How to Enable, Disable, and Manage Gridlines on the DJI Neo 2
Peter Leslie
21 May 2026
If you are framing a shot on the DJI Neo 2 and the live feed looks just a touch off-centre or wonky on the horizon, the overlay you want is Gridlines inside DJI Fly. The Gridlines row paints two optional overlays on top of the live preview — a 3x3 Rule of Thirds grid, a corner-to-corner Diagonals overlay, or both stacked together — so you can place the subject on a third or follow a leading line while the drone is still in the air.
Most drone pilots who reach for Gridlines on the DJI Neo 2 end up living on the 3x3 grid and switching Diagonals on only when the composition genuinely needs it. The path is the same either way — open Settings, jump to the Camera category, scroll to Gridlines, expand it, and tap the overlays you want. Untap every option in the same list when you want a clean live feed back.
Quick guide
To manage Gridlines on the DJI Neo 2, go to DJI Fly → Camera View → three-dot menu → Camera → Gridlines → tap 3x3, Diagonals, both, or neither. Tapping an option draws that overlay on the live feed; tapping it again clears it. The overlay is a framing aid only — the recorded file shows no lines.
Step-by-step: How to Enable, Disable, and Manage Gridlines on the DJI Neo 2
Follow these top to bottom the first time, and you will know the path off by heart the second time.
Open the DJI Fly settings panel from the camera view
With the DJI Neo 2 and the remote controller connected and the live feed on screen, tap the three-dot menu at the top-right corner of the camera view. The settings panel drops down over the live feed with a row of category tabs along the top.
Tap the Camera tab inside the settings panel
Across the top of the settings panel, tap the Camera tab so the camera-side controls fill the body of the panel. The list switches from the Safety and Control rows to the camera rows you need for the Gridlines setting.
Scroll the Camera category down to the Gridlines row
Inside the Camera category, scroll the list of rows downward until Gridlines comes into view. The current state sits on the right of the row, reading either Off when no overlay is selected, or the names of the overlays that are currently drawn on the live feed.
Tap the Gridlines row to expand the overlay options
Tap the Gridlines row itself. The row expands into a short list with the two overlay options — a 3x3 Rule of Thirds grid and a Diagonals overlay — and any option already in use is highlighted so you can read the state without changing it.
Tap 3x3 to enable the Rule of Thirds grid
Tap the 3x3 option to draw the Rule of Thirds grid on the live feed. Two vertical and two horizontal lines split the frame into nine equal rectangles, giving you four intersection points to place the subject on.
Tap Diagonals to enable the corner-to-corner overlay
Tap the Diagonals option in the same list to draw two corner-to-corner lines across the frame. Use the diagonals to line up leading-line subjects — roads, coast lines, building edges — and to keep the horizon level when there is no obvious horizon in shot.
Leave both options highlighted for a combined overlay
The two overlays are independent toggles, so leaving 3x3 and Diagonals highlighted at the same time stacks both patterns on the live feed. The combined view gives you the Rule of Thirds intersections and the corner-to-corner leading lines on one preview, which is useful when the shot needs both.
Untap every option in the Gridlines list to disable the overlay
To clear the live feed back to a clean preview, tap each highlighted option in the same list until none is selected. The overlay clears from the live feed and the Gridlines row collapses back to read Off on the right.
Close the settings panel and confirm the live feed shows the chosen state
Tap anywhere off the settings panel to close it and return to the camera view. The Gridlines state you picked carries over to the live feed — either the 3x3 grid, the Diagonals, both stacked, or a clear preview because every option was untapped.
Peter's tip
I keep the 3x3 grid on as my default and only turn the Diagonals on when the shot has a strong leading line, such as a road, a wall, or a coast cutting across the frame. Two overlays at once is a lot of lines for the brain to ignore on a moving live feed, so I bring Diagonals in for the specific shot, get the framing, then tap it off again for the rest of the flight.
| Gridlines state | What appears on the live feed | When to pick it |
|---|---|---|
| Off | A clean live preview with no overlay drawn on top. | Run-and-gun flying where the composition is obvious, or a busy frame where extra lines fight the subject. |
| 3x3 (Rule of Thirds) | Two vertical and two horizontal lines splitting the frame into nine equal rectangles, with four intersection points for the subject. | Most general flying. Sets up Rule of Thirds composition for portraits, landmarks, and centred-subject shots that need a touch of asymmetry. |
| Diagonals | Two corner-to-corner lines crossing in the middle of the frame. | Leading-line work — roads, coast lines, building edges, hedges. Also a horizon check when the natural horizon is out of shot. |
| Combined (3x3 + Diagonals) | Both overlays stacked: the nine-rectangle grid and the corner-to-corner diagonals on the same preview. | Pre-planned hero shots where the subject sits on a thirds intersection and follows a leading diagonal at the same time. |
Frequently asked questions
What do the Gridlines do on the DJI Neo 2?
