraded to latest firmware NO 5.8 GHz using iOS.   This is BS!!  Needs to be fixed ASAP.  Solution is NOT find an Android phone.  DJI, what say you??

I had the same issue and this is how I solved it.

(Bit of history: The first MA unit i bought in the UK could use both 2.4 and 5.8 frequencies but after DJI sent me a replacement unit, the replacement device was locked to 2.4GHz and 2-10 channels. iPhone X user here, no access to Android and no combination of firmware reloading helped. )

This is how i solved the issue without an Android phone.

Firstly, install DJI Assistant 2 on your PC to get the RC drivers installed.
I downloaded an Android Emulator for my PC. I found and installed BlueStacks version 4.x for Windows 10. Once installed, i ran it and it offers a vanilla Android interface, requires signing in with a google account.
I ran Google Play app to access the app store, searched for the DJI Go 4 App for Android and downloaded/installed it within BlueStacks.
**Before** running DJI GO 4 in BlueStacks, click All Apps, run the System App and in the new tab that it launches in,  at the bottom right corner of it you will see a location icon. Click it and it will launch a new tab with a map that allows you to click anywhere and set that location as the current location within BlueStacks and for all Apps that run within it. Similar to Fake GPS concept. I clicked the USA (I live in the UK).
Connect the micro-USB port of the RC to the PC using the USB-to-USB-C cable plus the USB-C to micro-USB adapter that came with MA. Power on the RC while connected to PC.
Then run DJI Go 4 App in BlueStacks. The RC now video outputs to the virtualised DJI GO 4 Android App within BlueStacks.
You may need to initiate the linking process again.
This will trigger the message about a new location which you click OK. The emulator is slow. Click at the top right Menu (three dots) and go to wifi signal menu. You will see 2.4 and 5.8 but 5.8 may disappear. Switch from Auto to Configure and scroll right to the channels started 149 onwards. Pick one, Apply, restart RC and Mavic.
Now connect your iPhone to RC and launch the DJI GO 4 iPhone app as per normal. You will be able to pick a channel between 1-11 and 149+. If you choose one from the second group, it will automatically switch to the 5.8GHz frequencies.
Et voila!

This also worked for me in the US but the other solution using DJI Assistant 2 (suggested by DJI Hong Kong support) did not work. Still waiting for the permanent fix.

Customers must not seek for Android phones or use 3rd party emulators, etc. DJI please fix this, or give people an option to choose region or FCC/CE manually in one click (maybe via DJI Assistant, no?).

gekyr Posted at 2018-4-29 17:58
I had the same issue and this is how I solved it.

(Bit of history: The first MA unit i bought in the UK could use both 2.4 and 5.8 frequencies but after DJI sent me a replacement unit, the replacement device was locked to 2.4GHz and 2-10 channels. iPhone X user here, no access to Android and no combination of firmware reloading helped. )

holy hash browns. thats too much for the avr user though(im 100% nerd) ;(

i might develop a tool that uses a barebones android emulator to do it all in the background, only needing the user to plug their RC in. il have to look into that