Using Litchi App for the first time: A Complete Guide

What is Litchi and Why Use It Over the DJI App?

If you’ve been flying your DJI drone for a while, you’re likely familiar with the excellent DJI Fly or DJI Go 4 apps. They are robust, reliable, and perfect for manual flight. However, if you’ve ever imagined executing a perfectly smooth, complex camera move that seems just beyond your piloting skills, it’s time to meet Litchi. Litchi is a third-party application that takes over the controls, transforming your drone into an autonomous aerial camera platform.

The Power of Autonomous Flight

At its core, Litchi is an autonomous flight app. This means instead of manually controlling the drone’s every move with the controller sticks in real-time, you pre-program a complete flight path—including altitude, speed, camera direction, and even specific actions like taking a photo. Once you’ve designed your mission, you simply press “Go,” and the drone executes the entire sequence on its own. This opens up a world of creative possibilities with several key advantages:

• Pre-planned Cinematic Shots: Design sweeping, graceful camera movements on a computer with pinpoint accuracy. Imagine a shot that slowly rises and circles a landmark, keeping it perfectly centered the entire time. With Litchi, you can plan this in advance, ensuring a buttery-smooth result that’s nearly impossible to achieve manually.
• Perfect Repeatability: Need to capture the exact same shot at different times of the day or across different seasons? Autonomous missions allow you to fly the precise same path again and again, which is invaluable for projects like construction monitoring, seasonal time-lapses, or visual effects work.
• Complex Maneuvers Made Easy: Litchi handles the complex calculations of flight dynamics for you. This allows you to focus on the creative aspect—the “what”—while the app takes care of the “how,” flying the path with a precision that even seasoned pilots would find challenging.

Litchi vs. DJI Fly/Go 4: Key Differences

It’s important to see Litchi not as a replacement for the DJI app, but as a specialized tool that unlocks the full cinematic and automated potential of your drone. Each app has its own strengths, and knowing when to use each one is key to becoming a versatile pilot.

The standard DJI apps are your go-to for direct, hands-on control. They excel at manual flight, providing a responsive and intuitive experience. Their built-in “Intelligent Flight Modes” like QuickShots are fantastic for capturing fun, shareable clips with minimal setup. Think of the DJI app as your daily driver for exploration and spontaneous shots.

Litchi’s edge lies in its depth of planning and automation. While DJI offers basic waypoint functionality in some of its older apps, Litchi takes it to a professional level with its advanced features:

• Advanced Waypoint Missions: This is Litchi’s flagship feature. Using the web-based Litchi Mission Hub, you can plan incredibly detailed missions on your computer’s large screen, setting unique parameters (altitude, speed, camera angle, points of interest) for every single waypoint.
• Versatile Flight Modes: Beyond waypoints, Litchi offers powerful modes like Focus, where you fly manually while the app keeps the camera locked on a subject, and Track, which uses computer vision to follow a moving object.
• Cross-Platform Planning: The ability to plan a mission on your desktop or laptop and have it automatically sync to your phone in the field is a game-changer for serious projects.

So, when should you use each app? Use the DJI Fly/Go 4 app for your day-to-day flying, practicing manual skills, and capturing quick, impromptu moments. Switch to Litchi when you have a specific, pre-visualized shot in mind that requires precision, smoothness, and repeatability that only a well-planned autonomous mission can deliver.

Getting Started: Setup and First Connection

Before you can unlock the advanced capabilities of Litchi, a little setup is required. This initial process is straightforward, but getting it right is key to a smooth and successful first flight. We’ll walk you through checking compatibility, installing the app, and making that crucial first connection to your drone.

Checking Drone and Device Compatibility

Litchi’s power comes from its deep integration with DJI’s software development kit (SDK), but this also means not every drone or mobile device is supported. The first and most important step is to verify that your gear is on the list.

• Drone Models: Litchi supports a wide range of popular DJI drones, including many models from the Mavic series, Mini series (with some exceptions), Phantom, and Inspire lines. However, support can vary depending on the specific model and firmware. Always consult the official Litchi compatibility list for the most up-to-date information.
• Mobile Devices: You will need a compatible smartphone or tablet. Litchi is available for both major operating systems, but be sure to check the minimum version requirements. Generally, you’ll need a relatively modern version of iOS or Android to ensure stability and performance.

