How to Use QuickShots on the DJI Neo 2
Peter Leslie
22 May 2026
This is the DJI Neo 2, and here is how to fire off a QuickShot — one of the pre-programmed flight patterns that records a short clip and flies the drone back on its own. You might run a QuickShot to grab a cinematic reveal for social media, or to get a polished orbit shot of a hero subject with no stick skill required. The QuickShots library lives in DJI Fly, behind the Shooting Mode dial on the right of the camera view.
Most drone pilots reach for Dronie first because it is the classic pull-back reveal and it works in tight spots. Circle, Rocket, Helix, and Boomerang each give a different shape of clip, and the trick is matching the QuickShot to the space and the subject. The whole library is in the Shooting Mode dial; three of the five also live on the body button of the drone for palm-takeoff runs with no controller in your hand.
Quick guide
To run a QuickShot on the DJI Neo 2, take off, then tap DJI Fly → Camera View → Shooting Mode icon (right column, top) → QuickShots → Dronie / Circle / Rocket / Helix / Boomerang. Drag-select the subject, tap to start, and the drone records the pattern and flies back to where it started the QuickShot.
Step-by-step: How to Use QuickShots 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.
Take off and let the DJI Neo 2 settle into a stable hover
QuickShots only becomes selectable once the drone is airborne. Take off, let the drone find a steady hover at a sensible height, and check the camera view shows a clean live feed. The QuickShots tile in the Shooting Mode dial stays greyed out until the drone has lifted off.
Tap the Shooting Mode icon at the top of the right-hand column in DJI Fly
Look at the column of icons running down the right side of the camera view. The Shooting Mode icon sits at the top of that column and shows whichever mode the drone is currently in — Photo, Video, or QuickShots. A single tap opens the mode dial.
Select QuickShots from the Shooting Mode dial
Swipe to the QuickShots tile on the open dial and release. The camera view redraws with a strip of five sub-mode tiles along the bottom edge — Dronie, Circle, Rocket, Helix, and Boomerang in that order. The Shutter button also changes to the QuickShot start button.
Tap one of the five QuickShot sub-modes and adjust the distance or height
Pick from Dronie, Circle, Rocket, Helix, or Boomerang. A settings strip appears with the radius for Circle and Boomerang, the climb height for Rocket, the pull-back distance for Dronie, and the spiral radius for Helix. Drag the slider to set how far the drone will travel before it commits.
Drag-select the subject in the camera view to lock the QuickShot target
Drag a box around the person you want to track, or tap the plus icon that appears over a candidate. A green confirmation box draws around the locked subject — that green box is the signal the drone has accepted the target and the QuickShot is ready to start.
Tap the start button to commit and let the DJI Neo 2 fly the pattern
A short countdown plays, then the drone records the pattern automatically while keeping the camera locked on the subject. The flight path is fixed and the drone will not deviate, so the framing comes out the same way every time you run that sub-mode.
Let the drone fly back to where it started the QuickShot
Once the clip is finished, the DJI Neo 2 returns to the position it started the QuickShot from and switches into a hover. The recorded video is saved to the drone storage and pulls through to the DJI Fly album the next time the app is connected. The drone stays in the air and waits for the next stick input.
Tap cancel or press Flight Pause to exit a QuickShot mid-pattern
If the pattern needs to abort — somebody walks into the flight path, the wind picks up, the subject lock drops — tap the cancel icon on the camera view or press the Flight Pause button on the remote controller once. The drone exits the QuickShot immediately and switches back to a stable hover under stick control.
Peter's tip
My go-to QuickShot for a one-take social clip is Helix with the radius pushed wide and the height set near the top of the slider. You get the pull-back of a Dronie and the orbit of a Circle in a single run, and the spiral up reveals the landscape in the same shot.
