Google introduced Android Auto seven years ago, but it took some time to catch on. Following a significant revamp in 2019, the platform for automotive infotainment systems gained momentum once more. One of the last remaining automobile companies, BMW, will join the list of automakers that enable Android Auto in 2020.
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Beginning in July 2020, BMW will begin incorporating Android Auto into its vehicles, the carmaker announced on Wednesday. Additionally, Android Auto will be wireless, making BMW one of the few vehicle companies to provide Google’s smartphone-powered in-car infotainment option without requiring users to plug in.
The company’s “Live Cockpit Professional” hardware (a fancy name for “the biggest touchscreens”), which is available on all 2019/2020 3 Series, 5 Series, 7 Series, and 8 Series sedans, as well as the most recent X3, X5, and X7 SUVs, will support Android Auto. Android Auto will also be available on all BMW vehicles equipped with the 7.0 version of the company’s in-car software (iDrive). (It will be offered on the 2020 X6 SUV as well.) Owners must use Pixel, Nexus, or Samsung devices as this is Android Auto’s wireless variant.
One of the last big manufacturers to resist implementing Android Auto is BMW, especially in light of Toyota’s earlier this year revealed plans to include the feature (together with Apple CarPlay) in some of its own 2020 vehicles. Since a few years ago, BMW has made Apple’s CarPlay available, but up until last week, the carmaker actually paid owners more to use it.
When asked why it took so long to accept Android Auto, a BMW representative responded that over the previous few years, “Apple CarPlay was our main emphasis” due to the “majority of our customers utilizing iOS mobile devices.” The BMW customer spokesman does, however, note that “BMW customers have made it clear that they would like to have Android Auto connectivity accessible moving forward, which is what leads us to today’s statement.”
Some BMW models come without Android Auto and CarPlay; an update will add them.
BMW has started delivering some models to customers without the normal Android Auto and CarPlay capability due to the ongoing chip scarcity.
Nearly all BMW models come with full support for Android Auto beginning in 2019 and growing in 2020. However, some buyers have discovered, as reported by Automotive News Europe, that their recently purchased BMW does not support Android Auto or CarPlay as planned.
The persistent chip scarcity, which has impacted almost every sector of the economy that uses electronics, is to blame for the missing functionality, according to a statement from BMW. BMW switched suppliers and started utilizing a chip that does not yet have the proper software for Android Auto or CarPlay use in order to deliver the cars to their destinations on time.
Fortunately, this is only a short-term problem for the owners of the affected vehicles because, according to BMW, an over-the-air (OTA) upgrade bringing complete Android Auto and CarPlay capabilities will be delivered to these cars “by the end of June at the latest.”
The production code for your new BMW should contain the letters “6P1” if it is affected. In a broader sense, the impacted models were produced in the first four months of this year and, based to internet forum posts, have been transported to the United States, France, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom.
Why is Android Auto unavailable for BMW?
Get a new BMW? At least initially, it might not support Android Auto or Apple CarPlay.
Some new BMW cars are being sold without compatibility for Apple and Google’s automotive services, claims Automotive News Europe (via 9to5Google).
The persistent chip scarcity that has hit the automotive industry particularly hard over the past year or two, according to BMW, is the root of the problem, the company confirmed to the publication. BMW had to move to a different chip since it couldn’t find the one it needed for its car, and that chip doesn’t allow CarPlay or Android Auto.
The good news is that with a software update, the capability will finally be made available. The business stated that the update would arrive “by the end of June at the latest.”
It seems that BMW cars produced during the first quarter of 2022 were impacted. Look for the string “6P1” in the production code to see if your automobile has this problem. According to forum entries, affected devices were delivered to a variety of nations, including the United States and Europe.
BMW was by no means the only automaker to ship cars without specific features in order to deliver them on schedule. Due to a chip shortage, Tesla, for instance, removed a redundant steering component from its vehicles, and Ford and Volvo sent some models without specific safety measures. It’s not even the first time BMW has done it: last year, due to a chip shortage, the company supplied some models without touchscreen capabilities.
What year of BMWs are Android Auto-equipped?
Right currently, 47 different automobile brands offer Android Auto functionality. Earlier, BMW didn’t even have any intentions of joining them, but in December 2019, the carmaker announced its plans to integrate Android Auto into its most recent generation of BMW cars. In July 2020, the first vehicles equipped with Android Auto will be on sale. Only 2019 and 2020 BMW vehicles equipped with the most recent iDrive 7.0 will have this feature. Read our blog post about what Android Auto is and how it functions to find out more about the original software.
If you’re solely interested in authentic BMW solutions, Bluetooth, the BMW Connected app, and a select few others are the only ways to link an Android device with a BMW. Because these methods heavily depend on your phone and car model, connectivity problems and bugs are unavoidable.
If you truly want Android Auto in your BMW, you can run the software on your smartphone and mirror it onto the iDrive screen without requiring any aftermarket hardware improvements.
Has the 2017 BMW Android Auto?
