DJI has issued a new firmware update you must install on your Spark.

If you don't install it, your Spark drone will not be able to take off. Somehow - presumably using some form of dark magic - the Spark features a lot of the same technologies as the Mavic, but in a product that literally fits in the palm of your hand. For a first attempt at something so small, the Spark is fantastic fun. However, according to Quartz, some customers have complained about their new Sparks.

Apparently, they are shutting down and falling from the sky in midflight. DJI acknowledged the issue in a statement released last month, but now, it’s pushing out a firmware fix that must be installed by 1 September, or else your Spark will be grounded. It went with a mandatory firmware update to "maximise flight safety and product reliability which we consider as top priorities,” the company said.

Spark's mysterious issues are reportedly related to its battery management system and power supply. DJI said only a “small number” of Spark owners have experienced malfunctions. Does this at all sound familiar to you? It's probably because you're thinking about the GoPro Karma drone, which was recalled last year after it began suffering from similar issues that also caused it to fall from the sky.

However, thankfully, the Spark's problems can be easily fixed. In fact, owners just need to install the newly released firmware update through the DJI Go 4 app when connected to the internet, or by using the DJI Assistant 2 desktop app while the drone is plugged into a computer.