You just got the DJI Mini 2 SE out of the box, and boy, is it glorious. You marvel at its sleek lines, its streamlined body, and its foldability, and feel proud for having made the purchase.
Then, you turn the drone around in your hands a few more times, looking for a power button.
How do you turn the Mini 2 SE on? And off, for that matter?
It’s easier than it seems, I promise, especially once you get the hang of it. I’ll give you clear guidance on how to get the Mini 2 SE powered on and ready to fly!
To help, we’ve identified and reviewed the best drone courses for beginners and professionals.
How to correctly turn the DJI Mini 2 SE on (Step by step)
Powering on a new drone right out of the box should be easy as pie, right? And it is, once you get the battery situated.
Allow me to explain by going over the steps.
Step 1
Before you do anything with the Mini 2 SE, you first have to charge its Intelligent Flight Battery for at least 30 minutes.
It’s not that the drone comes with a dead battery (this is DJI; they wouldn’t do that). The problem is that the battery is initially in Hibernation Mode.
This mode is intended to keep the battery from over-discharging, but it fosters a lot of confusion in new pilots. The LED lights don’t illuminate, so you can’t tell where your battery level is at. To you, it seems like the battery isn’t charging at all.
However, it is if you plug it in and leave it. Once the battery has some juice in it, it will awaken from Hibernation Mode and be usable.
If 30 minutes isn’t long enough (evidenced by the lack of LED lights), give the battery an hour, then try it again.
» MORE: Is DJI Mini 2 SE Good for Beginners? (Hands-on Review)
Step 2
Next, find the power button on the Mini 2 SE. It’s located on the bottom side of the drone behind the camera and gimbal and beside the battery LED lights.
Press the button, then press it again and hold it. The Mini 2 SE should come to life.
Step 3
Next, you need to turn on the RC-N1, the DJI controller compatible with the Mini 2 SE.
» MORE: DJI Mini 2 SE Controller (All You Need to Know)
The RC-N1 has a more obvious power button. It’s the button to the right of the flight mode switch featuring a circle with a vertical line through it.
If you only press it once, that doesn’t turn the RC-N1 on (I know, that’s a bit confusing). Instead, that’s how you check how much battery it has.
Instead, turn the remote on by pressing the button, then pressing it again and holding. The controller will power on.
Step 4
With both the remote and the drone on, you can activate the Mini 2 SE, a required step before you can enjoy its Intelligent Flight Modes and fun camera.
You need the DJI Fly app to activate the drone, with instructions provided through the app.
This is only required the first time you fly the Mini 2 SE.
» MORE: DJI Mini 2 SE – Beginner’s Guide
How to correctly turn the DJI Mini 2 SE off
The Mini 2 SE flies for an estimated 30 minutes (expect less time than that in almost every condition), and then you need to land it and recharge it.
Fortunately, this DJI drone has automatic launching and landing, so you shouldn’t struggle to get your drone back to ground level. Once you have it in hand, how do you power it down?
Turn off the Mini 2 SE by pressing the power button, then pressing again and holding. Keep holding the power button under the drone until you see its lights turn off.
It’s simple enough, as you follow the same protocol for turning the drone on.
How to turn off the DJI Mini 2 SE controller
Once you’ve turned the Mini 2 SE off, follow suit and power down the RC-N1.
You remember how you turned it on, right? Great, because that’s how you turn the controller off. Press the power button on the remote, press it a second time, and hold it.
» MORE: DJI RC-N1 Controller – What Drones Are Compatible with It? (Explained)
Should you turn the drone or controller off first?
This is a little bit of those chicken-or-the-egg situations. Personally, I always turn the controller on first, then the drone, and power the drone off first, followed by the remote.
If you turn off the RC-N1 while the Mini 2 SE is in the air, you have no way to control that flying object. This almost certainly spells trouble for the Mini 2 SE.
Turning the drone off first after landing ensures that no matter what you do with the RC-N1 in the interim, it won’t affect the Mini 2 SE. You can’t turn the drone on with the remote controller or vice-versa.
What happens if you unplug the DJI Mini SE battery while on?
Nothing good, that’s for sure!
Humor me for a moment and imagine that you’re playing with a battery-powered toy truck. What would happen if you suddenly took the battery out? The truck won’t go anymore. Now, imagine the same with your drone.
You know the result.
The Mini 2 SE relies on its battery to stay in the sky. Well, that and a connection between it and the controller. At least the drone has a Smart RTH failsafe if it loses connection to the RC-N1.
Now, granted, this drone does have Battery RTH, too, but that only kicks in when the battery depletes to 10 percent. If your battery is at 90 percent and you take it out of the drone, the Battery RTH failsafe won’t activate, because why would it?
That’s not what it’s designed to do.
So, to recap, if you take the Mini 2 SE’s Intelligent Flight Battery out at any point while the drone is on, it will stop working.
If you need to access the Intelligent Flight Battery for any reason, such as to take it out or charge it, the Mini 2 SE should be on the ground and turned off.
» MORE: How Often Do Drones Crash or Fly Away?
Does the DJI Mini 2 SE turn off by itself after a while?
The Mini 2 SE should not turn off by itself. If it does, something is wrong, such as these issues.
It’s out of battery
No drone flies forever, and the Mini 2 SE has an especially short battery life. However, even when it’s about to run out of juice entirely, it’s not going to stop flying or turn off by itself.
The Low Battery RTH will save it, bringing the drone back to its designated Home Point and landing.
It’s lost connection to the controller
The Mini 2 SE’s advanced RTH also kicks in if it loses connection with the RC-N1. This is known as Failsafe RTH, which activates if there’s a signal disconnection that persists for over 11 seconds.
With Failsafe RTH, the Mini 2 SE will first move backward, going about 50 meters, then fly forward into Straight Line RTH mode. It will also enter this mode if the Failsafe RTH is active and you restore the controller signal.
Again, it’s not like the Mini 2 SE is turning itself off, per se, but it’s going back to its Home Point and landing unexpectedly.
It’s damaged
Drone damage, be it external or internal, can cause the drone to turn itself off, although unintentionally. Your drone is at a greater risk of crashing, and its erratic behavior makes it dangerous for yourself and others around you.
I would consider getting the drone fixed before flying it again.
» MORE: DJI Mini 2 SE Issues: 9 Things You Should Know (Must-Read)