Purchasing and Installing the App

One of Litchi’s most appealing aspects is its business model. Unlike many apps moving towards subscriptions, Litchi is a one-time purchase per operating system. This means you buy it once for your Android devices and once for your iOS devices, with no recurring fees for the core app features.

You can purchase and download the app directly from your device’s official store:

• Google Play Store for Android
• Apple App Store for iOS

Alongside the mobile app, you get access to the Litchi Mission Hub. This is a powerful, browser-based interface that runs on your PC or Mac. It allows you to plan complex waypoint missions on a large screen with precision, which you can then sync to your mobile device for execution in the field. Learning to plan your drone routes in the Litchi App can significantly enhance your aerial photography and videography.

Connecting Litchi to Your Drone for the First Time

Making the initial connection is simple, but it requires a specific sequence to prevent software conflicts with DJI’s own apps. Follow these steps carefully every time you fly with Litchi.

1. Power on your remote controller first, followed by your drone. Wait for them to establish a connection with each other.
2. Connect your smartphone or tablet to the remote controller using your USB cable.
3. Force-close the DJI Fly or DJI Go 4 app. This is the most critical step. If the DJI app is running in the background, it can prevent Litchi from connecting to the drone. Make sure you swipe it away from your recent apps list to fully close it.
4. Open the Litchi app on your mobile device.
5. Litchi will automatically detect the connected drone. Wait a few moments for the status in the top bar to change from “Disconnected” to “Connected,” and for the camera feed to appear.

If you encounter connection issues, the most common culprits are a faulty USB cable, the DJI app running in the background, or an outdated version of Litchi or your drone’s firmware. Try restarting your devices, checking your cable, and ensuring the DJI app is completely closed before trying again.

Understanding the Litchi Flight Screen

Once you’re connected, the Litchi flight screen will look familiar yet different from the DJI app. It’s packed with information, but logically laid out. Let’s break down the main interface into its key components so you know exactly where to look and tap. For a deeper dive into mission planning, check out our guide on how to plan your drone routes in Litchi App.

Main View and Telemetry Data

The largest part of your screen is dedicated to the live camera feed from your drone, giving you a real-time first-person view (FPV). Overlaid on this view is the essential flight telemetry data you need to monitor to fly safely. While the exact layout can vary slightly between devices, you’ll always find these critical readouts:

• Altitude: Your drone’s height relative to its takeoff point.
• Distance: The horizontal distance from the home point (where it took off).
• Speed: The drone’s current horizontal speed.
• Battery Level: Displayed as a percentage, this is arguably the most important piece of data to watch. Litchi also provides an estimated remaining flight time.
• GPS Signal: Shows the number of connected satellites and the strength of the signal. A strong GPS lock is crucial for stable flight and accurate autonomous missions.

The Top Bar: Flight Modes and Status

The bar running across the top of the screen provides a high-level overview of your drone’s status and gives you access to core settings. Here you’ll find:

• Flight Mode Selector: This text indicates the current flight mode, such as P-GPS (Positioning mode using GPS), which is the standard for most flying.
• Status Icons: A series of icons that give you at-a-glance information. You’ll see indicators for GPS strength, Remote Controller (RC) signal, video downlink signal, and the status of the Vision Positioning System (VPS). Green is good!
• Main Settings Menu: Usually represented by three dots or a gear icon, this is where you access all of Litchi’s general, camera, and safety settings, including the all-important Return-to-Home (RTH) altitude.

The Right-Side Panel: Camera Controls

This vertical panel on the right side of the screen contains everything you need to control the drone’s camera and capture your shots. It’s designed for quick access with your right thumb.

• Photo/Video Switch: A toggle that lets you quickly switch between capturing still images and recording video.
• Camera Settings: Tapping here opens up a detailed menu where you can adjust manual camera settings like ISO, Shutter Speed, EV (Exposure Value), and White Balance. Taking control of these settings is key to achieving cinematic results.
• Shutter/Record Button: The large, prominent button used to either take a photo or start and stop video recording.

The Left-Side Panel: Autonomous Flight and Mapping

The left-side panel is where the magic of Litchi truly happens. This is your command center for initiating automated flight modes and managing your view.

