DJI Firmware Update Reaches the Mini 2, Mini 3 Pro, Air 2 and Air 2S: What US Owners Should Know

The DJI firmware update that landed on 20 October 2026 reached drones most owners assumed DJI had stopped patching. The Mini 2 got its first new aircraft firmware since March 2023, the Mavic Air 2 its first since September 2023, the Air 2S its first since April 2024 and the Mini 3 Pro its first since July 2024. DJI also pushed firmware for the Air 3S, Neo 2 and Avata 360 the same day, alongside DJI Fly 1.21.16.

For US owners the timing is the interesting part. DJI has been on the FCC Covered List since 22 December 2025, and the FCC normally blocks changes to equipment on that list. These updates are allowed under a waiver for drones authorized before the listing, which the FCC extended in May to at least 1 January 2029, as DroneXL reported.

Which drones got the DJI firmware update

Here is what changed on the older aircraft, with the version numbers from DJI’s release notes. The newer models got updates too, but only the Avata 360’s comes with a real feature list.

Controllers moved as well. The Mini 2’s remote goes to v04.11.0500. On the Mini 3 Pro, the DJI RC Pro moves to v03.02.0900 and the DJI RC to v01.03.2600, while the RC-N1 stays on v04.14.0700, the version DJI first listed in November 2023. The Mavic Air 2’s RC-N1 goes to v04.11.05.00 and its Smart Controller to v01.01.00.76.

How long these drones went without DJI firmware

The gaps between each DJI firmware release are long. Counting from each drone’s previous aircraft firmware to 20 October, the Mini 2 waited about 43 months, the Mavic Air 2 about 37, the Air 2S about 30 and the Mini 3 Pro about 27. Before that silence, DJI updated the Mini 2 eight times in its first 29 months, roughly once every four months.

Why a DJI firmware update is allowed on Covered List drones

Being on the Covered List stops new DJI models from getting FCC equipment authorization, and FCC rules also restrict permissive changes, firmware included, to listed equipment. The first waiver, DA 26-69 in January, allowed minor (Class I) changes until 1 January 2027. The May extension, Public Notice DA 26-454, pushed the date to at least 1 January 2029 and added Class II changes that reduce harm to consumers. The FCC describes the permitted updates as ones that “patch vulnerabilities and facilitate compatibility with different operating systems.”

That is the practical meaning of this release. A drone that was authorized before December 2025 can keep receiving security fixes and phone-compatibility fixes in the US for at least two more years, even though DJI cannot launch new drones here. It also explains why US buyers can still find the older models covered in our guide to what DJI is still sold in the US.

The problem with “Fixed some known issues”

DJI does not say which of those two categories these updates fall into. Every older model’s note is one line. That is a familiar DJI habit, but it lands differently now. In August 2026 a Bluetooth flaw affecting 16 DJI models (CVE-2026-78306) went on the public record, and owners of older drones have every reason to want to know whether a fix like that is inside.

My view: install this DJI firmware update, but deliberately. A three-year gap is long enough that a fix for a newer iPhone or Android release is a plausible reason, and staying on old firmware is unlikely to make an older drone safer. Some owners in DJI forums prefer updating through DJI Assistant 2 on a computer rather than the app, which also lets you keep a record of the version you were on. Make sure the battery is above 50% and do not power anything off mid-update.

The one update with real new features: Avata 360

The Avata 360 got the only substantive changelog. Firmware v01.00.0800 adds waypoint missions, support for the DJI RC Pro 2, zoom while using FocusTrack and switching of the display orientation. Our Avata 360 analysis covers the drone itself.

What owners of retired DJI drones should take from this

Not every older drone is covered. The Mavic Mini lost service on 1 April 2026, and the Phantom 4 Pro V2 loses support on 31 October. The Mini 2 is not on DJI’s end-of-service list, so this release does not signal a retirement. If your drone is still supported, the waiver means updates can keep coming. Whether they arrive with useful notes is up to DJI.

The next FCC decision to watch is the 29 October vote. It is the agency’s next step on drones, and we will update this page if anything in it affects listed DJI equipment.