BMW i3: 10 iDrive Tips & Tricks

The BMW iDrive infotainment packs a lot of features, many of which may not be obvious at first. In this video, we explore 10 which every i3 owner needs to know about, especially if you care about being connected while on the road!
CHAPTERS:
00:00 Introduction
01:32 Phone Calls From the Steering Wheel
02:19 BMW Apps Interface
03:40 Online Search Using Voice Control
04:50 Smartphone Voice Control
05:51 iDrive Touch-Pad for Text Input
06:25 Navigation to Pin on a Map
07:27 Charging Stations Along Route
08:25 Customisable Shortcut Buttons
10:07 Home Screen Customisation
10:52 Favourite Button on the Keyfob
11:31 Conclusion

[@nigellucas560]

Clear and paced delivery. You gave a sample of features unlike some US dealers whom labor through each function. My wife could follow these guidance notes and be off and driving.

[@boyjohn9647]

So nicely presented. Clear precise instructions. Well done.

[@gaz7560]

2.5 yrs ownership and I didn’t know that about Siri. I might be removing my troublesome road top box now. Very informative and now I am trying out using I drive rather than Apple car play to see how it goes.

[@simonreeves2017]

I've had my i3 for 2 years, didn't know most of this - awesome!

[@FranklySpeaking73]

Game changer video! Thanks for helping me get even more out of this marvelous vehicle!

[@Skyking6976]

Damn…you put the i3 “BMW Genius” we had last month to shame. Thank you!

[@loonymoon1]

Couple of tips I didn’t know towards the end there about unassigning the buttons and also changing the tiles around.

[@darrenforrest6260]

Great video. Simple instructions even i could follow so much appreciated. Thanks

[@Pepegium]

oh man that last one on the key is amazing. thank you so much. Also i didnt know about the phonefunction on the steeringwheel. great tips

[@antonymcneillis]

Excellent tips. More please.

[@aldra744]

you are real i3 guru:)

[@marseille0520]

Too bad Martin and Wisely are not in the US.

[@justice4g]

much of the voice input relied on 3G for earlier models, you can only enter specific addresses now rather than points of interest so kinda have to install a 3rd party android unit or just listen to directions from the phone.

[@labasrytas2876]

nice to meet a neighbour- mate - i lived near surrey quays tesco :) :)

[@pretsas]

Whoa whoa whoa…all i3’s need to have the REX on function 8…even the BEV’s.

[@antoniogars1509]

Awesome job. Thank you!

[@colintwyning9614]

Thanks for this. Quite a few tips i did not know about.

[@kwenger7088]

Another great informative video

[@Robert-yb3gm]

Hi I have a 2018 revised i3 Rex 68plate I’ve tried making “charging stations” along the route as default but it’s not highlighted so I can’t access it do you have any tips to get around this ?

[@paulannett1669]

Thanks! In Spotify how do I get to the list of tracks from the album currently playing? (rather than just pressing previous/next track to skip through them)

[@nitramluap]

6:58 - you can also use the touch pad to scroll around the map like a trackpad

[@phweakwilled]

I find that when I enter the car Spotify opens automatically even when you don’t want it to. Does the iDrive navi do turn by turn?

[@andrewmurphy3637]

Great videos. I have 2017 (67) ReX i3. Do I need to continue buying the BMW Connected stuff. I'm not even sure what they even do. LOL. Do you know if my system can be updated to match what you show in your videos? I have the large professional screen if that helps? Thanks again, Andrew

[@wiselyauto]

Hi Andrew, The different Connected Drive packages are totally optional and only enable some of the more advanced online features, like Online Search or Real Time Traffic Information. Even once they expire, the car will still get the remote services, so you can check your state of charge / precondition the cabin right from your phone. Regarding the update - no, pre-facelift cars cannot be updated to the higher version of iDrive, but if you already have the bigger screen in your car, most of the changes are just different graphics…

[@zatix6982]

I have a bmw i3 from 2017, but the software looks nothing like shown here. Is there a particular reason for this? Is it just because my car is older?

[@TheVideoZombie]

thanx for really good video!

[@phweakwilled]

Another tip. If the vehicle information menu is greyed out the car needs to be in the Ready state for this to work

[@hansengels3569]

the interactive map is moveable and zoomable by the mousepad on the icontroller

[@nottle38]

Great video. Does the i3 (or the app) record details of previous trips showing distance driven and efficiency etc?

[@albrator7550]

How to activate the Tile "Analog Watch" ?

[@andrewhalls8815]

Excellent learning session, thank you. Question, and I think the answer is no, I believe I have IDrive2 and this cannot be upgraded to have the Spotify option, correct? Cheers.

