2013 335i iPhone 4S

About to take delivery if this car i orders and have an verizon iPhone 4S with iOS 6. I got the tech package. Heard rumors office app doesn't work perfectly yet. Specifically, ability to read the calendar, text, and emails. Anyone currently using these successfully? Just curious.

Originally Posted by Straugr

About to take delivery if this car i orders and have an verizon iPhone 4S with iOS 6. I got the tech package. Heard rumors office app doesn't work perfectly yet. Specifically, ability to read the calendar, text, and emails. Anyone currently using these successfully? Just curious.

http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=646784

Car Just arrived this week. Love it already. Any ideas when Bluetooth mobile office will support apple iOS 6? Verizon wirelesse iphone 4s. Big reason I got tech pkg was for calendar, email, and text support!

Originally Posted by Straugr

Car Just arrived this week. Love it already. Any ideas when Bluetooth mobile office will support apple iOS 6? Verizon wirelesse iphone 4s. Big reason I got tech pkg was for calendar, email, and text support!

You have to ask the question the other way around.

It's Apple that's disappointing you, not BMW. BMW has the appropriate protocol for text, email, and calendar. It's ready to go. It's Apple that has not implemented it for iOS6.

The likely reason is something called Eyes Free which is Apple's competing protocol and the lynchpin for their in-car Siri strategy. Apple's idea is that no one should be using their eyes to read anything in the text world. Last decade, it was all about Hands Free for voice. Now it's all about Eyes Free for text.

Siri currently works in your car for everything except email. Press and hold the home button on the iPhone and Siri will function over the F30's speakers and microphone. You can listen to your calendar (and make appointments with your voice) and have your text messages read to you (and reply with your voice). Email is coming soon. Movie listings, sports scores, weather forecasts, you can get all of this right now with Siri without having to do anything but press and hold the home button.

Siri integration with BMW is already planned. The 'voice' button on your steering wheel will be programmed to initiate Siri. The concept of using your eyes to read your information in a car moving at 80MPH isn't going to be necessary or wanted in the near future methinks.

BJ

BJ...thanks for the clarification. That does make sense...but that sucks!
While viewing the screen at 80 MPH might not be ideal, it is safer than me fiddling with the phone at 80 MPH. Even so, it would be nice to have at eye level when I do stop instead of using the phone. That office thing was a big selling point for me, so if you are right and they are not going to make it work, i will be disappointed (although I do LOVE the new car)!

Originally Posted by Straugr

BJ...thanks for the clarification. That does make sense...but that sucks!
While viewing the screen at 80 MPH might not be ideal, it is safer than me fiddling with the phone at 80 MPH. Even so, it would be nice to have at eye level when I do stop instead of using the phone. That office thing was a big selling point for me, so if you are right and they are not going to make it work, i will be disappointed (although I do LOVE the new car)!

Well, text messaging works very well. You get an audio notification from the iPhone, you get a visual notification from the iDrive icon, you can scroll and see the text on the iDrive display or have it read to you.

But what you'll undoubtedly find is that most texts you receive are only 1 sentence in length (if that) and picking up the iPhone to read it is just faster and safer than iDrive itself which takes 5x as long.

And don't sell Siri short- next time you get a text message, keep your eyes on the road, pick up the iPhone by feel, and press and hold the home button. Siri will take over iDrive and go ding-ding. Say "read text message". Siri will read it to you. She will then ask you if you want to respond. Say "yes". Wait for the ding-ding. Speak a few sentences. Siri will read it back, ask you if you want to send it. Once sent, hit the backlight button and that disengages Siri.

Once you get used to Siri and speaking to your iPhone, you won't go back to typing, trust me. I use my voice for everything now, I compose Bimmerfest replies this way, texts, the works. It's just faster.

Once BMW programs the steering wheel button to initiate Siri it's going to be even better, but Siri works right now for your Email (just launched), Calendar, and Texts as well as a host of other features. You can post to Facebook, Twitter, get restaurant reviews, movie times, sports scores, weather updates, stock quotes, the works. It's the best BMW App, people just don't realize it's there. Read this over, they all work this very moment in your car:

http://www.windowstablet.tv/iphone/8...siri-commands/

BJ

Thanks but I haven't gotten the text messaging to work on I drive just yet. Not sure why. I even upgraded the BMW software and I see a "messages" in office.