Every BMW vehicle with a Live Cockpit Plus or Professional that runs on Operating System 7 is said to support Android Auto, according to BMW (iDrive 7). According to what we’ve observed online, the Android Auto feature is only present in software versions that begin with 07/2020. BMWs with the iDrive 7 system listed below are qualified for the update:
- Professional Live Cockpit for 2019+ 3 Series
- Future 5 Series
- Future 7 Series
- A+ 8 Series 2019
- Professional 2020+ X3 with Live Cockpit
- Professional 2020+ X4 with Live Cockpit
- 2019+ X5
- 2020+ X6
- 2019+ X7
- 2019+ Z4
The BMW 5 Series, BMW 6 Series, BMW X3 and BMW X4 models, however, may only be upgraded by the dealership using a Software Update.
Is Android Auto available on every BMW?
You also need a smartphone that is compatible, which must be:
- any smartphone equipped with 5GHz Wi-Fi and Android 11.0. To utilize 5GHz Wi-Fi in the automobile in the EU, smartphones must adhere to new regulatory criteria.
- or an Android 10.0-powered smartphone from Google or Samsung.
Does the 2018 BMW 5 Series support Android Auto?
Following the Munich company’s announcement that it is retrofitting more than 750,000 vehicles with its most recent OS 7 infotainment software, three quarters of a million BMW drivers are expected to benefit from smartphone connectivity through Android Auto as well as a number of other new features.
BMW claims that the update is “the largest over-the-air update ever pushed out by a European manufacturer” and that it will be free to download. A notification will be sent to drivers whose vehicles are compatible with the updated operating system via the BMW smartphone app or their vehicle. The service will be made available to customers in Germany starting on October 19; other European markets and those outside of Europe will gradually receive the new system.
BMW will close a gap in its earlier software-equipped vehicles by installing its most recent operating system. Apple CarPlay integration in these models provided excellent service to users of Apple iPhones, but the absence of Android Auto prevented users of Android smartphones from mirroring their phone screens on the infotainment screens of their vehicles.
In addition to Android Auto and the new operating system, owners of BMWs that can receive the update will discover that their cars also include the following features:
- The BMW Maps cloud-based navigation system
- Connected Parking, which can show drivers where available spaces are and whether or not they are large enough for their vehicles;
- plug-in hybrid vehicles’ automatic transition into electric mode in low-emission zones is known as eDrive Zones;
- Connected charging, which directs drivers to open charging stations.
- An update to the business’s voice recognition system, “Personal Assistant”
The free upgrade is a sharp contrast to BMW’s previous decision-making over software availability, which garnered media attention. Last year, the automaker came under fire for secretly turning Apple CarPlay into a yearly membership service that users would have to pay for. The company later changed its mind about this choice, though.
Manufacturers have numerous chances to remotely upgrade or downgrade their automobiles thanks to over-the-air (OTA) updates. Owners of Model 3s, Ss, and Xs woke up to find new features installed overnight thanks to Tesla’s OTA upgrades, and Jaguar Land Rover has also made large claims about the technology.
However, OTA updates don’t just guarantee benefits to customers. Theoretically, if the original owner’s contract said certain services were not transferrable between owners, for example, a buyer of a used car would discover some features deactivated. On the other hand, OTA updates might be useful for owners who want to try out a new feature before deciding to buy it or for drivers who want to temporarily rent a specific feature.
With software unlocking features if individual owners specify specific optional extras or packs, wireless updates could also enable automakers to streamline manufacturing processes and potentially save money by equipping every car with the same hardware on the assembly line (standardization saves money in mass production).
If my BMW has Android Auto, how do I know?
By wirelessly connecting your smartphone to your BMW, Android AutoTM enables you to use your preferred communication, media, and navigation apps without being distracted while driving. You can conveniently voice-control Android apps with Google Assistant, allowing you to focus entirely on driving.
- BMW Operating System 7 or 8-equipped vehicles.
- vehicles with the Connected Package Professional (6C3/4) extra kit. Exclusively obtainable when used with BMW Live Cockpit Plus (6U2) or BMW Live Cockpit Professional (6U3).
- Android AutoTM can be added to BMW Operating System 7-equipped vehicles with the necessary equipment option via remote software updates.
Android AutoTM is an optional piece of equipment in nations where the Connected Package Professional isn’t offered Smartphone Integration (6CP).
The Android AutoTM service is always accessible in your BMW and has no runtime restrictions.
Note that depending on the nation, Android AutoTM may not be available or have different requirements.
A suitable Android phone with an active data plan and 5 GHz Wi-Fi capability is required to use Android AutoTM.
- any device running Android 11.0
- A smartphone with Android 10.0 from Google or Samsung
- Android 9.0 on a Samsung Galaxy S8, Galaxy S8+, or Note 8
Will the 2015 BMW X5 support Android Auto?
The IMI-1000 is a retrofit compact multimedia interface that connects your BMW X5 to CarPlay and Android Auto. Your current iDrive system and your in-car entertainment system are used to communicate by the IMI-1000 (Including the OEM Steering wheel controls, iDrive rotary controls and associated buttons, vehicle speaker system and the Central Information Display).
The 2018 BMW X3 is Android Auto compatible?
In some BMW X3 variants, including the xDrive30i SportX, xdrive30i Luxury Line, and xdrive20d Luxury Line, Android Auto and Apple Car Play are available.
Can my automobile have Android Auto installed?
You can, indeed. The process of adding Android Auto to a car is as simple as swapping out the head unit. There are numerous aftermarket entertainment systems with Android Auto connectivity that cost between $200 and $600.