A DJI Mavic 4 Pro that won't power on almost always has a battery that is asleep, flat or outside its charging temperature. Charge the battery at room temperature with a USB PD charger, then press the power button once, press again and hold. If unfolding the arm doesn't start the drone, a plugged-in USB-C cable or a sleeping battery is the usual reason.
Three ways it powers on
- Unfold the right rear arm. "Unfold Arm to Power On" is enabled by default.
- Manual: press the power button, then press again and hold.
- Fold to power off is off by default. You can change both in DJI Fly.
Why unfolding sometimes does nothing, according to DJI's manual:
- A USB-C cable is connected to the aircraft. Unplug it and wait a few seconds.
- The battery went back to sleep. If you activate a battery but don't take off, it returns to sleep after the drone has been off for a while. Press the power button or charge it, then unfold.
- Old firmware. The feature needs current aircraft, battery and app versions.
Also remove the storage cover before power-on, and unfold the front arms before inserting or removing the battery to protect the forward LiDAR.
Battery won't charge
- Wake it up. DJI ships batteries in sleep mode, and a battery stored a long time goes back to sleep. Charging wakes it.
- Charge with the drone off. DJI says the battery can't charge while the device is powered on.
- Check the temperature. It only charges between 5° and 40° C (41° and 104° F), and stops if the cells pass 55° C. Let it cool after a flight.
- Use a proper charger. DJI recommends its own chargers or USB PD fast chargers. Times are in the chart above.
- Read the protection LEDs. LED2 blinking means overcurrent or a short circuit, LED3 means overcharge or an over-voltage charger, LED4 means it's too cold or too hot. Unplug and replug to clear an electrical fault. Temperature faults clear on their own.
- Four LEDs blinking together means DJI considers the battery damaged.
Charging hub not charging
The Mavic 4 Pro Parallel Charging Hub behaves differently depending on the charger. With the DJI Mavic 240W Power Adapter on its Mini SDC port, it brings the lowest battery up first, then charges all three together. With a USB-C charger, it charges the fullest battery first, then the rest in sequence.
| Hub LED | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Solid yellow | Idle |
| Pulses green | Charging or moving power between batteries |
| Solid green | All full, or powering a device |
| Blinks yellow | Batteries or 240W adapter too hot or cold |
| Solid red | Power or battery error: reseat or replug |
Controller won't turn on
Charge the DJI RC 2 or RC Pro 2 over USB-C. DJI says both accept up to 9V/3A, and the RC Pro 2 supports up to 65 W over USB PD. Then press once, press again and hold. See DJI controller won't turn on.
When to repair
DJI's own troubleshooting is short: if the battery has charge and the drone still won't start, contact DJI Support. Retire any battery that is swollen or damaged: see swollen drone battery. DJI rates the battery for 200 cycles. A spare Mavic 4 Pro battery tells you quickly whether the battery or the aircraft is at fault. If it's the aircraft, start a repair.
Related guides
- DJI Mavic 3 Pro won't turn on or charge: what to do
- DJI Mavic 3 Classic won't turn on or charge: what to do
- DJI Mini 4 Pro won't turn on or charge: what to do
- DJI Mini 5 Pro won't turn on or charge: what to do
- Why won't my DJI Mavic 4 Pro connect to the controller or phone?
- DJI Mavic 4 Pro batteries and chargers: what to buy
Not sure which to pick?
Tell us what you'll fly and your budget. One of our drone pilots will reply with a recommendation.
Buying drones for a business, agency or store? Get wholesale pricing →