[@andrewmurphy3637]

Random Question (sorry) I don't suppose you know any tips for clearing condensation? I've had teh car 1 year now, its been perfect. Just had a week's holiday, car stood in garage. Went to use this morning it was all fogged up, that was after running the precondition for ten minutes. I wasn't impressed. Just wonder if doing something wrong or is there anything I can get checked out? Many thanks. Andrew

[@wiselyauto]

You can try to get one of the microwaveable bags which are designed to absorb moisture. If you leave it in the car for a while it should do the trick and from then onwards the AC should manage on its own.

[@ondrejvindis]

dik za dobre video☝️

[@eauto9152]

It is a fantastic system and car. 👍🏼

[@martincross823]

Hi, I have 2019 i3 with pro navigation but no reversing camera. Which retro fit rear camera would you recommend?

[@airbusio3305]

Hi Martin, fantastic tutorials as usual! One question: once you insert a destination on the navigation system, is it possible to show the range you will have once arriving at the destination? Thanks

[@wiselyauto]

Thank you for the nice comment. The i3 unfortunately cannot show estimated state of charge at destination, so we would recommend inputting the destination into the sat nav and then just checking whether the margin of how many miles you have to go vs how many miles you have in the battery is increasing or shrinking (to adjust your driving style accordingly).

[@barrythomas-fq7xm]

Hi Martin, I'm looking to buy a I3 next year could you recommend which car would be better the standard or the S model. travelling 54 miles a day can charge at work. all A roads. Then on motorways 3-4 times a year. Thanks

[@7aser]

hello, I have i3 94Ah, can you explain where do i find this 2:50 thing , do I have to pay 79GBP for the connected drive option to have spotify ? thanks!!

[@Murmur2k]

Great video, is there a difference in the idrive software from the 2019 to 2022 i3 and can you update it?

[@ZagorMr]

I have the first model i3 (not the FL). As I see the FL has a different options. Is it possible to update without going to BMW service?

[@ameersyedster]

MyBMW app says my 2015 i3 REx is not supported. Is this true for all models or just the older models?

[@tonym9635]

Thank you great info!

[@Shododaan]

Since you all are very smart about this car... are there any replacement rims that use inexpensive tires? It looks like the tires are minimum $270 US each. Those tires are more expensive than new tires for my full-size Nissan truck! Thank you and I'm enjoying your channel while I research a used I3 in the states.

[@user-tw3ql9qc7q]

Anyone know how to turn off the acoustic pedestrian warning on a 2021 i3s (Irish car). I do not have the prompt in the vehicle settings which Martin references in the clip

[@wiselyauto]

It is unfortunately not possible to simply disable the feature on the younger cars through the infotainment system.

[@fotbollemittliv1]

When i go into media i dont have DAB do you know why? 2018 model i3s

[@trevorwylie7183]

Great info thanks.

[@bruceralston7781]

My key fob (2017 REx) does not have the diamond symbol. Is that a European thing, or is it possible to get that in the US? I only have one key, and have been hesitating to buy another one, but that one climatize feature would be more than worth it. Thanks.

[@TheRvh70]

Is it possible to have the idrive system updated to the latest version? I have a 2018 facelifted i3 but with a smaller screen, I see some features here that I would love on my system but aren't there

[@benbaselet2026]

You can just download the update from BMW if you have the service active (paid). You will need to download and install the BMW updater, which will put the files on a USB stick for your car, plug it in the car and it will update. Just did mine a week ago (2019 with the smaller screen). I guess you won't get all the pro features, but at least you will have the latest one available to you. Satnav data updates are there too.

[@robertpigozzi3600]

@@benbaselet2026 I have a 2014 where can I get that update? Somehow mine says it’s up to date

[@zaba1959]

Excellent.

[@jayuddin9590]

Hi - can you get the pedestrian warning sound on 2015 models? I can't find the option? Thanks guys

[@wiselyauto]

Yes, but only if it was fitted from factory.

[@jayuddin9590]

@@wiselyauto ahh ok.. I thought it was more like a safety standard. Thanks

[@youtuviewer5440]

I bought apple carplay from BMW’s connected drive but it shows only 2/3 screen. Could we show full screen?

[@wiselyauto]

Something we are exploring whether it can be done officially, so stay tuned...

[@MAZENBIRA]

Mine is 2017 has different display layout how I can get this display and also how to make the car read the street signs

[@wiselyauto]

If the display has different graphics it means it's the pre-LCI (pre-facelift) car, which features the older infotainment system. Unfortunately, there is no straightforward way to upgrade the computer. Speed limit sign recognition is part of the Driving Assistant Plus package. If your particular vehicle is equipped with it, just make sure the speed limit indication is enable under the display settings in iDrive.

[@paulannett1669]

Can you get the BMW map to show live traffic information like Google Maps does? (colouring the roads or suggesting alternative faster routes with less traffic)

[@wiselyauto]

Yes! You need one of the subscription packages and it doesn’t seem to be as quick to change colours as Waze or Google Maps, but it definitely works. Same for rerouting around congestion.

