[Neverlost99]

I paid $50 for a thumb drive from bimmernavupdates.com
I have purchased every update when they become available. My lifetime code to start the update would not work and they want me to buy another code for $30.
What pisses me off is I paid for the update and now this bait and switch. I waited 3 months to get the device and now I refuse to purchase the update and plan to charge this back on American Express.
There has to be a better way to keep your GPS updated ( and it sure is not how LEXUS does it, that's even worse). Time to switch to Google Maps.

[aerobod]

It isn’t really a BMW problem though, but an issue with the blackmarket/bootleg seller. You can buy the official updates from BMW on USB / insertable media (as would be the case with Lexus), unless you have a vehicle with the later BMW Professional Nav (at least NBT EVO) that can use over-the-air updates.

[leftoverture]

There is a better way. Use Google maps. It's better than any vehicle navigation system and it's free. Alternatively, you can use Waze or Here We Go. All are free. Problem solved.

[Ajowhan]

Im surprised anyone still used any of the manufacturer's navi system when there is google map and apple car play nowadays.

[MLJR235]

Originally Posted by Ajowhan

Im surprised anyone still used any of the manufacturer's navi system when there is google map and apple car play nowadays.

It actually comes in handy when driving through canyon/ mountain roads and no cell service is available.

Aside from that, yes, google or apple maps are probably your best bet going forward.

[aerobod]

Originally Posted by MLJR235

It actually comes in handy when driving through canyon/ mountain roads and no cell service is available.

Aside from that, yes, google or apple maps are probably your best bet going forward.

Google Maps can be used in Offline mode if you download up to about 2GB per mapped area selected. I can usually cover about 50% of the UK when on holiday with a single offline Google Map, with most rental cars having Apple Car Play these days, too.

With our Macan I don't bother with the useless built-in Porsche nav, just use Car Play and Google Maps on the nav screen, too.

[Ajowhan]

Originally Posted by MLJR235

It actually comes in handy when driving through canyon/ mountain roads and no cell service is available.

Aside from that, yes, google or apple maps are probably your best bet going forward.

Im not sure if its because I have offline map downloaded or if I start my Navigation before losing signals. My google map still work through canyons. The gps still move my arrows through the canyons showing my positions and upcoming turns as well.

So still google map

[pikcachu]

Originally Posted by Ajowhan

Im surprised anyone still used any of the manufacturer's navi system when there is google map and apple car play nowadays.

The thing is with BMW navigation there are tools to create custom routes that go through a specific roads instead of whatever google/waze think it's the fastest

like this https://www.myrouteapp.com/route/open/6564687 which will work with the bmw navigation and do turn-by-turn

[ggggbmw]

Originally Posted by leftoverture

There is a better way. Use Google maps. It's better than any vehicle navigation system and it's free. Alternatively, you can use Waze or Here We Go. All are free. Problem solved.

Google maps is NOT better than an in car system. Yes, the maps might be a bit more up to date, but their usability in a car is not the same.

I use Google Maps in CarPlay mode in my wife's car, and in rentals when traveling. CarPlay is really the issue, as the user interface is horrible. The issues are:
- Touch screen only. No ability to use iDrive controls.
- Tends to lag, both in screen controls and position updates.
- No scale on screen, so harder to judge distances.
- No easy way to zoom in/out, so harder to maintain route awareness.
- Harder to find places along route, like rest areas or restaurants.
- Hard to move between in-car systems, like satellite radio, and Nav.

And, as others have pointed out, unless you've downloaded data to your phone ahead of time, it doesn't work in an area with no/spotty cell service.

In a rental I don't have much choice. It's better than nothing (and I kind of hate myself for giving up on real maps and using GPS turn-by-turn for everything).

Practically, on long trips, I tend to use both. I'll use Google maps on my phone ahead of time to look at alternate routes, and deeper more accurate search for restaurants, gas, hotels, etc. But that only works WHEN STOPPED. When driving, it's so much easier, and safer, to use iDrive controls. And iDrive can find rest areas on the route. I've never found a way to do that with Google.

[leftoverture]

Harder to find places along the route? That's a laugh. All you have to do is say, "Hey Google, show me..." and whatever you're looking for is right there on the screen. I've used built in nav from Ford's Sync, BMW's i-drive, and Jeep's Uconnect. None of them compare to Google. I wish they did because I hate that Google knows so much about me, but you just gotta admit they made navigation so easy it's hard not to use it.

[harma24]

I've found BMW's navigation in my wife's car to be questionable at times, taking questionable (longer) routes. One example we encounter all the time is that it thinks we can't take a left turn onto my street and calls for us to go further up the road, make three rights and a left to approach my road from the opposite direction (for the record, it is perfectly legal to take a left turn onto my street).

I've never used Android Auto, so I can't comment on that.

[Ajowhan]

Originally Posted by ggggbmw

Google maps is NOT better than an in car system. Yes, the maps might be a bit more up to date, but their usability in a car is not the same.

