Skydio 2 User Guide Your personal flying robot film crew. We’re excited for you to get started with your Skydio 2. Before you fly, please check out all of the guidance and suggestions at skydio.com/safety, where you’ll find best practices, links to additional content, and regulatory information to enhance safety as well as your overall experience with Skydio 2.
. Insert the included power adapter into a wall socket and plug one end of the included USB-C cable into the adapter. [INSERT DIAGRAM OF WALL PLUG AND USB CABLE] 3. Attach the Skydio 2 battery to your Skydio 2 and plug the other end of the USB-C cable into the USB-C port on the back of the drone. Note that Skydio batteries are held in place magnetically and may be removed by pulling on them. 4. The LEDs on the Skydio 2 battery will indicate the current state of charge.
Skydio 2 app is compatible with iOS 12.0 (or later) or Android 7.0 (or later). Once your battery is fully charged, launch the Skydio 2 app. You will be asked to enable location and microphone services on your phone which are required for the Skydio 2 to function normally, and to register your Skydio 2 with your email address. Skydio 2 uses WiFi to communicate with your phone and other Skydio accessories. When prompted, enter your Skydio 2’s WiFi name and password into the Skydio app.
Updating Skydio 2 Each time you connect to your drone, the Skydio 2 app will alert you if there is an update available for your drone. Always ensure your drone is kept up to date with the latest software before you fly. Before You Fly Before you begin your first flight with your Skydio 2, please read and follow all of the safety tips and guidelines at skydio.com/safety.
Your First Flight For your first flight, we recommend finding a clear, open space away from others on level ground with at least 20 feet of clearance in every direction (including above). Make sure nothing is obstructing the propellers at your launch location. Although flying Skydio 2 is easy and intuitive, it's a good idea to give yourself and others a little space when flying for the first time.
The Flight Screen Settings Menu: Gives users access to in-flight settings for the Skydio 2 as well as control settings for the phone and Controller (when connected).
Drone Settings ● Minimum Height ○ Determines if the Skydio 2 will always attempt to stay at least 10 ft above the ground when following, even at the expense of tracking performance. See the Understanding Minimum Height Setting section for more details about this important setting.
Battery Indicator: Displays the current battery level of the Skydio 2 drone. Users my tap the battery indicator to switch between % and estimated flight time remaining. Camera Settings: Provides access to the camera settings and allows users to change the current recording mode.
● ● ● White Balance Shutter Speed Exposure Supported Video Resolutions and Modes ● 3840x2160 (4k) 30 fps ● 3840x2160 (4k) 60 fps ● 3840x2160 (4k) 48 fps ● 3840x2160 (4k) 24 fps ● 1920x1080 (HD) 120 fps ● 1920x1080 (HD) 60 fps ● 1920x1080 (HD) 30 fps *HDR is not supported in all video resolutions and framerates Stop/Land Button: While the Skydio 2 is flying autonomously, such as following a subject or flying to a waypoint, the user may tap the red stop button to cancel the current action and place the dr
Land button during manual flight Subject Indicator: The blue & white ‘+’ icon indicates a person or vehicle the Skydio 2 is capable of tracking. Tapping the indicator will command the Skydio 2 to enter autonomous flight mode with the selected object as the tracking subject. Subject available for tracking Subject being actively tracked Tips for best tracking performance: ● The Skydio 2 can only track people and vehicles, not pets or other animals.
Flight Controls: The on-screen flight controls are the primary method for controlling Skydio 2 during both autonomous and manual flight. Manual flight controls are the same in all skills and may be customized by the user in the “Phone” tab of the device menu while autonomous controls are unique for each skill. See the Manual vs. Autonomous Flight section of this guide for more details. Skills Menu: The skills menu gives access to Skydio 2’s library of cinematic skills.
Maps: Tap the map icon to enter the map view. The location of your phone, Skydio 2, and Skydio 2’s launch location are all indicated on the map. Tap and hold on the map for options to fly to a specific location or to set a home point. To exit the map view, tap the map icon again. Cinematic Skills Like your own personal camera crew, Skydio 2 knows what to film and intelligently flies itself during your activity to get the best shot.
Skydio 2 will track a subject from a fixed angle regardless of which direction the subject is facing or moving. Fixed Track Skydio 2 will rotate around the selected subject in either a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction, keeping the subject in the center of the frame. Orbit Mark two points and have Skydio 2 fly along a path between them. Cable Skydio 2 will hover in a fixed position, rotating and tilting the camera to look at the subject.
Specialty Skills: Learn the basics of how to track subjects and control your Skydio 2. Learn to Fly Manual vs. Autonomous Flight In addition to being a fully autonomous flying camera with predictive subject tracking, Skydio 2 can also be flown manually while retaining full obstacle avoidance. When you are not following a subject or using a specific skill in flight, the app can be used to manually fly Skydio 2.
While in manual flight, you may double-tap anywhere on the flight screen to fly directly towards that spot. Obstacle avoidance is always active when flying manually. Skydio 2 will smoothly route itself around obstacles, ignoring any commands that could potentially cause a collision. To enable autonomous flight, choose a subject you with the drone to follow by tapping the ‘+’ icon To stop following a subject in any skill, tap the Stop button at the top of the screen.
● ● While following a subject, Skydio 2 may become “trapped” by obstacles and unable to continue following due to the minimum height restriction, even though the space underneath the drone is clear. You will be prevented from lowering Skydio 2 below the 10 ft minimum height any time a subject is being tracked, such as when using the on-screen controls to set the desired follow height or using the Beacon’s Wand feature.
objects nearby. Pilots maintain full responsibility for the safe operation of their Skydio 2 drone at all times during flight. Flying Safely ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● Keep your fingers away from the propellers anytime they’re spinning such as during launch, flight, and landing. Do not intentionally try to crash the vehicle. The Skydio 2’s chassis may become hot to the touch in high temperature environments or direct sunlight, even if powered off.
Landing When you are ready to end your flight and land your drone, first stop any subject tracking and manually fly the drone to a safe landing spot that is flat, clear of debris and not overhead of any people or animals. Once you’re ready to land, press and hold the “LAND” button on your phone screen. Your Skydio 2 will automatically lower itself to the ground in a safe and controlled manner. While Skydio 2 is landing, obstacle avoidance is disabled.
COMPLIANCE INFORMATION FCC Any changes or modifications to this equipment not expressly approved by Skydio for compliance will void the user’s authorization to operate this equipment. This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation.
IC This device contains licence-exempt transmitter(s)/receiver(s) that comply with Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada’s licence-exempt RSS(s). Operation is subject to the following two conditions: This device may not cause interference. This device must accept any interference, including interference that may cause undesired operation of the device.