[@williamplunkett2741]

Hi Martin do you know of an digital dash upgrade I have the small one and would like the 10" 0ne

[@OsvaldoBeltran]

I have a 2018, my interface looks different.Do I have to upgrade software or was there a change to interface or equipment ?

[@wiselyauto]

Depending on manufacturing date, a 2018-registered car may still be a pre-LCI (pre-facelift) model, which has the previous generation of the iDrive system. Most differences are only visual and most of the functionality should be the same. It is not possible to update the software to the newer version as the computer hardware has changed as well.

[@francoismorainville712]

The most embarassing things about the bouttons, is that you can't do "next track" when listening bluetooth with the wheel on the steering wheel (it trys to do next in playlist which does not work)

[@NineHellHeaven]

The left and right buttons beside the 8 shortcuts do previous and next when I'm listening to Tidal through Bluetooth. Mine is a 2020 in case it matters.

[@Riksenco]

Hi Martin, Just bought my first BMW i3 (produced in 2016) and I’m getting more and more exited every day. However one thing annoys me and that is the fact that the outside temperature is not visable in any screen, while much older and simpeler cars do show the outside temperature in one of their screens. So could you tell me if it’s possible my car shows the outside remperature permently on a board screen(s)? Thank you in advance.

[@CURZONDAVID]

Cycle thru options on indicator stalk end button

[@garrycroft4215]

I have a November 2020 manufacturer i3s, it doesn’t have the pedestrian warning, was this an extra option? I only paid for the reverse camera and front parking sensors. Silly me thought that the cruise control was adaptive and not £800 extra so I don’t have it. However I’m extremely happy with the car and will be disappointed in two years when the lease is up that I can’t get another new one. It’s top secret as to when production will cease so I don’t know whether to wait or renew earlier next year.

[@rogerhough2183]

Thank you very much for posting such an informative video which has opened up unknown features I didn't know about or how to use after having i3 for a year now. It really is a gem of a car

[@josephj.formosa1812]

Hi, is there any way to access Android Auto on the BMW i3 (idrive 6) The app does not give me any software upgrade options Thanks

[@wiselyauto]

No Android Auto on iDrive 6, so any i3 unfortunately. BMW only implemeted AA support in the 7th generation of iDrive.

[@ewarr1]

Can you view Google Maps on the car's screen without having Carplay?

[@wiselyauto]

Unfortunately no. Only some of the more basic music streaming apps are supported without CarPlay.

[@MYJ61]

I did try and access Siri this way and my 2014 didn't respond as it did for you. Guess it's because it's the NBT system.

[@wiselyauto]

It should work on pre-LCI i3’s as well. Make sure that you enable “Allow Siri When Locked” in the Siri settings on your iPhone.

[@mikedonald729]

How can I bring up the compass. On the screen

[@wiselyauto]

If you enable split-screen (by rocking the controller dial to the right) and select arrow view for the content, whenever you do not have a destination set in the nav the system will display the compass given there are no navigation instructions to show.

[@SiHaworth]

How does the car know whether to preheat or cool the car when you’ve assigned the key on the button? Is it just based on what temp you left it on when last used?

[@wiselyauto]

It seems to default to about 22 degrees C in AUTO mode, regardless of your previous AC settings. So cooling/heating happens based on whether the cabin temperature is higher/lower than that.

[@thetumanshow]

This screen is bigger than mine and also seems to work much quicker. Mines a ‘17

[@wiselyauto]

In the pre-LCI cars (up to August 2017), the bigger screen is only available on cars equipped with the Professional Navigation System. All LCI i3's (after October 2017) come with the wide-screen with smaller bezels as standard (at least in the UK). They also feature the slighly redesigned user interface (like shown in the video), but in terms of core functionality remiain very similar to the previous generation of iDrive.

[@benmoorhouse1988]

I found iDrive brilliant until I learnt I could add wireless CarPlay to my pre-facelift i3. Now I wouldn't dream of getting a car without wireless CarPlay.

[@robertpigozzi3600]

How? I own a 2014

[@gaborcsontos3939]

@@robertpigozzi3600 You can replace the electronics under the back seats. It can be costly though, and requires some labor to channel all the new wires to the front. Best bet might be to find a third party garage that does these kind of upgrades and check if their price is something you are willing to pay for the feature.

[@valienterf]

how to add home and work adress, did it unce and dont remember. please

[@ritinfek]

It’s a shame England left the e.U. I would love to buy a (used?) i3s from your company

[@12alocin]

The UK left because it was getting shafted left right and center'

[@miroslavmilan]

You wouldn’t want a car with a steering wheel on the wrong side, anyway.