But always "no messages"

Does iPhone need to be plugged into USB to get messages? I didn't try that.

Originally Posted by Straugr

Does iPhone need to be plugged into USB to get messages? I didn't try that.

No, it happens via Bluetooth. That said, with my iPhone 5, I couldn't connect no matter what I tried so I connected it via USB just to make iDrive "see" my iPhone and from there it worked. You can try this.

Originally Posted by Straugr

Thanks but I haven't gotten the text messaging to work on I drive just yet. Not sure why. I even upgraded the BMW software and I see a "messages" in office.

In iDrive:

Must run most recent firmware.
Must go into Phone and enable Messages.
Must go into Settings and make sure Office is enabled.
Must contact BMW Assist and make sure your account is enabled.

On iPhone:

Must go into Settings > Bluetooth and click on the little arrow, make sure both options are 'on'.
Must go into Notifications and make sure lock screen notification is turned 'on'.
Must go into Notifications and change number of notifications to another number.

Realize that during testing the phone must go to sleep (backlight off) in order for it to show it's "working". iDrive sniffs an incoming text from a sleeping iPhone. If the iPhone is awake, the notification signal never makes it to iDrive. So once you do the configuration, use another phone to send yourself a text when your iPhone has gone to sleep. That's how you see if it's working.

BJ

Thanks. Will try it today.

Got it working. Thanks.
LOVE THE NEW 335. It's a beast!

I also have text messages working. Thank you BJ and others!

Now, I would love a preset that would audibly "play back" the latest text message, but I don't think it can be done. My scenario is
1. Text message is received and message icon displayed in screen
2. I press preset
3. Text message is played back through speakers

Anyone been successful with this or something close?

Thanks

Originally Posted by Straugr

Got it working. Thanks.
LOVE THE NEW 335. It's a beast!

Can you tell me what software version you have? Just wondering if that made a difference.

I am running TX-003.004.031-003.004. Do I need to update my software?

Base on BJ's post, I need to turn on my Notification on my bluetooth and also sign up for BMW Assist. Hope those two things will fix my issue. Will try those two things later.

Thanks.

www.bmw.com/update

Originally Posted by Iimaginedesign

Can you tell me what software version you have? Just wondering if that made a difference.

I am running TX-003.004.031-003.004. Do I need to update my software?

Base on BJ's post, I need to turn on my Notification on my bluetooth and also sign up for BMW Assist. Hope those two things will fix my issue. Will try those two things later.

Thanks.

OK.. I tried the above recommendation and iDrive gave me more options but didn't receive the text / email yet. Looks like the phone is connected to iDrive to push the message however when the message comes in, it doesn't actually go over.

Can someone please be so kind as to let me know if I absolutely must update my iDrive firmware? I hate to muck around with the firmware considering I got the car 3 days ago.

Originally Posted by Iimaginedesign

OK.. I tried the above recommendation and iDrive gave me more options but didn't receive the text / email yet. Looks like the phone is connected to iDrive to push the message however when the message comes in, it doesn't actually go over.

Can someone please be so kind as to let me know if I absolutely must update my iDrive firmware? I hate to muck around with the firmware considering I got the car 3 days ago.

Read this thread thoroughly and do what it says. If after this you still are having problems then yes, try updating the firmware.

http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=646784

BJ

the update process is literally a standard part of idrive. If you go to settings update you will see. It is worth doing no matter how new your car is to you. It is still old software.

Apple is releasing the next major 6.1 update after the holidays. Lets hope the email function will work with this version. I am having fun with the text messages. I was driving home and my wife wanted me to pick up some fast food so I told her to text what she wanted to me including my order. When I got to the drive through I had the car order it for me. Luckily they under stood and got the order right!

