The Internet has become an integral part of our daily activities. As more and more technologies surround us, we need an internet connection to operate them all, including automatic lights, air conditioners, and even rice cookers! So, it makes sense that drone owners would be curious about whether drones can fly without Wi-Fi or cell service.
Drones do not require Wi-Fi to fly, but they will need it for further functions or to download flying apps. Wi-Fi is used to control and send live images backward and forwards between the drone and the controller. Drones are also equipped with a massive range of other connectivity options and devices, each of them having its own specific use case.
For more information, keep reading.
How Does The Drone Work Without Wi-Fi
Drones operate by sending signals from the controller to the aircraft. The drone and controller will make it possible for the signals to be transferred wirelessly and over radio waves. The transmitter, drone, and radio waves that send the signals must all operate at the same frequency.
You can control the drone’s direction, altitude, and all other operations once the controller and the drone have connected on the same radio wavelength.
Their main operating range is from 900 MHz to 5.8 GHz. Drones without camera transmitters frequently use the 2.4 GHz band while the majority of remote-controlled drones use the 900 MHz frequency. But some of the most recent drones use the 5.8 GHz band to avoid wireless transmission interference.
Why Use Wi-Fi When Flying A Drone Then?
You might wonder, why is Wi-Fi used with drones? Let us see the various ways through which Wi-Fi or cell service will help fly your drone better and get the most out of it.
Update Maps And Enable the “Follow Me” Feature In GPS
Regularly connecting your drone to the internet will ensure that any map updates are complete, including updates to no-fly zones to maintain your legal flying zones.
Internet connections make it possible for the drone to upgrade maps regardless of where you fly. It’s the same concept as if you’ve ever used Google Maps. The map images will be downloaded from a server when the internet connection is strong and readily available.
In addition to using cutting-edge photographic techniques and automation, many commercial drones incorporate GPS for return-to-home self-navigation. These functions require the drone to have an up-to-date map.
Follow Me mode is the way to go if you want your drone to follow you as you skateboard or cycle. The important thing to remember is that you need to have an active internet connection or cellular data in order to use the GPS feature.
However, if you’re fortunate enough to own a DJI drone with ActiveTrack, you won’t require the data plan because ActiveTrack uses visual sensors rather than a GPS signal to track you.
You Can Live Stream Drone Videos With Wi-Fi
This is yet another crucial argument in favor of using cell service or having Wi-Fi on your phone when operating your drone. The feed that is sent between the controller and the drone is not considered live streaming. Such a feed employs radio waves rather than a Wi-Fi or cellular connection.
Without first recording or storing it, live streaming is the act of broadcasting a camera-captured video over the internet. You need to have access to the internet, either through Wi-Fi or cellular data, to live stream your drone footage to other viewers.
However, you must have a sizable or infinite data plan to live stream reliably and smoothly; otherwise, streaming videos can deplete your data plan.
How To Connect Your Drone To Wi-Fi
To connect your drone to the internet, follow these steps.
Read the drone’s user handbook thoroughly first. Look for each button and its purpose. There is a Wi-Fi toggle switch on your drone.
Enter the passphrase given in the user manual. This is necessary to activate your drone. You can change the passphrase later.
Go to your phone’s app store and download your drone’s specific app.
On your phone, go to “Settings” and activate Wi-Fi. Your phone will begin scanning, and the Wi-Fi for your drone will show up on the screen.
Check that your phone has successfully connected to your drone’s Wi-Fi by clicking the connect button. Get the app started on your phone. Follow the on-screen instructions to finish the setup and configuration process.
Operate your drone through the mobile app to confirm the connection’s success.
If you face a connectivity problem, it’s important to understand where your connectivity issues are coming from to better tackle the problem. Once you’ve narrowed down your problem, you should be able to solve it much faster without wasting too much time researching a solution.
How Much Data Is Used When Flying A Drone?
There is no specific amount of data that a drone uses while flying through the air. The amount of data used depends on how many tasks the drone performs that need a data connection.
For instance, your smartphone will use more data (quite a lot!) when running a live stream than when just taking pictures or making movies. This doesn’t consume much bandwidth at all if you’re using maps or the drone is pinging your phone for a GPS location.
However, you have the choice to put the phone in airplane mode before releasing the drone if you wish to limit data usage.
Your drone may fail to connect because of a possible technical glitch, low batteries, or the controller not being synced correctly to the drone. In order to resolve the issue, you may need to check into all these three possibilities to find the solution to your problem.
Conclusion
Drones do not need Wi-Fi to fly, they use radio signals from the controller. However, you do need Wi-Fi for other functions that enhance your experience flying the drone.
