BMW Connected App..
Discussion
bmwmike said:
Iirc there is a way to send to car via the address book synch. Add address to contacts on mobile phone and pick it up via the car messages.
Hadn't seen that but sounds like more effort TBH! The send to car feature in the App is good for places you're just visiting once and don't necessarily want to save.va1o said:
I find the send destination to car feature very useful but the rest is a little gimmicky, fun to show your friends but not much real use!
You can do this via Google directly, no BMW application required:https://support.google.com/maps/answer/6081481?hl=...
boxedin said:
You can do this via Google directly, no BMW application required:
https://support.google.com/maps/answer/6081481?hl=...
Do you need a subscription with BMW though? https://support.google.com/maps/answer/6081481?hl=...
I use it to send destinations to the car when I'm planning my diary for the week.
It also hooks up with the Online Entertainment - so I get access to Web Radio via the dash (not sure if this works if you didn't tick the online option?)
Was handy when my wife got lost in it - I was able to call and give her directions as I knew exactly where she was. (One of those strange addresses where the postcode doesn't match the access route).
Also very handy when looking for the car in a field at Goodwood.
It also hooks up with the Online Entertainment - so I get access to Web Radio via the dash (not sure if this works if you didn't tick the online option?)
Was handy when my wife got lost in it - I was able to call and give her directions as I knew exactly where she was. (One of those strange addresses where the postcode doesn't match the access route).
Also very handy when looking for the car in a field at Goodwood.
bmwmike said:
Do you need a subscription with BMW though?
Yes and you also need to add your car through your google account........ and it also doesn't work from google maps on the ipad, which is why I use the BMW app to send destinations to car. That's all it's really good for.The only thing I do use is to ventilate it on hot days 10mins before I leave the office etc.
Typical BMW combination of a good idea, poorly executed. It is useful to be able to lock the car remotely if you are back in your office/hotel/customer etc. thinking "Did I lock it?" And returning to an airport car park, you can find it under the snow cover when you can't remember exactly where it was.
The BMW Connected Apps are really frustrating, sometimes they appear in the iDrive but 60% of the time they don't - I have to set-up the app I want (TuneIn Radio) every trip, and I usually give up - it just refuses to appear. Hopeless app programming by BMW: very dependent on doing things in a specific (non-intuitive) sequence and the GUI is really odd - key functions (like 'find my car') are buried away. My insurance company has a throw-away app that automatically records journeys for business drivers and stores them in a personal travel database: nothing like this on the BMW Connected app. Really poor app design - BMW should outsource it.
I mean, they should be offering things like automated journey recording for business users; remote snapshots from the cameras; vehicle lock/unlock/alarm status; all the iDrive stats such as fuel level, mileage, outside temperature etc. It's actually regressing, as the current version doesn't have some of the stats that you used to be able to see in previous versions. Clearly, BMW don't think it's worth the investment in app dev effort to cater for a generation that expects these things as standard, which I think is shortsighted.
I used to be a software engineer and the BMW approach implies to me that they are in a bit of a mess with their firmware. Namely, that they've had a bunch of auto engineers writing firmware who don't understand the principles of multi-platform code and APIs and now they've got loads of different code bases across all their vehicles. Instead of a single code base with APIs to individual model-specific features. Of course, they have the problem that they daren't ever compromise the software controlling the vehichle while in motion, but there are way to handle that.
The BMW Connected Apps are really frustrating, sometimes they appear in the iDrive but 60% of the time they don't - I have to set-up the app I want (TuneIn Radio) every trip, and I usually give up - it just refuses to appear. Hopeless app programming by BMW: very dependent on doing things in a specific (non-intuitive) sequence and the GUI is really odd - key functions (like 'find my car') are buried away. My insurance company has a throw-away app that automatically records journeys for business drivers and stores them in a personal travel database: nothing like this on the BMW Connected app. Really poor app design - BMW should outsource it.
I mean, they should be offering things like automated journey recording for business users; remote snapshots from the cameras; vehicle lock/unlock/alarm status; all the iDrive stats such as fuel level, mileage, outside temperature etc. It's actually regressing, as the current version doesn't have some of the stats that you used to be able to see in previous versions. Clearly, BMW don't think it's worth the investment in app dev effort to cater for a generation that expects these things as standard, which I think is shortsighted.
I used to be a software engineer and the BMW approach implies to me that they are in a bit of a mess with their firmware. Namely, that they've had a bunch of auto engineers writing firmware who don't understand the principles of multi-platform code and APIs and now they've got loads of different code bases across all their vehicles. Instead of a single code base with APIs to individual model-specific features. Of course, they have the problem that they daren't ever compromise the software controlling the vehichle while in motion, but there are way to handle that.
Edited by msej449 on Sunday 12th February 12:09
As others have said, the only useful bit for me is sending a navigation destination to the car.
Since iOS 10, the iPhone now automatically records a very precise location of your car on Apple Maps when you park it and your phone disconnects from Bluetooth. This makes the car finding part of the BMW app redundant. I can't say that I have ever forgotten where my car was parked, but perhaps this feature is aimed at 6 Series drivers
Since iOS 10, the iPhone now automatically records a very precise location of your car on Apple Maps when you park it and your phone disconnects from Bluetooth. This makes the car finding part of the BMW app redundant. I can't say that I have ever forgotten where my car was parked, but perhaps this feature is aimed at 6 Series drivers
I have an X5 40e so use the pre heat/cool function ALL the time and from that perspective it is super useful.
Like others I use the 'send to SatNav' function a lot but the rest of it is pretty useless.
The equivalent Mercedes app at least tells you if you car is locked or not which would be an improvement to the BMW app.
Like others I use the 'send to SatNav' function a lot but the rest of it is pretty useless.
The equivalent Mercedes app at least tells you if you car is locked or not which would be an improvement to the BMW app.
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