Control Your DJI Neo 2 With Your Apple Watch – NEW Firmware Update

Good day, folks. Shawn here from Air Photography. Yesterday we got a really interesting firmware update for the DJI Neo 2 that allows us to control it with our Apple Watch. According to the release notes of the DJI Fly app, this new feature also works with the original DJI Neo and the DJI Flip.

This is a game-changer for anyone who wants to fly hands-free while biking, hiking, or doing any activity where pulling out your phone is inconvenient. You can now pocket your smartphone and control your drone right from your wrist.

What You Need to Get Started

In order to utilize this new feature, you will need to update the firmware on your DJI Neo 2 and make sure you download the latest update for the DJI Fly app. If you need help with the update process, check out my DJI Neo 2 Complete Beginners Guide.

One important thing to note: you cannot connect your Apple Watch directly to the Neo 2. You do have to use your smartphone as well. The watch acts as a remote interface while your phone maintains the actual connection to the drone.

How Apple Watch Control Works With DJI Neo 2

Once you have launched the DJI Fly app on your smartphone and connected to your Neo 2, you can scroll through your Apple Watch apps until you find the Fly app. Tap on it, and it should connect automatically.

What you will see is a visual preview right on your watch. This is incredibly handy. If you are on a bike or just out doing some hiking, you can put your phone away in your pocket or in a camera bag and still see exactly what your drone sees.

Now, we cannot launch the drone directly from our Apple Watch, but we can give it voice commands. We can also tap the bottom of the watch screen to bring up all the different flight modes.

Switching Modes From Your Wrist

When you tap on the mode selection, you will see all the familiar options: Spotlight, Selfie Shot, Skiing, Follow, Boomerang, and Cycling Follow. You can switch between these modes directly from your Apple Watch without pulling your phone out of your pocket.

On top of that, you can also change some of the attributes for each mode. For example, if you select Boomerang, you can tap on the attributes at the bottom and set the distance. For Cycling Follow, you can adjust the follow distance, follow direction, and follow height.

This is really practical. If you are mid-ride or mid-hike and want to tweak your shot settings, you do not have to stop, pull out your phone, and fumble through menus. Just glance at your wrist and make the adjustment.

Voice Commands on Apple Watch

Just like on your smartphone, you can give the Neo 2 voice commands through the Apple Watch. Simply say “Hey, Fly” and the drone will start listening for a command.

In my testing, I said “Hey, Fly” and the watch displayed “Go ahead,” indicating it was ready for my command. I then said “Spotlight” and the drone immediately responded, counting down 3, 2, 1 before executing the mode.

It works remarkably well. The voice recognition is responsive, and the commands execute just as they would if you were using your smartphone directly.

Compatible Drones

According to DJI’s release notes, this Apple Watch control feature works with three drones:

• DJI Neo 2 – The latest palm-launched drone with omnidirectional obstacle sensing
• Original DJI Neo – The first-generation palm drone
• DJI Flip – The beginner-friendly vlogging drone with propeller guards

If you own any of these drones, just make sure you update the firmware and update the Fly app to access this new feature.

Why This Matters for Active Users

The Neo 2 was already designed for active lifestyles. You can fly it autonomously, use smartphone control, connect a traditional controller, or even fly it FPV style with goggles. Now Apple Watch support adds another layer of convenience.

Think about it: you are cycling down a trail, the Neo 2 is following you in Cycling Follow mode, and you realize you want to change the follow distance. Before this update, you would have to stop, pull out your phone, make the adjustment, and get going again. Now you just tap your wrist and keep pedaling.

The same applies to skiing, hiking, skateboarding, or any activity where the Neo 2 shines as a personal cameraman. The Apple Watch becomes your quick-access control panel.

Limitations to Keep in Mind

While this is a great feature, there are some limitations worth noting. You still need your smartphone connected to the drone. The Apple Watch is not a standalone controller; it is an extension of the Fly app on your phone.

You also cannot launch the drone from the Apple Watch. You will need to use your phone or the physical button on the drone itself to get airborne. Once flying, however, the watch gives you solid control options.

For more advanced features like vehicle tracking with ActiveTrack, you will still want to use a traditional controller setup. The Apple Watch is best suited for quick adjustments during autonomous flight modes.

Final Thoughts

This is a handy feature for anyone who wants to keep their phone tucked away while the drone does its thing. Being able to see a visual preview, switch modes, adjust settings, and issue voice commands right from your wrist makes the Neo 2 even more practical for on-the-go content creation.

If you have the DJI Neo 2, original Neo, or DJI Flip, I recommend updating your firmware and the Fly app to try this out. It is one of those features that you might not think you need until you use it, and then you wonder how you flew without it.

Hopefully, you enjoyed this video and found it had value. Thanks a lot for watching, and we will see you in the next one.

Check out Shawn’s video above and subscribe to Air Photography on YouTube for more drone tutorials.