Gridlines draw faint composition lines on the DJI Fly live feed — a 3x3 grid for the Rule of Thirds, or corner-to-corner Diagonals for leading-line work. They do not change the recorded clip or photo. The drone still captures the full sensor frame; the overlay is a framing aid so the subject can be placed on a third, on an intersection, or along a diagonal while the drone is in the air.
What is the difference between the 3x3 and Diagonals gridlines on the DJI Neo 2?
The 3x3 grid splits the live feed into nine equal rectangles with two vertical and two horizontal lines, giving you the four Rule of Thirds intersections to place a subject on. The Diagonals overlay draws two corner-to-corner lines across the frame, which is useful for leading-line composition and for keeping the horizon level when there is no obvious horizon in shot. They can be enabled together for a combined overlay.
Does enabling Gridlines change what gets recorded on the DJI Neo 2?
No. Gridlines are a viewfinder overlay only. The recorded clip or photo on the microSD card uses the full frame at whatever resolution and aspect ratio the camera is shooting in, with no lines burned into the file. The overlay is rendered by DJI Fly on top of the live feed for composition, and it disappears the moment the shot is exported.
Can I switch on both the 3x3 grid and the Diagonals at the same time on the DJI Neo 2?
Yes. The Gridlines row treats each overlay as an independent toggle, so tapping 3x3 and Diagonals leaves both highlighted and stacks the two patterns on the live feed. The combined view is useful when the shot needs to land on a Rule of Thirds intersection and also follow a leading diagonal — for example a road, a coast line, or a building edge cutting across the frame.
Why can I not see the Gridlines on my DJI Neo 2 live feed?
Either no option is highlighted in the Gridlines row, or the lines are sitting on a part of the frame that already looks flat — sky, water, or an even-toned wall. Re-open Settings, tap Camera, scroll to Gridlines, and confirm 3x3 or Diagonals is selected. If an option is selected and the lines still are not visible, point the drone at a darker subject — the overlay is intentionally subtle so it does not fight the framing.
Should I leave Gridlines on all the time for the DJI Neo 2?
It is fair to leave the 3x3 grid on for most flights because the Rule of Thirds is a near-universal composition rule and the lines are faint enough to ignore when they are not needed. Diagonals are more situational, so it is worth switching that one on for leading-line work and off for general flying. There is no battery or recording cost either way; the choice is purely about visual noise on the live feed.
Can I change the Gridlines while the DJI Neo 2 is in the air?
Yes. The Camera category in Settings stays reachable in flight, and the Gridlines row reacts to a tap immediately, so you can switch 3x3 and Diagonals on or off mid-flight. Stop recording before scrubbing through the options if the settings panel sliding over the live feed is going to land in the middle of a clip.
Gridlines are one of those settings that does its job quietly when the right overlay is picked and gets in the way when the wrong one is. Live on the 3x3 grid for general flying, bring Diagonals in for leading-line shots, stack both for hero frames, and clear the row when the live feed needs to be clean.
If you want a second opinion on which overlay works for the kind of shooting you are flying, drop the brief to peter@hiredronepilot.uk and I will come back to you directly. The video version of this walkthrough is on YouTube and the comments are open.
References
Primary source material for this article is the official DJI Neo 2 documentation and DJI Fly. External links open in a new tab.
- DJI Neo 2 — Downloads (User Manual, Quick Start Guide, firmware notes) · Camera view layout and where the in-app settings categories sit inside DJI Fly.
- DJI Neo 2 — Specifications (UK) · Sensor and recording-format reference, which determines what the live feed looks like underneath the Gridlines overlay.
- DJI Fly — App download and release notes · The app where the camera view, the settings panel, the Camera category, and the Gridlines row all live. Release notes record any layout changes between app versions.
Peter Leslie
Founder & GVC Drone Pilot
Peter is the founder of HireDronePilot. With thousands of logged commercial flight hours, he writes about drone technology, commercial surveying tactics, and UK aviation compliance.
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