• Flight Mode Button: This is the gateway to Litchi’s intelligent flight modes. Tapping this button brings up a menu where you can select Waypoint, Orbit, Follow, Track, or Focus mode.
• Takeoff/Landing Button: A dedicated button for automated takeoff and landing procedures.
• Map View Toggle: This button switches the main screen between the live camera feed and a full-screen map view, which is incredibly useful for situational awareness and monitoring the progress of a waypoint mission.

A Deep Dive into Litchi’s Intelligent Flight Modes

While manual flight is thrilling, Litchi’s true power lies in its suite of intelligent, autonomous flight modes. These modes handle the complex stick movements for you, allowing you to focus on capturing the perfect shot. Let’s explore each one in detail.

Waypoint Missions: The Star of the Show

This is the feature that draws most pilots to Litchi. A Waypoint mission is a pre-programmed flight path that your drone will follow autonomously. You design the entire flight—from takeoff to landing, including every turn, altitude change, and camera movement—on a computer or your mobile device before you even leave the house. This allows for incredible precision, repeatability, and cinematic shots that are nearly impossible to fly manually.

Planning Your Mission in the Mission Hub

The best way to create a complex mission is with Litchi’s free, web-based Mission Hub. This gives you a large-screen view and fine-grained control over every aspect of the flight. Learn how to plan your drone routes with this comprehensive guide.

• Accessing the Hub: Simply navigate to the Litchi Mission Hub website on your PC or Mac and log in with the same account you used to purchase the app.
• Placing Waypoints: Click on the map to place waypoints. Each click creates a numbered point that defines your drone’s flight path. You can drag them around to adjust the path.
• Setting Parameters: For each individual waypoint, you can define a specific set of parameters in the right-side panel. This includes:
  • Altitude: How high the drone will be at that point.
  • Speed: The speed at which the drone will travel to the next waypoint.
  • Heading: Which direction the drone itself will face. You can have it face the next waypoint, or set a custom direction.
  • Camera Angle (POI): You can set a Point of Interest (POI) on the map. By assigning a waypoint to look at a POI, the camera will smoothly pan to keep it in frame as the drone flies its path.
  • Actions: You can program the drone to perform actions at a waypoint, such as starting or stopping a video recording, taking a photo, or rotating a specific number of degrees.
• Saving and Syncing: Once your mission is planned, give it a name and save it. It’s automatically saved to the cloud. When you open the Litchi app on your phone or tablet, the mission will be available to download.

Executing a Waypoint Mission

Once you’re in the field, flying your pre-planned mission is straightforward.

1. Load the Mission: In the Litchi app, tap the flight mode button, select “Waypoint,” and then tap the folder icon to load your mission from the cloud.
2. Pre-flight Checks: Before you start, do a final check. Ensure the path is clear of obstacles like trees or power lines that you may not have seen on the satellite map. Verify your drone has a strong GPS lock.
3. Initiate and Monitor: Take off manually and hover for a moment. When you are ready, press the “Play” button on the screen. The drone will then fly to the first waypoint and begin executing the mission. You can monitor its progress on the map and through the live camera feed.

Orbit Mode

Orbit mode commands your drone to fly a perfect circle around a subject, keeping the camera pointed at the center. It’s an essential tool for creating professional-looking reveal shots or showcasing a property or landmark.

To use it, you first select your subject (the Point of Interest or POI) on the map. Then you can set the key parameters:

• Radius: How far away from the subject the drone will circle.
• Altitude: The height of the orbit. This can be adjusted live during the flight.
• Speed: How fast the drone will complete the circle.

This mode is ideal for real estate videography, capturing statues or monuments, or performing a dramatic reveal of a landscape feature.

Follow Me Mode

In Follow Me mode, the drone will follow the GPS signal of your mobile device (the one connected to the controller). This allows for hands-free tracking as you move.

You can configure the follow behavior with a few key settings, such as the drone’s altitude, the distance it maintains from you, and whether it leads or trails your movement. However, it’s crucial to understand the limitations:

• Requires Open Space: This mode does not have obstacle avoidance. It simply follows a GPS coordinate, so it must only be used in wide-open areas, free from trees, buildings, or other hazards.
• GPS Accuracy: Consumer GPS can have a margin of error. The drone’s movement may not be perfectly smooth, and its position relative to you can drift slightly. Always be prepared to take manual control.

