In its most basic form, BMW iDrive is controlled by the scroll wheel in the center console of your BMW. However, with the advent of touchscreens and pads, gesture controls, and voice commands, the scroller has become only one of several ways to operate the infotainment screen.
But it’s clear why the iDrive scroll wheel continues to be the principal control method for your BMW. If you’ve ever tried to use a touchscreen while driving—glancing from the road to the screen to the road again—while holding your left hand—which is typically the weaker hand for most people—still while you bounce down the road, you know how frustratingly challenging it can be.
All of these issues are resolved with the iDrive. The fixed control is immobile and simple for your hand to grasp while driving because it has a physical form to cling onto. To a touchscreen’s twisting country road, its fixed menus are like the railway lines; you can’t tumble off them with a careless finger tap.
The scroll wheel has several uses. So you can quickly switch between menu hubs, in addition to turning like a volume knob to scroll up and down a bank of menus, it also travels forward, backward, left, and right. While hovering, pressing down picks the item, similar to left-clicking a computer mouse.
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BMW iDrive has a touchscreen.
The revolving iDrive control knob, which is situated between the two front seats, was used to control early versions of iDrive wholly or almost entirely. With this controller, you could scroll through the alphabet on the screen to access menus and enter text.
The complexity of iDrive grew, and with it the demand for more reliable input and navigation techniques. The advanced iDrive touch controller was introduced to allow tracing letters on a touchpad rather than using the rotary input method, and BMW iDrive voice control added an even more intuitive way to interact with your vehicle. Additional buttons were also added to the dashboard to allow quick access to popular functions. If your car didn’t come with a voice command capability or a BMW iDrive touch controller from the factory, you can retrofit one or turn it on now.
Even a touchscreen may be found in several of the most recent BMW vehicles. Depending on a BMW’s model, navigation version, and year of manufacturing, a touchscreen may or may not be included. For instance, a BMW F30 3 Series with Navigation System Professional (option S609A) features a touch-enabled screen as of the 2018 model year, in contrast to an older vehicle or the same car with Navigation System Business (option S606A).
Other iDrive navigation and input options, including the rotary iDrive controller or voice control, are still available in BMWs with touchscreens. The majority of drivers probably employ a variety of techniques depending on the circumstance, such as using a touchscreen to enter a location before leaving and a physical controller while driving to keep their eyes on the road.
How does the BMW iDrive function?
The control wheel, which can rotate both clockwise and counterclockwise like a volume dial, is the key component of the BMW iDrive system. The center serves as a button that can be pressed to confirm a choice or select an alternative, and it can also be pushed forward, backward, and to either side like a joystick. In addition to the rotary control, a newer iDrive system can be used in a variety of ways thanks to the touchscreen technology, gesture control, and voice commands that were incorporated in subsequent versions, as was already described.
There are a number of shortcut buttons next to the steering wheel that will take you directly to the navigation, media, phonebook, and settings menus. To return to the home screen, use another shortcut. Even yet, there are still a lot of sub-menus to get lost in, so at least the buttons let you return when necessary.
Functions:
Scrolling: You can rotate the wheel either clockwise or counterclockwise to move through a list of choices. You can scroll the list up or down by navigating in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction.
If your BMW has a satellite navigation system, you can use the steering wheel to zoom in and out of the map. With some models, you can switch the layout from 2D to 3D and move the controller left or right to gaze about. iDrive can be configured in a split-screen layout on vehicles with the largest infotainment screens, providing you with more information or providing a detailed view of the junction in front of you.
360-degree cameras: Some models give you the option to select 360-degree vision, which consists of a number of cameras. If you do, you can use the iDrive wheel to navigate between the various cameras, alter the view, and zoom in and out.
The operation of iDrive it
In its most basic form, the most recent BMW iDrive system consists of a rotary controller that turns both clockwise and counterclockwise, can be moved forward, backward, left, and right, and presses down to pick an option similar to a computer mouse. The top of the control wheel serves as a touchpad for writing characters on more sophisticated versions of iDrive, but this only works well in a right-hand-drive car if you’re left-handed or dexterous enough to clearly write characters with your left hand; otherwise, you might be better off using the voice control system.
Along with the rotary controller, the iDrive system’s parts can also be accessed quickly by pressing a collection of buttons at the bottom of the device. There is a shortcut to take you directly back to the home screen, but they can transport you directly to the navigation, audio, phone, and car setup screens instead.
To select your preferred option, use the iDrive controller to scroll up and down after pressing one of these buttons to change the display on the center console to the new option. While it may be simple to become lost inside the menus, it’s helpful to know the shortcut buttons are available to return to the beginning if necessary. Selecting these is likely to throw up more sub-menus.
When you have navigation turned on, using the iDrive controller, you may pan the controller from side to side to view around you while also zooming in and out on the map. While BMWs with a larger infotainment screen can even have a split-screen display that allows you to have detailed junction information alongside the usual map screen, it also makes it easy to modify the point of view of the map from 2D to 3D and viewpoint styles.
