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The DJI Mini 2 SE is one of the most affordable “mini” drones, released back in March 2023.
We love this drone because of its simplicity and affordable price. And it’s an excellent drone for travel.
Many DJI drones have follow-me mode, but does the DJI Mini 2 SE?
No, the DJI Mini 2 SE does not have a follow-me feature that is present on the more expensive drones from the “mini” line, such as the DJI Mini 3 Pro and Mini 4 Pro.
But there’s more to it. Maybe we can adapt this drone with 3rd party apps to add follow-me mode. Is it possible? What about Active Track?
What is Follow Me mode in a drone?
One of the best features behind any DJI drone is Active Track, and the drone’s ability to follow a person or moving object. When the drone does this, it will remain in a constant path with the person/object, also offering the potential to film during this time.
Some drones, on top of follow-me, have obstacle avoidance sensors, and if the drone detects any objects in its path, it may go around to avoid collision.
The technology behind follow-me has advanced exponentially in the past couple of years.
While two or three years ago, a drone with such a feature would frequently lose track of the subject and have issues avoiding obstacles, nowadays, this is another story.
The follow-me mode became more reliable and trustworthy to let a computer behind your DJI drone make decisions for you.
There are multiple ways a drone can follow a person or moving object. Usually, this could be done via a combination of GPS tracking positions on the drone controller, camera, sensors, and AI-detecting software.
More segments are usually added with the advancement of drones, which improve the overall ability for an excellent follow-me mode.
» MORE: How Does Follow Me Mode Work in Drones?
Does DJI Mini 2 SE have a follow-me mode?
Unfortunately, as we already mentioned above, the DJI Mini 2 SE does not have a follow-me mode.
This would be one reason why the drone is so cheap (affordable) for many new pilots. Adding such extra features would definitely increase its price, which could bring this drone out of the affordable price range.
The Mini 2 drone, previous to the Mini 2 SE and one of the most successful drones overall, never had a follow-me feature either.
If you’re looking for a drone with follow-me mode, you simply have to look elsewhere than the DJI Mini 2 SE.
» MORE: Does DJI Mini 3 Pro Have Follow Me? (Explained)
Does DJI Mini 2 SE have Active Track?
The Active Track is the intelligent element behind the follow-me mode.
Basically, follow me mode can come in the form of “trace” or “parallel”, and the Active Track offers a visual interface to give the drone these commands.
How would you do it? You can simply draw a visual box on the controller screen to select a subject for the drone to track. It’s easy and intuitive. But Active Track is a bit more than that.
While the follow-me mode is the function for a drone to follow you, the Active Track will actively be tracking a subject using visual technologies, sensors, and GPS, and the software part will calculate everything in real-time to provide data for the follow-me function.
And there are more autonomous features behind the Active Track of a drone, with or without follow-me mode.
Now, unfortunately, the DJI Mini 2 SE lacks Active Track, but it does have the ability to track a subject in the basic mode when using QuickShots functions.
» MORE: Follow Me and ActiveTrack on DJI Drones (Explained for Beginners)
Can you make DJI Mini 2 SE follow you?
Maybe you’re thinking of using some kind of special software or to DYI the drone, adding such features in terms of hardware injection. Or perhaps we can mime the follow-me mode.
Let’s see what we can do.
The DJI Mini 2 SE comes in a form from the factory and does not support any hardware upgrades as a computer does. There’s no possible way (at least not unless you’re a dedicated engineer) to add any form of physical modules to add a follow-me function to the drone.
To date, as far as we know, there is no firmware to install that may add a follow-me mode on this drone. The Mini 2 SE lacks the hardware and firmware characteristics as well for this function to work.
If we’re thinking about Litchi or other apps instead of the DJI Fly App, we’re onto something.
With Litchi, you can add a follow-me function on almost any kind of compatible DJI drone. It has its own recognition software that ingeniously can track a subject via the drone’s camera.
But this will be by far from ideal even in perfect circumstances, in comparison with the DJI Mini 2 SE having some native form of follow-me mode.
