LOGSORTIE

How to transfer Osmo Pocket 4P footage to a Mac

By Adrian Sava · What I do when I get back from a shoot, plus what DJI's manual says

Turn the camera on and connect it to your Mac with a USB-C cable. On the camera's screen, leave the file transfer option (USB/OTG) selected and the camera shows up in Finder as a drive called Pocket4P. Your videos are in DCIM, inside DJI_001. Copy them to a folder on your Mac and eject before unplugging. If you record to a microSD card, you can also put the card in a reader.

It sounds simple, but the first time you plug the Pocket 4P into a Mac it isn't that obvious. The camera asks you what you want to do, it has internal storage and a card slot, and DJI Mimo offers to send everything wirelessly. Here are the three ways, what each one is good for, and the one I use.

Where the Osmo Pocket 4P stores videos: internal storage or microSD

The Pocket 4P records to its internal storage (about 103 GB free) or to a microSD card if you put one in. To check, swipe down from the top of the screen to open the menu and go to the last page (the third dot) to see internal storage and the SD card, with the space on each. The highlighted one is where you're recording. With a card inserted, tap the other one to switch. The Storage button next to them is for formatting.

This matters because if you recorded to internal storage, taking the card out won't help: your videos aren't on it.

1. Transfer videos to a Mac with a USB-C cable (the way I do it)

It's the most direct way and it works wherever the videos are stored.

  1. Turn the camera on first, as the manual says.
  2. Connect it to your Mac with a USB-C cable. DJI recommends the one in the box. If you use another, make sure it's a good data cable, not a charge-only one.
  3. The camera's screen shows three options: file transfer (USB/OTG), Webcam and charge only. File transfer is highlighted with a 2-second countdown, so if you don't touch anything it picks that one. Nothing pops up on the Mac.
  4. In Finder's sidebar, under Locations, a drive called Pocket4P appears. Inside there are two folders: DCIM and MISC. Your videos are in DCIM, inside DJI_001. MISC holds thumbnails and data the camera uses: you don't need to copy it.
  5. Copy the videos to a folder on your Mac.
  6. When it's done, eject the drive in Finder and wait for it to disappear. Only then unplug the cable.

While it's connected in this mode, the camera can't record. If the transfer gets interrupted, the manual says to reconnect and try again.

Mac doesn't recognize the Pocket 4P: what to do

First, check the basics: the camera is on and the USB-C cable carries data. If the drive still doesn't appear, sometimes the camera doesn't recognize what it's connected to. The manual says to open the control center, go to USB mode, and reconnect the cable.

If you accidentally tap Webcam, the Pocket becomes a camera for video calls, and charge only just charges the battery. Either way the drive won't show up in Finder: unplug and plug it back in.

2. Transfer videos with the microSD card

If you recorded to the card, you can take it out and put it in a card reader on your Mac. Handy if you don't want to drain the camera's battery, or if you're offloading while you keep shooting on another card.

Two things: never remove the card while the camera is recording, and eject the card in Finder before pulling it out of the reader.

3. Transfer videos wirelessly with DJI Mimo

In the DJI Mimo app you can browse and download videos to your phone, and since August 2026 the Pocket 4P can send them to your phone on its own when you power it off. DJI has also added uploads to the cloud and to a network drive (NAS), depending on your region.

It's great for posting something quickly. But if you shoot D-Log or D-Log 2 to edit on a Mac, the files are big, wireless is slower, and you still have to get them from your phone to your Mac. For that, the cable wins.

Copy, don't move: two copies before you format the camera

I copy everything into a folder named with the date and what I shot, for example 2026-11-08 Lisbon trip, and make a second copy on another drive. DJI's manual is clear about it: data lost from the camera's storage can't be recovered.

Only once I have both copies do I format the camera, so it starts clean next time: under Storage you choose to format the internal storage or the SD card, depending on where you recorded. It erases everything with no way back, which is why the copies come first.

You'll see your videos have names like DJI_20261106173000_0195_D.MP4: the recording date and time plus a number. Next to them you'll see .LRF files, small preview copies, and for slow-motion clips an .AAC file with the sound. Copy them along with their videos. More on that in what LRF files are.

Before you open your editor: sort the clips

This is where it gets messy. All the clips have near-identical names, and the same folder mixes D-Log, D-Log 2, different resolutions and slow motion. If you import them like that, you'll be guessing which clip is which when you grade.

That's why it's worth sorting them right now, before you create the project: editors remember where each file is, and if you move them later you'll have to relink. Here's how I do it: how to organize Osmo Pocket 4P footage on a Mac.

Quick questions

Do I need to install anything on my Mac?

No. The Pocket 4P shows up in Finder like any other drive, just like a USB stick.

How much fits in the internal storage?

About 103 GB free. If that's not enough, add a microSD card and choose on the camera where to record.

Can I delete the LRF files?

From the copy on your Mac, yes, once you no longer need them in DJI Mimo. On the camera, better leave them alone. More in DJI LRF files.

I made LogSortie for this step: drag in the folder you just copied and it sorts the clips into folders by profile, resolution, fps and slow motion. It can be undone. More about LogSortie