The iDrive feature on more sophisticated versions with 360-degree cameras enables you to choose which cameras you want to watch, zoom in and out, and switch between narrow and wide-angle views.
Ironically, BMW has just begun to provide touchscreen infotainment systems on a few of its vehicles, albeit often this is combined with an iDrive controller. However, we believe that the most recent iDrive control system is the best one yet because, after spending some time getting to know it, it’s rather simple to use. Additionally, it avoids leaving unsightly fingerprints on the screen.
System identification for BMW
In many of today’s BMW vehicles, the majority of secondary vehicle systems are managed by the iDrive computer system.
This is iDrive in “CCC” form. It was in service until roughly 2009 (year varies by car type), when the “CIC” version, which is illustrated below, took its place. A map DVD from Navteq is used in a dedicated DVD drive for CCC-based systems. The following vehicles use CCC iDrive:
- 1-Series E81, E82, E87, and E88 > 2009
- 2008 3-Series E90, E91, E92, and E93
- E60/E61 5-Series > 2008 > 2009
- E63/E64 6-Series > 2008 > 2009
- 2010 X5 Series E70
- X6 E71
IDrive “CIC” is available here. It superseded the “CCC” version and was first made available in 2009 (the exact year depends on the car model). TeleAtlas maps, which are installed on an internal hard drive, are used by CIC-based systems (HDD).
- E81/E82/E87/E88 from 1-Series in 2009 >
- 3-Series E90, E91, E92, and E93, 2009 >
- E60/E61 of the 5-Series, 2009 >
- 5-Series F07, F10, and F11, 2009 >
- 2009 6-Series E63/E64 >
- 9/2008 7-Series F01/F02 >
- X5 E70 09/2009 >
This is iDrive’s most recent release, code-named “NBT.” It replaced the “CIC” version that is displayed above and was made available for 2013 model automobiles (the year varies by vehicle model). While it has a similar aesthetic to the CIC model, it is more detailed, with finer colors, and a 3D feel. The menu options will let you know if you have CIC or NTB if you’re unsure. NBT highlights the entire line in red, whereas CIC only utilizes a red box outline.
- F20/F21 of 1 Series
- F22/F23 2-Series
- 3-Series F30, F31, F34, and F80
- 4-Series F32, F33, and F36
- 5-Series F10, F11, and F18
- 6-Series F06, F12, and F13
- 7-Series F01, F02, and F03
- X3 F25
- X4 F26
- X5 F15/F85
- X6 F16/F86
- i3
- i8
The most recent iteration of iDrive is called “NBT EVO.” It was debuted around June of last year.
Can my BMW get iDrive?
ECU upgrades are much less frequent than ConnectedDrive software updates, or media software updates. If your BMW has a Combox, you can update your multimedia, Bluetooth, internet connectivity, and mobile compatibility with your iDrive system. This may be quite convenient for you because you can install it yourself. Combox is already included into new NBTs and all current iDrive systems, but that doesn’t mean older models have to be without it. A Combox Retrofit Kit that adds numerous multimedia functions is available from BimmerTech.
When did BMW introduce iDrive?
BMW introduces the iDrive in 2001. The 2001 BMW 7 Series featured the first BMW iDrive. The BMW iDrive was the brand-new control system that BMW introduced. The amount of buttons on the dashboard were drastically reduced when it was first introduced in the BMW 7 Series.
How can my BMW be connected to iDrive?
1 Open the iDrive and select the “COM” option. Select the device you want to use to start the Android Auto connection under the “Mobile Devices” section. 2 From the device menu, choose “Start Android Auto.” 3 If this is your first time partnering with Android Auto, choose “Confirm Note” from the pop-up that appears.
What does a BMW’s iDrive system control?
The BMW vehicle control system is the subject of this article. IDrive Inc. is the name of the internet storage company. To learn more, go to iDrive (disambiguation).
Most auxiliary vehicle systems are managed by the in-car communications and entertainment system known as iDrive in late-model BMW vehicles. It debuted with the 2001 launch of the E65 7 Series. A control knob situated on the center console and an LCD panel mounted in the dashboard make up the system’s single control architecture, which unifies a variety of functions.
The climate (heating and air conditioner), music system (radio and CD player), navigation system, and communication system can all be managed by the driver (and, in some versions, front-seat passengers).
Due to Rolls-ownership Royce’s by BMW and the fact that Toyota and BMW collaborate on the Toyota Supra, which will be available starting in 2019, iDrive is also employed in contemporary Rolls-Royce vehicles. A condensed version of iDrive, known as Connected, is offered on certain vehicles because Mini is owned by BMW.
What version of BMW iDrive is currently in use?
In the spring of 2021, BMW formally unveiled its iDrive version 8; this is the new operating system that will be featured in all of the company’s future vehicles, beginning with the all-electric iX SUV.