I updated my firmware. It wasn't as scary as I thought i would have been. In fact the setting even gives you a "restore previous version" which is nice. Anyways, I set everything up exactly as called out on the web. It still wouldn't work. I was getting very frustrated. I walked away from the whole setup for a few hours. Came back and the messages started working. Weird but at least it's working now. Took a lot more effort than just plug and play. I hope it worth it.

Another question for the newbie here. Often my phone runs low on battery. So I plug it in and the bluetooth audio gets turned off in favor for the USB. Does the messages still come in via blue tooth? Also, by plugging it into USB, what do I really get (other than my phone is charging).

Thanks everyone for your help. Especially BJ.

Originally Posted by Iimaginedesign

I updated my firmware. It wasn't as scary as I thought i would have been. In fact the setting even gives you a "restore previous version" which is nice. Anyways, I set everything up exactly as called out on the web. It still wouldn't work. I was getting very frustrated. I walked away from the whole setup for a few hours. Came back and the messages started working. Weird but at least it's working now. Took a lot more effort than just plug and play. I hope it worth it.

Another question for the newbie here. Often my phone runs low on battery. So I plug it in and the bluetooth audio gets turned off in favor for the USB. Does the messages still come in via blue tooth? Also, by plugging it into USB, what do I really get (other than my phone is charging).

Thanks everyone for your help. Especially BJ.

Plugging the iPhone into the armrest USB port for charging purposes causes problems unfortunately. BMW assumes that if you have connected it that way that you want to sync and does a bunch of things like changes to notifications and messaging and streaming.

The solution: Go to Target and get the Belkin low-profile car USB adapter. This fits perfectly in the cigarette lighter socket in the small compartment ahead of the cup holders, lets the lid close for the 90% of the time you don't need it. But when you do, just open the door, plug in your cable, stick the phone in a cup holder, and you can charge without disrupting Bluetooth functionality.

BJ

I have to say that annoys me to no end. The proces to reconnect the Bluetooth audio after a plugin sucks. I also am annoyed that the BMW app can't run in the background or boot automatically when the phone is plugged in

I am about to pull my old iPod out and use the cigarette lighter technique for charging

Originally Posted by Iimaginedesign

I updated my firmware. It wasn't as scary as I thought i would have been. In fact the setting even gives you a "restore previous version" which is nice. Anyways, I set everything up exactly as called out on the web. It still wouldn't work. I was getting very frustrated. I walked away from the whole setup for a few hours. Came back and the messages started working. Weird but at least it's working now. Took a lot more effort than just plug and play. I hope it worth it.

Another question for the newbie here. Often my phone runs low on battery. So I plug it in and the bluetooth audio gets turned off in favor for the USB. Does the messages still come in via blue tooth? Also, by plugging it into USB, what do I really get (other than my phone is charging).

Thanks everyone for your help. Especially BJ.

How the hell you guys are able to update. I downloaded the file to my flash drive, plugged it in both ports in the car but Idrive showing that it can not detect it. What am I doing wrong.

Originally Posted by cheikh82

How the hell you guys are able to update. I downloaded the file to my flash drive, plugged it in both ports in the car but Idrive showing that it can not detect it. What am I doing wrong.

Download the file and do not uncompress it.

Put it on a virgin thumb drive in the root, not in a folder not with any other data or files on that drive.

Start the car, let iDrive boot up for a minute. Insert the thumb drive in the arm rest USB port. Wait another 30 seconds, don't rush it. Then go to update firmware and you should see the file.

BJ

Originally Posted by MonkeyCMonkeyDo

I have to say that annoys me to no end. The proces to reconnect the Bluetooth audio after a plugin sucks. I also am annoyed that the BMW app can't run in the background or boot automatically when the phone is plugged in

I am about to pull my old iPod out and use the cigarette lighter technique for charging

That's how I have to do it too.

I have a beater iPod touch with 25,000 songs on it, it never leaves my armrest and it's always sync's to the car. My iPhone is connected only through Bluetooth, I never connect it via USB.

At some point in the future BMW will get its act together with how to sync apps properly to iDrive so that we don't lose functionality as you're experiencing. Until then, a good old iPod touch does the trick.

BJ