Getting ready for Apple CarPlay(r) is a smart and quick way to use your iPhone’s functions in your automobile.
In This Article...
How do I activate the retrofit BMW CarPlay?
Your MMI is in? As with OEM Apple CarPlay, you must now enable the connection between your iPhone and computer.
- Go to Settings>General>CarPlay on your phone, where you may discover either CarPlay MMI or MMI. Forget about such gadgets.
- The MMI should restart once you select MMI Settings>Connections>Reset All Connections.
- Once everything has been taken out, get a USB cable, check that WiFi and Bluetooth are enabled on your phone, and connect the USB cord to both the MMI USB port and your phone.
- Each prompt that appears on the screen should be followed. Give it about 10 seconds once CarPlay appears on the iDrive screen before unplugging the USB cable.
- To connect, go to Settings > Bluetooth on your iPhone and select MMI/CarPlay MMI. The Bluetooth will be disconnected as soon as CarPlay is connected and displayed on the screen.
CarPlay will now be remotely accessible and will automatically connect the next time you go inside the vehicle. Check your phone if you ever experience any BMW CarPlay / iPhone pairing issues:
- is not plugged into any other equipment,
- has the hotspot feature disabled,
- not establishing an automated connection with any other device,
- is not linked to the OEM Bluetooth for BMW.
or get in touch with our BimmerTech support staff. Any issues you may have will be resolved by them.
On my BMW, how can I utilize CarPlay?
Choose your BMW from the Bluetooth menu on your iPhone. Your iDrive 7 screen will validate the pairing request as the two start to pair. Verify the PIN is the same on your iPhone and iDrive 7 screens, then select Yes. On your iDrive 7 screen, select the option to connect to Apple CarPlay.
How do I use my BMW X3’s CarPlay?
It’s time to sync your iPhone with your BMW X3 when Apple CarPlay has been enabled. Here’s how to configure it:
1. Switch on WiFi and Bluetooth on your iPhone.
2. Open the ‘Communication’ menu on the iDrive screen of your BMW X3.
3. Click on “Mobile Devices.”
4. Select “New Device.”
Choose “Phone calls and audio via Bluetooth or Apple CarPlay” on step 5.
6. On the screen of the BMW X3, choose your phone.
7. When you see the prompt “A Bluetooth Pairing Request,” choose “Pair.”
8. Click “Allow” to accept the popup to sync your contacts and favorites.
9. Your iPhone will then display a “Use CarPlay with BMW?” question. Click “Use CarPlay.”
10. Once more, on the screen of your BMW X3, choose “Confirm note and connect to Apple CarPlay.”
11. Select the name of your phone under “Connected Devices.”
12. Click “Connection Mode,” followed by “Apple CarPlay.”
Press the Apple CarPlay icon when it displays on the X3 home screen to start CarPlay.
By choosing the BMW emblem in Apple CarPlay, you can return to the BMW X3 infotainment system display that came with the vehicle.
How can I tell if the BMW I own has CarPlay?
Among the most popular vehicles on the road today, BMWs are prized for their cutting-edge technology.
Apple CarPlay is one of such features. With it, you may use the BMW’s dashboard screen to access the apps on your iPhone.
Several inquiries about this function will be addressed in this article, along with information on its availability across the whole BMW lineup.
BMWs with iDrive 5 or later equipped have Apple CarPlay available. Since 2019, BMW has offered this as a free upgrade on newer vehicles equipped with iDrive 7.
One feature that many potential BMW owners find to be quite appealing is Apple CarPlay.
Continue reading to find out which BMWs support Apple CarPlay and how to add it to a BMW that doesn’t currently have it.
What distinguishes BMW iDrive from Apple CarPlay?
Apple’s foray into the infotainment market, CarPlay, makes it simple to use iOS apps on the iDrive display in your BMW. CarPlay is an obvious answer for iPhone users who want to stream music through Spotify or Apple Music, compose and receive WhatsApp messages while driving, or replace the native maps provided by BMW with Waze. Without taking your hands off the wheel or your eyes off the road, you may make calls, ask Siri for directions, skip to the next song, and more.
Increased safety is the apparent result; Siri is typically more powerful than the BMW native voice command, and with the iOS app ecosystem supporting it, you’re unlikely to miss out on things you need. Additionally, you will be able to utilize the same Siri instructions that you do on your iPhone, which adds to the familiarity factor.
Only iPhone users can use CarPlay; if you have an Android phone, you’ll need Android Auto, which has many of the same capabilities. In a moment, we’ll examine it in more detail.
Does BMW feature WiFi CarPlay?
With the introduction of the 2017 model year, BMW was the first carmaker to offer wireless Apple CarPlay on a limited number of vehicles. Wireless Android Auto is still an aftermarket-only option, and wireless CarPlay isn’t always available from the factory. Both platforms still largely demand a physical USB cord in 2019. In 2019, we released a thorough list of every model that had a wireless smartphone integration capability, but since then, availability has significantly risen.
Continue reading for the whole list and more details on what we know about each feature.
How do I turn CarPlay on?
Click “Settings,” followed by “General” and “CarPlay.” From the list of “Available Cars,” pick your car. Hold down the CarPlay Home button on your touchscreen or the Voice Control button on your steering wheel. You should be prepared to employ the Apple CarPlay functions once Siri appears.
Does the BMW CarPlay system cost money?
Due to the carmaker switching its chip supplier, BMW is temporarily shipping new vehicles without Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capability (via Automotive News Europe).
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto require updated software to function on the new CPUs found in many BMWs produced this year. Dealerships are advising BMW customers who purchase a new vehicle without CarPlay to wait for an over-the-air upgrade that will add the feature “by the end of June at the latest.”