Focus Mode

Focus mode is a brilliant hybrid of manual and autonomous flight. You select a subject or Point of Interest, and Litchi takes over full control of the gimbal to keep the camera locked onto that subject. Meanwhile, you retain full manual stick control of the drone’s movement.

This allows you to fly complex, sweeping arcs, fly sideways, or change altitude, all while the camera work remains perfectly smooth and centered on your subject. It’s a much simpler way to achieve the effect of an Orbit shot with more dynamic and unpredictable flight paths.

Track Mode

Unlike Follow Me, which uses GPS, Track mode uses your drone’s camera and computer vision to visually lock onto and follow a moving object. You simply draw a box on the screen around the subject you want to track, and Litchi’s software will analyze the visual data to follow it.

This mode is best for tracking subjects where the controller isn’t moving with them, such as a moving car, a boat on the water, or a person running across a field. For the best results:

• Choose a subject that has high contrast with its background.
• Ensure the subject takes up a significant, but not overwhelming, portion of the frame.
• Avoid situations where the subject might be temporarily obscured behind another object, as this can cause the drone to lose its lock.

Your First Autonomous Flight: A Step-by-Step Walkthrough

Theory is one thing, but the real magic happens when you see your drone execute a perfectly planned flight on its own. This guide will walk you through creating and flying your very first simple, safe, and successful autonomous mission with Litchi.

Step 1: Plan a Simple Mission

Before heading out, we’ll design a basic flight path from the comfort of your computer using the Litchi Mission Hub. The goal here isn’t to capture an award-winning shot, but to understand the workflow and build confidence. Learning how to plan your drone routes is a fundamental skill for any pilot looking to leverage autonomous flight capabilities.

• Create a 3-Point Path: Open the Mission Hub and find your flying location on the map. Click on the map to place three waypoints. A simple triangle or a short “out and back” path is perfect. This creates a predictable flight.
• Set Safe Parameters: Click on each waypoint number to open its settings. For this first flight, set the Altitude to a safe height, like 40 meters (about 130 feet), to clear any potential obstacles like trees. Set the Speed to a slow, manageable pace, such as 10-15 km/h (6-9 mph).
• Keep It Simple: For now, ignore advanced settings like camera actions or points of interest. The focus is purely on the drone’s movement.
• Save and Sync: Give your mission a memorable name (e.g., “First Test Flight”) and save it. It will automatically be available to load from the cloud within the Litchi app on your phone or tablet.

Step 2: Pre-Flight Checklist in the Field

Once you’re at your flying location, preparation is key. Rushing this stage is a common mistake. Take a few moments to run through a proper pre-flight check.

• Survey Your Surroundings: Take a walk around your takeoff spot. Look for power lines, tall trees, or people that might be in the flight path. Check the weather conditions, paying close attention to wind speed.
• Check Your Batteries: Ensure both your drone and remote controller batteries are fully charged. An autonomous mission can use more battery than you expect, so starting with a full charge is essential.
• Load the Mission: Power on your equipment, connect to your drone in the Litchi app, and tap the flight mode icon. Select “Waypoint” and then tap the folder icon to load your mission from the cloud.
• Verify Home Point: Before taking off, confirm that Litchi has a strong GPS signal and has correctly recorded your takeoff spot as the Home Point. You should see it marked on the map.

Step 3: Launch and Execute

With your mission loaded and checks complete, it’s time to fly. The process is calm and methodical.

• Manual Takeoff: Use the on-screen button or the controller sticks to take off manually. Ascend to a safe altitude of a few meters and let the drone hover. Listen to the motors and ensure it sounds stable.
• Start the Mission: When you are ready, tap the “Play” icon on the screen. Litchi will give you a final confirmation prompt. Tap “Start,” and the drone will begin flying to the first waypoint.
• Monitor Actively: This is not a passive experience. Keep your hands near the controls on the remote and your eyes on the drone itself (not just the screen). Watch its progress and be aware of its position at all times.

Step 4: Intervening and Taking Control

You are always the pilot in command, even during an autonomous flight. Knowing how to safely stop the mission is the most important skill to learn.

