How to fix a corrupted DJI video

By the FixMP4 engineering team · Updated October 9, 2026 · Tested on real H.264, HEVC and AAC recordings

A DJI video that will not play after a crash, battery ejection or freeze is almost always missing its index (moov atom). Power the aircraft or camera on with the same card inserted so it can try to close the file, save the low-resolution cache from the DJI Fly or DJI GO app as a backup, and if the file still will not open, rebuild its index from a short reference clip recorded with the same resolution, frame rate, codec and colour profile. The FixMP4 repair tool does the rebuild in your browser and shows a free preview first.

This guide is the DJI reference sheet: products, settings that must match, and realistic outcomes. For a narrative walkthrough of a crash scenario, see DJI video corrupted.

Which DJI products this covers

Why DJI recordings break

DJI devices write frames continuously and write the index when recording stops. If power disappears first (a crash, a battery that pops out, a deep discharge) or the firmware freezes, the index is never written. Slow or counterfeit cards can also abort a recording. The frames remain on the card.

Step 1: let the aircraft try

Put the same card in the same drone, insert a charged battery, power on and wait a minute without recording. Many DJI products detect an unfinished file and close it. Power off normally and copy the DCIM folder.

Step 2: save the app cache

DJI Fly and DJI GO keep a cached copy of the live view on your phone. It is lower resolution and may have transmission glitches, but if the card is lost or the main file is unrecoverable, it is the only copy. Export it from the app album before clearing app data.

Step 3: record a matching reference

Record ten seconds on the ground with the same aircraft. More tips in how to choose a reference file.

Step 4: rebuild and check

Drop the broken file and the reference into the repair tool. Scrub through the free preview to confirm the moment you need. If the picture is blocky, the reference does not match: the usual mistake is H.264 vs H.265 or Normal vs D-Log. Export with a subscription when it looks right.

What comes back

• All frames written before the failure. After a crash, the last fraction of a second may be missing.
• Audio on products that record it (Osmo Pocket, Osmo Action; most drones have no microphone).
• Not restored: embedded flight metadata and the subtitle track inside the file. The separate .SRT file written next to the video, if enabled, is plain text and unaffected.

Troubleshooting the preview

Working with very large files

4K files at high bit rates can reach several gigabytes per clip. The repair reads the file directly from your disk inside the browser; nothing is uploaded and the whole file does not need to fit in memory. You need free disk space roughly equal to the file size for the exported copy, and a desktop browser is more comfortable than a phone for files this size. If your drone splits long recordings into segments, repair only the last segment and join them in your editor afterwards.

Hyperlapse, timelapse and panoramas

These are assembled from stills. If the assembly never ran, check the card for the source JPG or DNG frames and build the sequence yourself in an editor.

For insurance and incident reports

Keep the original file and the original card untouched. An index rebuild does not change any video frame; it writes a new table describing where the frames are. Keep the flight log from the app with the footage.

Prevention checklist

• Use V30 or faster cards from DJI's recommended list.
• Format in the aircraft before each session.
• Land with battery margin; do not rely on the last few percent.
• Update firmware; many recording bugs are fixed in updates.
• Stop recording before risky landings so the file is closed.

Related guides

• Fix drone video for Autel, Skydio, Parrot and others
• Fix GoPro video
• Repair a MOV file
• All device guides

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