Guide · 2 min read · Updated 4 October 2026
How to get the GPS flight path from a DJI drone video
Want to show where a drone shot was filmed, map a flight in Google Earth, or add a speed and altitude overlay to the video? DJI drones can record a small .SRT “subtitle” file next to each video that logs the drone’s GPS position, height and camera settings for every frame. Here’s how to get it and turn it into a map track.
1. Turn on video subtitles before you fly
In DJI Fly, open the camera settings and turn on Video Subtitles (shown as Video Caption in some versions). From then on, every video gets a matching .SRT file. It can’t be created afterwards, so turn it on before the flights you’ll want to map.
The SRT file is tiny and doesn’t affect the video, so it’s worth leaving on permanently.
2. Copy the .SRT file from the SD card
The SRT sits on the drone’s microSD card, in the same folder as the video and with the same name — for example DJI_0042.MP4 and DJI_0042.SRT. Videos downloaded to your phone through the app usually don’t include it, so copy it from the card with a card reader or USB cable.
3. Turn it into GPX, KML or CSV
- Open DJI flight log to GPX and drop the .SRT file.
- Check the path, the altitude profile and the summary: distance, maximum height and speed.
- Choose how many points to keep — one per second is plenty for a map — and download GPX (maps and editing apps), KML (Google Earth) or CSV (spreadsheets).
The file is read in your browser and the track is drawn without loading an online map, so your flight locations stay private.
4. What to do with the track
- Google Earth: open the KML to see the flight in 3D over the terrain.
- Google My Maps and mapping apps: import the GPX to share where you flew.
- Telemetry overlays: many video-overlay apps accept GPX to add speed, altitude and a mini-map to the footage.
- Photo locations: for still photos, the GPS is already inside each JPG or DNG — read it with drone photo info.
Why is the altitude “above take-off”?
DJI logs the height relative to where the drone took off, which is what the app shows while flying. Newer models also log the absolute altitude above sea level; when it’s in the file, Toola uses it in the GPX and KML so the track sits correctly on the terrain.
Frequently asked questions
Which DJI drones record SRT files?
Most recent DJI drones: Mini 2, 3 and 4, Air 2, 2S, 3 and 3S, Mavic 2 and 3, Avata, FPV and Phantom 4, including the older SRT format.
My video has no SRT file. Can I get the track anyway?
Not from the video. The drone also keeps flight records in the DJI Fly app; those are a different format that needs other software.
Can I combine several videos into one map?
Convert each SRT file to GPX or KML one after another, then import them together — Google Earth and most mapping apps show several tracks at once.