Skydio 2 User manual
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.
What’s in the case?
Here’s what’s included in the case alongside your Skydio 2:
1) Skydio 2 Battery
2) Charging power adapter
3) USB-C to USB-C charging and data cable
4) Microfiber cloth
5) Skydio 2 Quick Start Guide.
6) Shoulder Strap
7) Extra set of propellers
Getting Started
1. Insert a micro SD card into the Skydio 2 SD card slot to capture your footage. The
Skydio 2 requires a UHS Speed Class 3 (U3) or faster microSD card to record 4k video.
Skydio 2 may need to format your SD card, so please ensure any data is safely copied
off the card before use.
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. You may also
tap the button on the front of the battery to display the current state of charge. The LEDs
will pulse while the battery is charging. While charging, the Skydio 2 should be in an
open area as it is normal for the chassis to become warm to the touch. When fully
charged the LEDs on the battery will remain solid for one minute then turn off.
CHARGING FULLY CHARGED
Will display solid then turn OFF
Connecting to Skydio 2
While your battery is charging, download and install the Skydio 2 app on your mobile device.
The Skydio 2 app is available on the App Store® and Google Play™.
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. You may find
your drone’s WiFi name and password on the sticker attached to the drone or inside the Skydio
2’s battery tray.
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. In summary, here are a few general guidelines to follow
before each flight:
● Ensure your batteries are fully charged before flight.
● Skydio 2 uses magnets to retain the battery which may attract metallic debris that could
compromise safe fitment of the battery. Prior to installing any battery, visually inspect the
bottom of the Skydio 2 and top of the battery to ensure they are free of objects or debris.
Verify the battery is fully seated with the aircraft prior to takeoff.
● Remove the gimbal retaining clip from the front facing camera.
● Remove the WiFi info sticker labeled REMOVE BEFORE FLIGHT from the top of the
Skydio 2.
● Because Skydio 2 navigates visually, it’s essential to keep all of its cameras clean. Use a
clean microfiber cloth to ensure that all cameras are dust and smudge-free before every
flight.
● Ensure all propellers are firmly attached and free of nicks, cracks, or other visible
damage. Never fly with damaged propellers.
WHERE TO FLY
● Skydio 2 will not avoid people, cars, or other moving obstacles. You should exercise
extreme caution and good judgement when flying with other people around. Never fly
over crowds and always make sure that you have the height floor activated if you know
there are going to be other people around.
● You are responsible for your Skydio 2 at all times. Always follow FAA guidelines for UAS
piloting. Check resources like knowbeforeyoufly.org or apps like Airmap for more info.
● Skydio 2 can only fly in normal daytime conditions. Since it navigates visually, it won’t
work at night or in other low-light situations.
● Skydio 2 is not weatherproof and requires good visibility. Do not fly in any precipitation,
including rain, fog, or snow.
● Skydio 2 should not be flown when winds or gusts are above 25 mph.
● Do not fly in temperatures below 23° F (-5C) or above 104° F (40C).
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.
Note: If you purchased an optional accessory such as the Controller or Beacon, we
highly
recommend
you perform your first flight without these accessories in order to complete the
‘Learn to Fly’ experience.
Set your Skydio 2 down on clear, flat ground at least 10 feet away with the front camera facing
toward you.
Launching Skydio 2 is as simple as holding the Launch button. Once Skydio 2 is in the air, the
Skydio app will begin the Learn to Fly experience, which will teach you the basic controls and
capabilities of your Skydio 2. You may replay the Learn to Fly experience at any time from the
Skills menu.
To learn more about using the Skydio 2, visit support.skydio.com for the latest articles and
tutorial videos.
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.
Phone Settings
● Manual Flight Control Style
○ Default - Single stick with pitch and roll with yaw on separate buttons
○ Steering - Single stick with pitch and yaw with roll on separate buttons
○ Joystick - Traditional dual-stick controls
Controller Settings (when connected)
● Gimbal Sensitivity
○ Controls how quickly camera gimbal pitches up and down
● Flight Sensitivity
○ Allows users to switch between default and custom sensitivity settings
for the roll, pitch, yaw and throttle inputs.
○ The default setting are fixed and cannot be changed.
○ Users may change the custom settings however they wish.
Signal Strength Indicator: Displays the current strength of the user’s radio link to the Skydio
2.
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.
Skydio 2 in video capture mode
Skydio 2 in photo capture mode
Video Capture Settings
● Resolution
● Framerate
● HDR On/Off*
● Auto / Manual Recording
● White Balance
● Shutter Speed
● ISO
● Exposure
Photo Capture Settings
● Photo Interval
● HDR On/Off
● RAW / JPG
● 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 drone into manual control mode.
Stop button during autonomous flight
While the Skydio 2 is in manual control mode the land button is available. The user may press
and hold the land button for 3 seconds to command the drone to land at its current location.
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.
● The subject you wish to track must be in the visible in the camera view in order to
become available for tracking.
● The closer the Skydio 2 is to the subject, the better the tracking will perform. If the
indicator is not appearing for the subject you wish to track, try moving the Skydio 2
closer and ensure they are framed in the center of the camera view.
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