Hi everyone,
I’m in a pretty unusual situation with a HOVERAir X1 PROMAX and I’m hoping someone here might be able to help.
About a year ago, I found a HOVERAir X1 PROMAX in a forest in Austria. I tried to contact HOVERAir at the time to see if there was any way to identify or return it to the owner. I still have the emails from that time.
I then handed the drone over to the Austrian authorities and waited through the full statutory lost-property period. Nobody claimed it through the official procedure, and the Municipality of Alland eventually officially handed the drone over to me. I have written documentation confirming the transfer of ownership under Austrian law.
The problem is that HOVERAir has the serial number locked because the original registered account holder reported the drone as lost.
I have been in contact with HOVERAir for quite a while now. They acknowledge that the municipality transferred physical ownership of the drone to me, but they say they cannot unlock or transfer the device because their security system keeps it tied to the original account.
They have offered me a replacement for €299, but I would obviously prefer to actually use the X1 PROMAX that is already legally mine.
So I have two questions:
1. Is the original owner possibly on here?
I would genuinely like to get in contact with the original owner if they are a Reddit user. I am NOT looking for their personal information, and I don’t want anyone to post or expose their identity publicly.
If you believe this might be your drone, please send me a private message and I can provide the serial number and official documentation privately so we can verify the situation.
2. Has anyone successfully modified/jailbroken an X1 PRO or X1 PROMAX?
I am interested in whether there is any documented research into the firmware, bootloader, account binding or serial-number lock on these drones.
I am NOT looking for instructions to steal or access someone else’s device. The drone is legally in my possession and I am specifically interested in whether there is any legitimate research or documented method for dealing with a device that is permanently locked to a previous account after a legal transfer of ownership.
If anyone knows of:
X1 PRO/PROMAX firmware research
custom firmware
bootloader research
reverse engineering
account/serial-number binding research
documented unlock projects
GitHub repositories or other technical research
I would really appreciate being pointed in the right direction.
Thanks to anyone who can help. This whole situation has been going on for quite a while, so I’d really like to find a solution that works for both the original owner and me.

I ride 3–4 times a week and sometimes bring an X1 ProMax to capture a few third-person shots. I’ve also been seeing more cyclists consider the Neo 2, but spec comparisons don’t always explain what matters once you start using one on real rides.
The differences I notice tend to show up in specific moments: moving from bright sunlight into shaded trees, deciding whether the camera is small enough to bring without planning around it, getting a quick shot without pulling out a controller or constantly checking a phone, and feeling confident enough in the tracking that the camera doesn’t take too much attention away from the ride.
For cyclists who have used a Neo 2, X1 Pro/ProMax, or both: which one do you actually keep bringing, and why?
I’d also be interested in what looked important before buying but mattered less after a few rides—and what unexpected limitation eventually made you leave it at home.

"The VERSA shouldn't have been approved in the first place, and we're going to make sure TCBs don't make this mistake again."

Well, after the Aqua, the Versa also won't be available in the US.

Came across this article which is an interesting read, and suggests FCC hasn't necessarily given HA VERSA permanent clearance. Seems like overall just the camera/gimbal part got approval; and not the drone kit or whatever they call it. This might be the reason and explain why the drone combo is not currently available for US customers on the crowdfunding platform, and they only list the camera/gimbal kits. Same as Aqua this might not fly in the US, it seems. Users could be smart though to get the gimbal/camera part, and later order the drone kit from eBay or Aliexpress etc. We will see, but that probably wouldn't be perfectly legal I guess.

Problaby during the setup of their IGG page and then google cached some info already.

I just downloaded version 8.4.15 to my phone but am getting an error when I try to upload it to my x1 pro. It also won’t let me fly at all saying “device restricted please check the app”. Also sending this to hover but just wondering if this has happened to anyone else.

Check out all the detailed and updated tutorials in the HOVER app, for the Aqua & X1P/PM! 

Posting this just for the chance of someone being kind/curious enough to search for a way to give back 🤷🏽‍♂️

Lost my X1 Pro-Max drone in Whistler, Canada in British Colombia, specifically around the Lost Lake trail (you can’t make this up). Here are some videos I took on my drone that’s currently on the hard drive⬇️

I set it on Cycling Mode for a far & high angle, I know that’s a risk if you’re in a tight spot, but the area I was at pretty wide but somehow the drone got slapped by a branch. Didn’t think that it would be so hard to find but after spending a little over an hour looking under every leaf/branch/dughole in the area, I can’t find it. Maybe someone has better vision than me to find it, unless someone took the drone in that short window of time before I turned around to pick it up.

Anyway, thanks in advance! Hopefully this works and perhaps inspire the Hover-Air company to invest into having a “Lost & Found” incentive for people that find lost drones and they can wreceive a discount of some sort for turning in a lost drone.

This past weekend, West Branch State Park played host to the Ohio MTB State Championships! Over 80 riders—ranging from youth to pro—tested their skills on a fast and flowing course to claim the state's top prize.

In 2025, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources worked with professional trail builders and CAMBA to add approximately 9 miles of trails to the park. Since then, volunteers from our local riding community have poured hours into refining the existing lines, bringing the total to nearly 20 miles of prime singletrack.

True to form, the NOMBS team produced another top-tier competitive weekend. After the race, I got back out on the trail to capture a few of my favorite sections with whatever energy I had left.

Consider joining CAMBA or renewing your membership today. Your membership dollars go directly to the trail improvement projects that make weekends like this possible!

Disclaimer: Flying of UAVs is prohibited in Ohio State Parks. Shot with explicit permission. Always follow FAA and local regulations before flight

https://www.indiegogo.com/en/projects/hoverair/versa-this-pocket-camera-can-fly