Guide

Why do my DJI videos play in slow motion?

UPDATED OCTOBER 2026

DJI videos play in slow motion because they were recorded in Slow Motion mode. In that mode the camera records at a high frame rate and saves the clip so it plays back slowed, on the drone, in DJI Fly, and on your computer. DJI's Mini 4 Pro manual marks 4K/100fps and 1080p/100 and 200fps as recording rates whose video plays as slow motion. Switch back to Normal video mode for real-time clips, or speed the clip up in an editor.

Slow Motion mode vs normal video
From DJI's Mini 4 Pro and Osmo Pocket 3 manuals and help center. High frame rates in Slow Motion mode are stored to play back slowed, everywhere.

How to tell it's a slow-motion clip

DJI says slow-motion videos show an SLO icon in the lower-left corner when you play them back in the app. On the Osmo Pocket 3, the SLO icon also shows on the shooting screen while the mode is on.

Switch back to normal video

Drones (DJI Fly): tap the shooting mode button and choose Video > Normal instead of Slow Motion. DJI lists Slow Motion on the Mini 3 Pro, Mini 4 Pro, Mini 5 Pro, Air 3, Air 3S, Flip, Neo 2, Mavic 3 series and Mavic 4 Pro.

Osmo Pocket 3: tap the mode icon in the lower-left of the screen and choose Video.

If you want smooth motion that still plays at real speed, shoot Normal video at 60fps instead.

Osmo Pocket 3 slow motion settings

  1. Tap the mode icon in the lower-left of the screen and select Slow Motion.
  2. Tap or swipe up on the settings at the bottom to choose resolution and speed: 4x at 4K (120fps) or 8x at 1080p.
  3. Press record.

DJI notes that slow-motion clips on the Pocket 3 have no audio in the video file. The sound is saved as a separate file in the same folder.

"My videos download in slow motion"

That's expected for Slow Motion mode files. The slowdown is part of the file, so it travels with the video to your phone or computer. If a normal-mode video looks slow or jerky instead, your player may be struggling to decode it. That's a playback problem: see DJI video won't play and choppy drone footage.

Speed a clip back up

In any editor, set the clip speed to 400% for a 4x clip or 800% for an 8x clip to get real time back. You can also ramp: real time into slow motion and back. Our drone video tips cover when slow motion works best.

Slow motion on iPhone

If you meant your phone: the iPhone Camera app has a Slo-mo mode. Swipe through the modes above the shutter button to select it. Clips shot there play slowed in Photos, and you can edit which section is slowed.

Best gear for slow motion

For slow-motion aerials, the Mini 4 Pro shoots 4K at 100fps. For handheld, the Osmo Pocket 3 shoots 4x at 4K and 8x at 1080p.

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