DJI Mic 2 on an iPhone: A Magnet Mount That Costs Nothing

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The DJI Mic 2 comes with a small magnet for clipping the transmitter to your shirt. I found out that you can stick that magnet to the back of an iPhone and clip the transmitter onto it. You get good audio on the phone without buying a cage, a mount or a cold shoe adapter.

Why I wanted to avoid a rig

The built-in iPhone microphones are fine for calls, but they pick up a lot of wind and background noise. The usual fix is more gear: an external mic, a cage for the phone, a cold shoe adapter and maybe a handle. That adds up to around $200, and the phone ends up bulky. I wanted something quick for run-and-gun shots.

How to set it up

You need an iPhone (MagSafe models work best), one DJI Mic 2 transmitter and the magnet that comes in the box.

  1. Put the DJI magnet on the back of your iPhone, near the top center. That keeps it away from the camera lenses and gives good balance. A MagSafe case holds it more firmly.
  2. Clip the DJI Mic 2 transmitter onto the magnet.
  3. Plug the DJI Mic 2 receiver into the iPhone’s charging port and turn everything on. The transmitter and receiver pair almost instantly.
  4. Open the camera app and record. The iPhone uses the audio from the DJI mic.

How it sounds

Filming someone else: I pointed the rear camera at a friend, so the mic faced them from a couple of feet away. The audio was clear and focused, almost like a lavalier mic, and the background noise was mostly gone.

Vlogging selfie-style: The mic sits on the back of the phone, facing away from me, so it is less direct than the interview test. It is still a big improvement over the phone’s internal mic and clean enough for run-and-gun vlogging. Clipping the mic to my shirt would sound better.

Limits

  • It can fall off. I shook my phone pretty hard and it held, but for fast action or sports I would not trust a magnet.
  • Thick cases. The magnet has to get close to the phone. It worked with a standard Apple silicone case. Test a thick or rugged case before a shoot.
  • The mic is tied to the camera. You can’t put it closer to your subject separately, which is the advantage of a wireless mic. For most social media content that is fine.

Verdict

For quick shots this is now my default setup. It takes about three seconds, costs nothing extra and keeps the camera bag light. If I need a secure mount, I would still use a cage.

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