Sync DJI flight logs to your computer with Syncthing

1. Introduction

DJI RC remote controllers — the RC 2, RC Pro, and RC Plus — run a locked-down Android build. Flight logs from DJI Fly are written to the controller's internal storage, and the usual way to get them onto a computer is to plug in a USB-C cable and drag files across in file explorer. That is fine once, tedious every flight.

Syncthing is a free, open-source, peer-to-peer file synchronisation tool. It runs on both Android and desktop, needs no cloud account, and keeps a folder on two or more devices in sync over the local network (or the internet, if you want). Install it on the RC and on your PC, pair the two devices, point Syncthing at the DJI Fly log folder, and every flight you finish will appear on your computer within seconds of landing.

This guide walks through the full setup end to end. It assumes a DJI RC running Android (RC 2 / RC Pro / RC Plus) and a Windows, macOS, or Linux computer on the same Wi-Fi network.

2. Install Syncthing on the DJI RC

The DJI RC does not have Google Play, so Syncthing has to be installed as an APK. Use the community fork Syncthing-Fork — the original Android app is no longer maintained, and the fork is the de-facto replacement.

1. On a normal computer or phone, download the latest release APK from the Syncthing-Fork GitHub releases page: github.com/Catfriend1/syncthing-android/releases. Pick the app-release.apk asset (universal build).
2. Copy the APK onto the DJI RC. The simplest way is a USB-C flash drive or USB-C-to-USB-A adapter: plug it into the RC's USB-C port, then use the controller's built-in file manager to copy the APK to internal storage.
3. On the RC, open the file manager, navigate to the APK, and tap it. Android will prompt to allow installation from unknown sources — approve it for the file manager. Confirm the install.
4. Open Syncthing-Fork. On first launch it will ask for storage permissions — grant all files access. Without this the app cannot read the DJI Fly log folder.
5. In the app's settings, disable battery optimisation for Syncthing and enable "Run in background" and "Start service on boot". This keeps the sync daemon alive while you are flying.

3. Install Syncthing on your computer

Pick the instructions for your operating system:

• Windows: download SyncTrayzor or the official binary from syncthing.net/downloads and run the installer.
• macOS: install via Homebrew with brew install --cask syncthing, or download the .dmg from the Syncthing site.
• Linux: most distributions have it in their package manager (sudo apt install syncthing on Debian/Ubuntu, sudo pacman -S syncthing on Arch, etc.).

Once installed, launch Syncthing. It will open its web UI at http://localhost:8384 in your browser. Leave this tab open — it is the control panel for the whole setup.

4. Pair the two devices

Syncthing identifies every installation with a unique Device ID (a long string of letters and numbers). Pairing means exchanging these IDs.

1. On the PC's web UI, open the top-right menu → Actions → Show ID. You will see the Device ID and a QR code. Leave this window open.
2. On the DJI RC, open Syncthing-Fork → Devices tab → tap the + button → Scan QR code. Point the RC camera at the PC screen and capture the QR code. (If the RC has no usable camera, type the Device ID in manually.)
3. Give the device a name like "Desktop" and save. The RC will now sit waiting for the PC to confirm.
4. Back on the PC, a blue banner appears at the top of the web UI: "Device <RC ID> wants to connect". Click Add Device, name it "DJI RC", and save.
5. Within a few seconds, both devices should show each other as Connected.

Both devices must be on the same Wi-Fi network for this first handshake. After pairing, Syncthing will also work over the internet if you ever need it to.

5. Share the DJI Fly log folder

This is the folder you want to mirror onto your PC. On the DJI RC it lives at:

/storage/emulated/0/DJI/dji.go.v5/FlightRecord

(Older DJI Fly builds may use DJI/dji.fly/FlightRecord or a similar path — if the one above is empty, browse /storage/emulated/0/DJI/ in the RC's file manager until you find the FlightRecord directory containing .txt files.)

1. In Syncthing-Fork on the RC, open the Folders tab → tap +.
2. Folder label: DJI Flight Logs. Folder ID: leave the auto-generated value, or set something memorable like dji-flight-logs.
3. Directory: tap the folder icon and navigate to DJI/dji.go.v5/FlightRecord (or whichever path contains your logs).
4. Folder type: set this to "Send only". The RC writes logs; the PC only needs to receive them. Send-only prevents any accidental change on the PC from propagating back to the controller.
5. On the Sharing tab of the folder dialog, tick the Desktop device you paired in step 4. Save.
6. A notification will arrive on the PC's Syncthing web UI: "DJI RC wants to share folder <id> with you". Click it and choose a destination path on your computer — for example C:\Users\<you>\Documents\DJI Logs on Windows or ~/Documents/DJI-Logs on macOS/Linux. Set the folder type on the PC to "Receive only" to mirror the send-only side.
7. Save. Syncthing will index both sides and begin copying. The first sync takes as long as your log history warrants; subsequent flights appear almost instantly.

6. Verify it is working

1. Power on the aircraft, fly a short hover, land, and power down normally so DJI Fly finalises the log.
2. On the RC, open Syncthing-Fork — the folder should briefly show "Scanning" then "Up to date".
3. On the PC, open the destination folder. A new .txt file with the flight's timestamp should be there.
4. Drop it into the flight log viewer to confirm it parses cleanly.

7. Practical tips

• Field sync without Wi-Fi: enable hotspot on your phone and connect both the RC and your laptop to it. Syncthing works over any shared LAN.
• Internet relays: if you leave the RC at home and want logs to follow you, Syncthing's built-in relays will tunnel through NAT automatically. Leave "Global Discovery" and "Relaying" enabled on both devices.
• Versioning: on the PC side of the folder, turn on "Simple File Versioning" with, say, five versions. It is a cheap safety net against accidental deletions.
• Ignore patterns: if the FlightRecord folder also contains cache files you do not want, add them to .stignore in the folder root (e.g. *.tmp, cache/).
• Battery: the Syncthing service is lightweight, but on long shoots you can pause it from the RC's notification shade between flights and resume when you want to offload.

8. Troubleshooting

• Devices show "Disconnected" — check they are on the same network, and that no AP isolation / client isolation is enabled on the router.
• Folder stuck at "Scanning" — Syncthing-Fork did not get all files access. Grant it in Android settings and restart the app.
• Sync works but new logs never appear — DJI Fly only writes the final log file on a clean aircraft power-down. Avoid yanking the battery immediately after landing.
• Path not found — different DJI Fly versions use slightly different folder names. Use the RC file manager to locate the actual FlightRecord directory and point Syncthing at that.

Once this is set up you never touch a cable again. Land, power down, and by the time you have packed the aircraft the logs are on your computer ready to open in the flight log viewer.

Questions or a setup that misbehaves? Email hello@djiflightdata.com.