GPS is abyssmal...can I use Android Auto

[BigKetchup]

My wife's car comes with Android Auto and I love it. The BMW GPS is lacking by comparison. Is there a way to get Android Auto in this car? Mind you I don't hate on everything that the entertainment system has and would like to keep some functionality.


Thanks!

 

[eNate]

I presume you're meaning iDrive navigation, not your GPS?

Do you have connected services for traffic and point-of-interest search?

I agree it doest measure up to Google and Waze, and yes there are aftermarket solutions. Check out BimmerTech's MMI Prime. It's an add-on module that sits between your car computer and the screen, and ports in your phone.

It loses the predictive range that built-in nav provides, but if that's of no importence, it does what you want.

Bimmertech has a VIN check on their website to verify compatability.

 

[BigKetchup]

Connected services? I do have the BMW app on my phone if that's what you mean.

 

[eNate]

Do you receive traffic data and can you voice search for the name of a local business?

 

[BigKetchup]

ENate: I haven't figured out how to do that yet.

 

[alohart]

ENate: I haven't figured out how to do that yet.

If you have the ConnectedServices Real-Time Traffic Information (RTTI) subscription, traffic congestion lines will automatically appear on your nav screen. I don't think there's an iDrive setting that would suppress this information, but maybe I'm wrong. Red lines indicate very heavy stop-and-go congestion, green lines indicate no congestion, and yellow lines indicate moderate congestion - hard to miss.

I quit renewing my RTTI subscription because it was frequently out-dated in Honolulu such that it was nearly useless. In other locations, it must be better.

 

[eNate]

As I recall, the Germans -- BMW, Mercedes, VW -- collectively bought Nokia's navigation division, which Nokia created when they purchased Navteq back when it was apparent Google and Apple were going to spoil the market for stand alone GPS units.

I believe they are collectively pooling map and traffic data, and even selling the data.

That said, it impresses me that when I run Waze or Google Maps concurrently with iDrive nav, the BMW traffic data is often lacking, though for the most part it's reflective of real time conditions.

 

[eXodus]

the BMW navigation system is like 10 years outdated, but it gets you from A to B.

I've got one of the MMI boxes - which is plugged in between the Screen and the Headunit.

Android Auto and CarPlay available. Not perfectly user friendly yet, but much better then the original BMW solution.

 

[lpka]

Today I did the upgrade for Android Auto and Apple car play... Android Auto with Samsung Z fold 2 is working wirelessly so I'm excited.
Did the quick install for not removing the sides and other stuff, but I had no signal.
I had to remove everything... it was not hard, but time consuming.
But in the end the BEST!

Now I have a question.
Do you know any good Android apps for BMW i3.:
- I use ELECTRIFIED
- ABRP (I'm trying to get it on android auto but no luck (I'm on BETA) but still no show)
- local maps for charging points.
- bimmercode
But that is that.