If you need to make a minor adjustment or wait for something to pass, you can simply tap the “Pause” button on the screen. The drone will stop and hover in place. You can then resume the mission when it’s safe.

However, for any unexpected situation where you need immediate control, there is a faster and more definitive method. To instantly stop the mission and regain full manual control, toggle the flight mode switch on your remote controller. This switch is typically labeled with P/S/C (or P/S/T) modes. Flipping it from ‘P’ (Positioning) to ‘S’ (Sport) and back to ‘P’ will immediately cancel the Litchi mission and give you direct stick control over the drone. This is your most crucial safety feature—practice it so it becomes second nature.

Essential Settings and Best Practices

Harnessing the full power of Litchi isn’t just about planning complex missions; it’s also about configuring the app and adopting safe flying habits. Before you launch into your next automated masterpiece, take a moment to review these crucial settings and best practices. They will enhance your results, streamline your workflow, and, most importantly, keep your flights safe and predictable.

Key General Settings to Review

Before every flight, and especially during your initial setup, diving into Litchi’s general settings is a must. These configurations define the core behavior of your drone and can prevent common issues down the line.

• Setting your Return-to-Home (RTH) altitude: This is arguably the most critical safety setting. Your RTH altitude should be set higher than the tallest obstacle in your flight area (trees, buildings, towers). When RTH is triggered, the drone will first ascend to this altitude before flying back, ensuring it clears any potential hazards.
• Configuring units of measurement: To avoid confusion, set your preferred units for speed, distance, and altitude. Whether you think in feet and miles per hour (Imperial) or meters and kilometers per hour (Metric), consistency is key for accurate mission planning.
• Customizing the function (Fn/C1/C2) buttons: Your remote controller likely has one or more customizable buttons. Litchi allows you to assign useful shortcuts to them, such as switching between the map and camera view, initiating an orbit, or pointing the gimbal down. Customizing these can save you from fumbling through menus mid-flight.

Camera Settings for Cinematic Video

Automation gets your drone to the right spot, but great camera settings are what create a stunning final product. Litchi gives you full manual control over your drone’s camera, and using it correctly is the key to moving beyond amateur-looking footage.

• Shooting in manual mode: Just like with a DSLR, shooting in manual (M) mode gives you complete control over the exposure triangle: ISO, shutter speed, and aperture (on supported drones). This prevents the camera from automatically changing the exposure mid-shot, which can cause distracting brightness shifts in your video.
• The 180-degree shutter rule: For natural-looking motion blur that is pleasing to the human eye, a classic filmmaking principle is to set your shutter speed to double your frame rate. For example, if you are shooting at 30 frames per second (fps), your shutter speed should be 1/60s. This may require using ND (Neutral Density) filters on bright days to achieve the correct exposure.
• Using grid lines for better composition: Enable the on-screen grid lines (e.g., Rule of Thirds) in the camera settings. These overlays help you frame your shots more intentionally, placing your subject on intersecting lines for a more dynamic and professional composition.

Safety First: Litchi Best Practices

Autonomous flight is a powerful tool, but it is not infallible. As the pilot in command, you are always responsible for the safety of the flight. Adopting these best practices will ensure you use Litchi’s automation responsibly.

• Always maintain a visual line of sight (VLOS): This is not just a best practice; it’s a legal requirement in most regions. You must be able to see your drone with your own eyes at all times. This allows you to spot unexpected obstacles like birds or other aircraft and take immediate control if necessary.
• Start with simple missions in open areas: When you’re new to Litchi, resist the temptation to plan a complex 50-waypoint mission through a forest. Start with a simple 3 or 4-point mission in a wide-open field, far from people and obstacles. This helps you build confidence and understand how the app works in a low-risk environment.
• Understand how the drone will behave at each waypoint: Before you press start, visualize the entire flight path. Review the altitude, heading, speed, and camera actions for each waypoint. A clear mental model of the mission helps you anticipate the drone’s movements and spot potential problems before they happen.
• Don’t rely 100% on automation; always be ready to take over: Technology can fail. GPS signals can drop. Keep your hands on or near the controls throughout the entire mission. Know how to pause or stop the mission instantly and be prepared to switch the flight mode switch on your controller to regain full manual control at a moment’s notice.