GoPro Karma Firmware Update Finally Fixes Drone Flight Issues

GoPro's Karma drone has never been a massive hit as far as consumer drones are concerned, but its model is owned by a number of enthusiasts...ones who have been unable to fly their drones since around the beginning of the month. The issue is due to some bug that has finally been identified by GoPro and fixed in a newly released firmware update. The problem, according to the company, had to do with the arrival of the new decade.

The GoPro Karma drone was canceled in 2018, meaning new units aren't being produced. Despite that, many people still own and use one of these devices. Reports started rolling in around New Year's Day from owners who said they were having issues calibrating the drone's compass, which meant they were unable to fly the drone.

A solid two weeks after the problem started, GoPro has figured out what is causing this issue and has released a firmware update that fixes the problem. Put simply, the bug was due to the change of the decade, which messed with the World Magnetic Model stored within the Karma. The drone is dependent on this model for accurate positioning.

The updated firmware will restore the performance offered by the drone before the new decade arrived, according to GoPro, although there may be occasional exceptions to this. In some parts of the world, 'variations in magnetic fields' may cause the drone's compass calibration to fail, meaning you'll have trouble using the drone in these spots.

The company is soliciting feedback from Karma drone owners who experience this continued disruption in certain places. The new firmware, meanwhile, can be downloaded from the company's forums here. The update is delivered over the Karma's WiFi network using the product's software.