Osmosis: A Free, Open-Source Replacement for DJI's Mimo App
Developer and journalist Konrad Iturbe has released Osmosis, a free, open-source app that replaces DJI's closed-source Mimo app for DJI Osmo cameras. The app is available on GitHub and was built with assistance from the AI Claude, according to The Verge.
Osmosis was created by reverse engineering the protocol DJI cameras use to communicate with the official Mimo app. In other words, Iturbe figured out how the camera and app talk to each other by observing their traffic, then wrote his own app that speaks the same language. The result has no DJI SDK dependencies, requires no logins, no bloatware, and no activation, per its GitHub repository. Notably, it works with the DJI Osmo Nano, which is not supported by either the official DJI SDK or the DJI R-SDK.
The feature set covers the core media-offload workflow that Mimo users rely on. Osmosis provides a media grid with thumbnails pulled directly off the camera, letting users browse content without downloading full-resolution files first. A low-resolution streaming preview allows users to scrub any clip in place, and an in-preview trimming function downloads just the selected slice of the high-res clip via keyframe-accurate stream copy in original quality. A resumable download queue saves high-res files directly into the phone's gallery. Users can also favorite videos and photos in-app and view previously hearted media, with filtering by photos, videos, and favorites The Verge.
Beyond media management, Osmosis exposes camera control functions including start/stop recording, taking photos, changing settings, live preview, and USB-C offload. A live status pill displays battery level, shooting mode, and internal or SD storage. The app supports multiple cameras, remembering paired devices and showing which are currently in range. GPS sync from the phone to the camera uses DJI R-SDK Osmo GPS controller commands, enabling stats via Telemetry Overlay.
Hardware support is broad across the Osmo line. The Verge reports testing on the DJI Osmo Pocket 3, Osmo Pocket 4P, Osmo Nano, Osmo Action 5 Pro, Osmo Action 6, and the Xtra versions of those cameras. The GitHub repository confirms verification on the Osmo Nano, Osmo Action 5 Pro and Xtra Edge Pro, Osmo Action 6, and Osmo Pocket 3. Drone offload via DJI QuickTransfer is verified on the DJI Mavic 3 specifically, while every other DJI drone is unverified and not expected to work.
There are practical limitations. Osmosis does not fully stow the gimbal on the Osmo Pocket 3, leaving the lens exposed unless folded away manually.
The broader context here is worth flagging. DJI's Mimo app has long been the only sanctioned way to pair a phone with an Osmo camera for media offload and remote control, and that lock-in has been a friction point for users who want a leaner workflow or who chafe at mandatory logins and activation steps. The Osmo Nano's exclusion from DJI's own SDK makes Osmosis's support for that device particularly notable: a third-party developer has achieved compatibility where the official toolkit does not.
The fact that Iturbe built Osmosis with AI assistance is itself a data point in how LLM-assisted development is lowering the barrier for reverse-engineering work that once required deep, specialized protocol expertise. Whether this prompts a response from DJI, in the form of protocol changes or a more permissive SDK, is an open question. For now, Osmosis gives Osmo owners a capable, no-strings-attached alternative that covers the critical path from camera to phone gallery, and for the Nano specifically, a path that did not previously exist.