» MORE: DJI Mini 2 SE vs. Holy Stone HS720E (Which One is Best)
DJI Mini 2 SE intelligent functions
Instead of considering why the DJI Mini 2 SE does not have a follow-me function, maybe we can look at other intelligent functions and see how we can make it work, whether to mime the follow-me mode or simply have fun.
Some intelligent functions behind this drone are more than just for fun and can be used to capture the required video you’ve been looking for, when the skill level to do it manually was a bit too high.
So, let’s have a look at what we can use instead of Active Track or Follow-me on the DJI Mini 2 SE.
» MORE: DJI Intelligent Flight Modes (Including Quickshots & Mastershots)
QuickShots
This drone has several QuickShots smart features that may boost your videos to capture the ones you want.
To get into QuickShots, press the little film strip on the right side and go down to QuickShots when in live view mode.
Now, you have a few options to choose from. But beware of how you use them, as the DJI Mini 2 SE has limited safety features (e.g., no anti-collision sensors)
Dronie
Now, by pressing the “plus” or drawing a box around yourself, the drone will recognize you as a subject. You select from underneath the max distance your Dronie will perform and click start.
Now, the drone will fly backward from you and ascend a little, creating a video of the drone moving away from you or, if you reverse in post-process, it will appear to get closer to you.
If you don’t have follow-me mode on DJI Mini 2 SE, you surely can have some extra fun with Dronie.
» MORE: DJI Avata Dronie Settings (Step-by-Step Guide)
Rocket
Rocket is yet another beautiful QuickShots feature to take advantage of, as you don’t have the follow-me mode on DJI Mini 2 SE.
To activate Rocket, follow the same step process as above. Now select the subject, a.k.a., you, and set the maximum altitude the drone will perform this function.
After you press start, the drone will follow a similar feature to “Dronie,” but instead of going up on an inclined plane, it will go in vertical mode. So, it’ll be a first-person view similar to a rocket launch.
Circle
From the QuickShots menu, we also have Circle, which is one of the most beautiful quick shots functions, in my opinion.
Basically, after you have selected the subject, a.k.a., you, select the direction for your Mini 2 SE, which will perform the circle, either clockwise or counterclockwise, and then press start.
Your drone, after a quick countdown, will start orbiting around you while it gains speed. Just make sure it is some distance from you and there are no objects around, as the Mini 2 SE has no obstacle avoidance sensors.
This circle orbiting process would be a fantastic choice if you’re up hiking on some mountains and reached the peaks. Basically, it will overshow the entire landscape in a 360-degree circle movement while you and the peak will remain centered.
There are no better options to use in this scenario.
Helix
Let me share a point with you here. I said “circle” is a special one, but helix is the advanced type of circle where the drone will get farther from you while making a complete orbit.
This is yet another unique function to use when hiking to overshow the beauty of the landscape after you have reached the top.
Again, with this function, ensure no objects are on this drone path, or it can easily crash.
The “Helix” would be hard to duplicate manually, even by professional drone pilots. So, use it to impress your friends and everyone on social media with something unique.
I guess we already forgot about no-follow-me mode, right?
» MORE: Can You Fly DJI Mini 2 SE Without a Phone (Answered)
Boomerang
This boomerang function is the last of the QuickShots you can find on your Mini 2 SE to replace the follow-me mode with some fun features.
In this case, it will follow a process similar to that of Circle and Helix.
Basically, the drone will go clockwise or counterclockwise as you like, gaining distance while performing a part-circle, and after it reaches maximum distance, it will return back to you on the same “boomerang” path.
I guess that’s why they call it boomerang, right?
It’s a good feature instead of follow-me mode if you’re looking for some short talks while you vlog.
Conclusion
DJI has abstained from including the follow-me mode or Active Track on all of their drones to keep the drone’s price as low as possible.
Although we do have professional and semi-professional drones with all kinds of features, for the majority of new drone pilots, price matters to get into this hobby. For this case, we do have budget drones that lack many intelligent features, as we mentioned, Active Track with Follow-me mode.
But the QuickShots are something you can find in DJI Mini 2 SE and about all DJI drones, whether they’re equipped with Active Track or not.
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