Survey. Check to see if your RID actually is transmitting. Install the Drone Scanner App, Fly your drone, then see if the App sees it. Thanks

[Hands Down]

I tested Drone Scanner and DroneTag on an iPhone 14 with a Mini 4 Pro.

I can't get the drone to show up in either one of these apps. I do see the RID-xxxxxx Wifi network from my phone's Wifi Settings screen.

I stayed fairly close to my home point, VLOS, left it in the air for several minutes with each one.

 

[Sam36401]

Drone Scanner on my Android phone works just fine. The iOS version on my iPad shows NO drone at the same time that my Android version shows it.
Air Sentinel (Android version) works well also.
I could not find any other RID scanner apps for iOS to try.

 

[Montana_Flyer]

What I understand is that no one will see anything on the IOS scanner apps, as Apple does not allow IOS apps (other than Apple apps) to scan for wifi networks, some sort of security issue I'm told (unconfirmed by me, just what I heard). I just saw my M2P on the Android Drone Scanner. Showed the RID Serial number, some positional info, but everything about the pilot was unavailable. Of course I just updated DroneZone on the 16th, so maybe a delay on that info getting out to the app databases?

 

[mavic3usa]

Of course I just updated DroneZone on the 16th, so maybe a delay on that info getting out to the app databases?

AFAIK there is no transfer of data from DroneZone to anywhere. The details entered into the FAA database goes nowhere and isn't used for any sort of external validation or verification.

 

[jphoto]

I don't have an Android device to try, only iOS. Neither the Mini 3P nor the Mavic 3 Pro showed up on iOS.

If the app can't work because Apple won't allow 3rd party apps scanning of WiFi or BT, then why is it published at all?

 

[Montana_Flyer]

AFAIK there is no transfer of data from DroneZone to anywhere. The details entered into the FAA database goes nowhere and isn't used for any sort of external validation or verification.

That is good news to me, although it makes one wonder where the pilot info would come from otherwise (if at all). Hopefully nowhere. That is the only reason I pulled out the old Android, being concerned as to what info is presented to the public in these apps. I am using the original Smart Controller, maybe it doesn't have the firmware to broadcast pilot location?

I don't have an Android device to try, only iOS. Neither the Mini 3P nor the Mavic 3 Pro showed up on iOS.

If the app can't work because Apple won't allow 3rd party apps scanning of WiFi or BT, then why is it published at all?

jphoto, That is a good question. Why publish apps on devices not able to pull in the data? I haven't looked on the Apple app store, I just assumed they weren't there because of the restrictions I heard about.

 

[Droning on and on...]

AFAIK there is no transfer of data from DroneZone to anywhere. The details entered into the FAA database goes nowhere and isn't used for any sort of external validation or verification.

Drone registration is publicly available information, you can look up an owner via drone serial number. The FAA provides APIs for accessing their data products.

Whether any RID apps have implemented such a connection I have no idea. However it is possible.

FAA Data Portal

 

[mavic3usa]

Drone registration is publicly available information, you can look up an owner via drone serial number. The FAA provides APIs for accessing their data products.

Whether any RID apps have implemented such a connection I have no idea. However it is possible.

I should have said there is no functional transfer that I am aware of even though an API could provide such capabilities. My experience with the various apps indicate this isn't currently happening but I haven't dug into each of them and nothing stopping them going forward.

Obviously a FOIA request will likely reveal this information that is publicly available just like pretty much anything else from the US Government.

But agreed, there is nothing stopping this information from being used as suggested since it isn't prohibited:

Routine Uses: The information collected will be included in the system of records notice DOT/FAA 801, Aircraft Registration System, and will be subject to the published routine uses, including:

• To the public (including government entities, title companies, financial institutions, international organizations, FAA designee airworthiness inspectors, and others) information, including aircraft owner's name, address, United States Registration Number, aircraft type, legal documents related to title or financing of an aircraft, and ADB-S summary reports. Email addresses, credit card information, and telephone numbers of small unmanned aircraft system (sUAS) owners registered under 14 CFR part 48 will not be disclosed pursuant to this Routine Use. The public may only retrieve the name and address of owners of sUAS registered under 14 CFR part 48 by the unique identifier displayed on the aircraft; and
• To law enforcement, when necessary and relevant to an FAA enforcement activity.

Wouldn't be surprised if the drone tracking apps will one day include the name and address along with a searchable history.

 

[jphoto]

On the Apple App store, I find these:

Note, it's 4 years old, no updates. The "not compatible with this device" message is because I'm on a MacBook Pro from 2015, and it wants an IOS device running at least IOS 12.0, which I have.

And then this:

So, they did tell us they published an dysfunctional app. I guess we iOS people have no gripe. I have to say, I had no response from either drone on Bluetooth either, though, and both are running the latest firmware, and should be transmitting RID.

 

[Droning on and on...]

Wouldn't be surprised if the drone tracking apps will one day include the name and address along with a searchable history.

I would. For the same reason no one's going to build a retaining wall in my back yard for positive reviews on Yelp.

Think about it.

Smart phone RID apps are already a dead end, and quite predictably so. As many of us said over the last year, the Karen concerns are simply hysteria, few among the general public even know about RID, let alone care.

 

[Skydreamer]

most Karen’s have iphone so its a good thing i guess

 

[jphoto]

most Karen’s have iphone so its a good thing i guess

Seriously? Evidence please, or it's opinion, rumor, or worse.

 

[Yaros]

Tested on my Air 3, with Pixel 6 as the phone and RC2 as the remote. Shows up instantly with Drone Scanner. Air 2S takes a bit longer to show up but shows up as well after like 1 minute.

 

[Skydreamer]

Seriously? Evidence please, or it's opinion, rumor, or worse.

my wife has iphone so…

 

[davidarmenb]

No one can currently test for RID using an iPhone.

The current best app, Drone Scanner, which finds the most RID-transmitting drones out of all the other apps, works only on Android OS. I imagine not all Android-based phones would work either, as it may depends on how locked down the phone is.

Most, if not all, RID, is WiFi based, and Apple, for some unfathomable reason, does not allow these apps to access the WiFi hardware in their devices. Countless other third-party apps have access to the WiFi module in iPhones, the main one being WiFi Scanners, so I don’t understand why these drone scanning apps are not allowed to access the module.

However, technically you do not need any app if you just want to test if your drone is transmitting RID using both an iPhone and Android. If you open your WiFi settings and see the list of available WiFi devices, the RID drone is supposed to show up on the list with the name being “RID-1581“ followed by the rest of the serial number.


iOS phone WiFi settings page example.


Android phone WiFi settings page example.


Having said that, I have never seen my Air 3’s RID WiFi broadcast using my iPhone 13 Pro Max’s WiFi Settings page.