It’s unclear how many BMW models are impacted, but a lot of consumers in the UK, France, Italy, and the US have complained online about receiving new cars without CarPlay. Models that are affected have the specification code “6P1” in them.
While some BMW owners may have to temporarily do without CarPlay capability, BMW is moving chip suppliers to enhance its supply chain over the long run, which could help to alleviate component shortages in the second half of the year.
With support for Digital Key, Ultra Wideband Digital Key Plus, and a feature-rich dual-screen wireless CarPlay experience, BMW provides one of the most integrated experiences with Apple’s ecosystem. BMW only began providing CarPlay in 2016 and faced criticism for charging a $80 yearly subscription charge before canceling the subscription in response to the backlash.
Why does my car not support CarPlay?
Verify that CarPlay is turned on on your iPhone. Re-enable CarPlay since a number of settings may be interfering with it. Connect it to your car by going to Settings -> General -> CarPlay.
Go to Settings -> Screen Time -> Content and Privacy Restrictions -> Allowed Apps if you have iOS 14 and have disabled CarPlay.
Does BMW CarPlay utilize Bluetooth or WiFi?
Wireless Both Bluetooth and a unique WiFi network are used by CarPlay. Both are necessary. Your mobile device ought to be able to access data through its standard cellular connection. You cannot use Car Play and the hotspot SSID at the same time.
How can I tell if CarPlay is turned on?
Start by opening the Settings app.
2. Click on “General Settings.”
Choose “CarPlay” Settings in step 3.
4. If your Bluetooth is off, you will be required to activate it in order to “enable wireless CarPlay” from the CarPlay settings page.
5. Start the wireless pairing process between your device and the stereo system by pressing and holding the voice button on your steering wheel while your in-car stereo has wireless CarPlay active or enabled.
The CarPlay button is not visible.
Do not worry if your vehicle does not support wired CarPlay or if you do not have a USB-A to Lightning connector on hand. Without a wire, you can install CarPlay by using the voice command capabilities of your vehicle.
While the wireless or Bluetooth is turned on, press and hold the voice command button on the steering wheel.
Once it has initialized, CarPlay will keep doing so each time you start your engine.
Does Apple CarPlay immediately connect?
Do one of the following in a car that supports wireless CarPlay (see your owner’s manual for specific instructions):
Note: If your car supports wireless CarPlay, you may be able to link it by simply connecting your iPhone with a Lightning to USB cable to the car’s USB port. If supported, you are prompted to pair wireless CarPlay for later usage after starting CarPlay via a USB cable. If you accept, iPhone will wirelessly connect to CarPlay automatically the next time you take a trip.
On some electric vehicles, use the Maps app to identify the vehicle for EV routing after connecting to CarPlay. See Maps on iPhone: Set up electric car routing.
When you connect an iPhone to specific car models, CarPlay Home automatically appears.
Select the CarPlay logo on your car’s display if CarPlay Home doesn’t show up.
What distinguishes wireless CarPlay from CarPlay?
The infotainment systems of many new cars sold in the U.S. support Apple’s CarPlay and/or Android Auto, but only a select few of them enable wireless CarPlay; the remainder only offer wired connectivity, requiring you to connect a Lightning cable from your iPhone to the car’s infotainment system. The lack of a phone jack is the only real distinction between wired and wireless CarPlay.
Since quite some time, wireless CarPlay adapters have been available. By plugging them into your car’s wired USB connection, they enable wireless connectivity for the infotainment system. Internally, most wireless CarPlay adapters are essentially the same, with a few capabilities like passthrough charging or multi-iPhone pairing serving as differentiators. Having saying that, wireless CarPlay itself has a few potential drawbacks, like as pairing and latency concerns, so it’s not all sunshine and daisies. Is it still worthwhile to purchase a wireless adaptor in light of that?
Does Apple CarPlay launch instantly?
When you USB-connect your phone to the car, CarPlay ought to launch instantly.
If it doesn’t, click the CarPlay symbol on the infotainment screen in your car. To connect your iPhone to CarPlay when it’s locked for the first time, you might need to unlock your phone.
The Home screen, which features the navigation and music controls along with a column of your most recently used applications on the left, is where the CarPlay screen first appears.
You can scroll to the left or hit the view icon at the very bottom left to see additional apps. Swipe to explore all of your phone’s CarPlay-compatible applications. Just press it to open the associated app.
What distinguishes Apple CarPlay from Apple Bluetooth?
What features do Bluetooth and CarPlay share, and what do they each do differently? You can use voice-to-text and place calls on either of them. Both allow for the streaming of music and the use of your Maps app’s voice notifications. However, the two are very different from one another. There are a few considerations you should make if you’re trying to decide between them.
The ability to use Siri is perhaps Apple CarPlay’s most significant feature. You can use your phone hands-free with this, allowing you to keep your eyes on the road. With Bluetooth, many tasks still require human completion. This is less practical and may cause you to lose focus while driving.
Simply put, Bluetooth is wireless. Once inside your vehicle, you wirelessly pair. You can connect to Apple CarPlay via Bluetooth or a cable connection.
You may connect your Lightning cable to a USB port in any vehicle. Wireless Apple CarPlay is now supported in some more recent automobiles. And if yours doesn’t, wireless adapters are readily available.
Additionally, CarPlay provides you access to more apps overall. On the on-board display, you may access your contacts, see Maps, and perform a variety of other tasks.
However, Bluetooth is a basic component of every modern automobile. You can use it no matter what manufacturer it came from. CarPlay, on the other hand, is limited to a few models of vehicles. You require an aftermarket head unit to make it function if your manufacturer doesn’t support it.