Starting June 12, 2024, DJI disabled automatic flight record syncing to its cloud for US users of the DJI Fly and Pilot 2 apps. By June 27, the sync option was removed entirely from the settings page. DJI also removed thumbnail previews from the DJI Fly app globally. The move came amid US regulatory pressure, including the Countering CCP Drones Act proposed by Rep. Elise Stefanik.
What exactly changed for US pilots?
From June 12, 2024, the “Sync Flight Data” option was disabled in the DJI Fly and Pilot 2 apps for US users. By the next app update on June 27, the setting was removed from the interface entirely, not just turned off. DJI Pilot 2’s cloud sync was expected to follow the same path by mid-July 2024.
What actually happens to a pilot’s flight records now?
Flight records are still stored locally, on the controller or the SD card, and remain fully accessible that way. What changed is automatic cloud syncing: US-generated flight records are no longer uploaded to DJI’s cloud. Records already synced before the change were still downloadable at the time, but DJI said future US flight data would be deleted rather than retained in the cloud.
Why did DJI make this change?
DJI didn’t fully spell out its reasoning, but the timing lines up with mounting US regulatory pressure. That includes the Countering CCP Drones Act, proposed by Rep. Elise Stefanik, which specifically targeted DJI over data security concerns. Cutting off automatic cloud sync for US flight data removed one of the specific concerns critics had been raising.
Did this affect thumbnail previews too?
Yes, but that change was global, not US-specific. DJI removed thumbnail previews from the DJI Fly app interface for all users, not just those in the United States.
Sources: DroneXL, DJI Viewpoints.