On a beach or a snowy hill where the visual system struggles to find contrast, lay a coloured towel or a jacket down before takeoff and stand next to it. The drone locks on instantly and the QuickShot fires first time instead of failing the subject-confirmation step.
| QuickShot | Flight pattern | When to pick it |
|---|---|---|
| Dronie | Flies backward and slightly upward while the camera stays locked on the subject, then turns around and returns to the start point. | The classic reveal — works in tight spots like forest paths and narrow gardens because it only travels backward, no lateral clearance needed. |
| Circle | Arcs once around the subject at a fixed radius with the camera locked on, then returns to the start point. | Hero shots of a single person or a small group — the orbit stays low and tight, so the clip feels intimate rather than epic. |
| Rocket | Climbs straight up while the camera stays pointed at the subject, then descends to the start point. Optional rotation on the way up. | Showing how big a place is — the only QuickShot that needs no lateral clearance, useful in courtyards or tight gardens. |
| Helix | Spirals up and outward around the subject, widening the radius as it climbs, then returns to the start point. | The most cinematic single move on the drone — combines a Dronie pull-back with a Circle orbit. Needs open space. |
| Boomerang | Flies an oval path around the subject, climbing on the far side of the oval and descending as it loops back. | Open fields or beaches with at least thirty metres of clear radius — gives the clip more movement than a flat Circle. |
Frequently asked questions
Why is QuickShots greyed out on the DJI Neo 2?
QuickShots only unlocks once the DJI Neo 2 is in the air. With the drone on the ground the tile sits in the Shooting Mode dial but cannot be selected. Take off, hover for a moment, and QuickShots lights up. Photo and Video are both selectable on the ground and in the air.
Can I run QuickShots on the DJI Neo 2 without the remote controller?
Yes. Three of the five QuickShots — Dronie, Circle, and Rocket — sit on the body button of the DJI Neo 2 and run from a palm takeoff with no controller and no phone. Helix and Boomerang need the Shooting Mode dial in DJI Fly. Connect the drone to DJI Fly over Wi-Fi or use the remote controller for the full library.
What if the DJI Neo 2 cannot confirm the subject?
Move to a spot with more visual texture in the background. The visual system needs contrast to lock on, so a person in a dark jacket against a snowy hillside or a beach often fails the subject-confirmation step. Wear a colour that stands out against the surroundings, stand on a patch of grass or paving rather than open sand, and try the drag-select again.
How much space does a QuickShot need on the DJI Neo 2?
Boomerang needs the most — a clear radius of at least thirty metres and ten metres of vertical clearance. Dronie and Rocket need the least lateral space because Dronie only flies backward and Rocket climbs straight up. Circle and Helix sit in between. Pick the QuickShot to suit the space, not the other way round.
Does Return-to-Home work during a QuickShot?
Return-to-Home is supported when the DJI Neo 2 is connected to the remote controller. In Palm Control or Mobile App Control with no controller, Return-to-Home is not available, so a lost signal or a low battery during a QuickShot means the drone has to be retrieved manually. Fly with the controller when you need the RTH safety net.
Does the DJI Neo 2 avoid obstacles during a QuickShot?
No. The DJI Neo 2 has no obstacle sensing. The QuickShot path is fixed, so the drone will fly through a tree branch or into a wall if one is in the way. Run QuickShots in clear, open space and check the line of flight before you tap start.
Can the DJI Neo 2 track something other than a person during a QuickShot?
No. The QuickShot subject lock only supports people. A dog, a car, or any other moving object will fail the subject-confirmation step. Use Cruise Control or manual flying with the remote controller for non-human subjects.
QuickShots are the easiest way to get a cinematic clip off the DJI Neo 2 with no stick skill. Dronie is the safe default, Helix is the cinematic flex, and the rest fit specific spaces and subjects — pick by the room you have to play with.
If you are not sure which QuickShot suits the location you are filming in, drop the details 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) · QuickShots section — Shooting Mode dial path, subject confirmation, exit-on-Flight-Pause behaviour, Boomerang clearance notice.
- DJI Neo 2 — Product page (UK) · QuickShots library overview and the visual-system subject-tracking specification.
- DJI Fly — App download and release notes · The Shooting Mode dial lives here. Release notes record any QuickShot 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.
Connect on LinkedIn