I use Google Maps in CarPlay mode in my wife's car, and in rentals when traveling. CarPlay is really the issue, as the user interface is horrible. The issues are:
- Touch screen only. No ability to use iDrive controls.
- Tends to lag, both in screen controls and position updates.
- No scale on screen, so harder to judge distances.
- No easy way to zoom in/out, so harder to maintain route awareness.
- Harder to find places along route, like rest areas or restaurants.
- Hard to move between in-car systems, like satellite radio, and Nav.

And, as others have pointed out, unless you've downloaded data to your phone ahead of time, it doesn't work in an area with no/spotty cell service.

In a rental I don't have much choice. It's better than nothing (and I kind of hate myself for giving up on real maps and using GPS turn-by-turn for everything).

Practically, on long trips, I tend to use both. I'll use Google maps on my phone ahead of time to look at alternate routes, and deeper more accurate search for restaurants, gas, hotels, etc. But that only works WHEN STOPPED. When driving, it's so much easier, and safer, to use iDrive controls. And iDrive can find rest areas on the route. I've never found a way to do that with Google.

Well to each his own. Just wanted to say idrive controls works fine with mine though, maybe we have different version and you might have older carplay? I dont know.

[morphomeman]

OP is driving a 2015, which may not have any access to Carplay.
Also, if the system is 3G, then it is difficult if not impossible to update.
In any case, as has already been noted, we are talking about aftermarket scammers here.

[TrboMike]

First weekend after I bought my car (2017 3 years ago) me and the gf jumped in car and did over 1k miles driving up to Vermont from NJ in airbnbs. Its very mountainous and lots of logging roads etc in the area. Instead of taking the main road a few miles to the next town, and another main road in the next direction, the factory nav had me turn down a side road straight toward a mountain which turned to gravel which turned to dirt which dead ended into a hiking trail or logging road. It happened again, and again, and again. Finally switched to Google maps but many times had no cell service and had to use BMW nav to zoom way out and trace the main road from one town to the next to actually get where we were going. Garbage.

[Neverlost99]

After multiple emails and cancelling the AMX payment they found the right codes to make it work. It's finally worth the effort and if easier than using the iPhone while wearing polarized glasses. I reversed the AMX complaint, but wont use them again.
I use Google on long trips as the dynamic road and re-route is a game changer. Once the 3G shut down there was no traffic info. That said, the Idrive map is just another tool and has it's place when you want to scroll and see whats up, and ideally using the Interactive Map to point to a general area where you want to go is is very helpful.
The worse system must be the Lexus Nav. What a piece of crap.

[ggggbmw]

Originally Posted by Ajowhan

Well to each his own. Just wanted to say idrive controls works fine with mine though, maybe we have different version and you might have older carplay? I dont know.

Well, I probably should have clarified my experience with CarPlay is in different brands, mostly VW and Toyota. Not BMW. My M235i is as old as they come, and years before Carplay was offered in BMW's.

If iDrive does have some control over CarPlay in BMW's, that is cool. It might offset some of my issues with CarPlay.

And as leftoverture stated, maybe Google in CarPlay works better with voice navigation. It probably does, but I find keeping track of the correct verbs and nouns and cadence for voice commands more tedious than using iDrive menus. Just the way my brain works.

I'm not arguing that when standing still, Google Maps is a better nav system. And as harma24 noted, sometimes BMW nav makes odd choices. A key reason I often cross-check routes on Google and Apple maps when doing longer trips.

But I stand by my assertion that when driving, interacting with BMW nav via iDrive is superior to CarPlay, and I strongly prefer it.

[Ajowhan]

Well, Murphy's law. After almost 2 years of ownership and stumbling on this thread. The iDrive button has decided to go on strikes against apple carplay starting yesterday.. Have tried turning on and off vehicle, Forgetting device and reconnecting carplay and it stays.. Urgh. Any idea if there is a way to reset head unit without unplugging battery?

[aerobod]

Originally Posted by Ajowhan

Well, Murphy's law. After almost 2 years of ownership and stumbling on this thread. The iDrive button has decided to go on strikes against apple carplay starting yesterday.. Have tried turning on and off vehicle, Forgetting device and reconnecting carplay and it stays.. Urgh. Any idea if there is a way to reset head unit without unplugging battery?

Have you tried holding in the on/off button for about 20 seconds until the system brings up the logo screen and re-starts?

[Ajowhan]

Originally Posted by aerobod

Have you tried holding in the on/off button for about 20 seconds until the system brings up the logo screen and re-starts?

Oooh so thats what it was... 20 seconds.. I tried for like 10-15 seconds and when nothing happened I figured nothing will happened... lol anyway magically it works again this morning... with nothing done to it. After 2 days of not working... Electronic and bugs.. Its just so weird it happened right after Im telling people online that my idrive works fine on apple carplay..

[Turbo23dog]

My $0.02: I don’t like using the BMW Nav and will always default to Google or Waze.

[slinkyjynx]

The one thing I like way more about bmw nav than CarPlay is that the specific turn directions appear in great detail right in the dash, but apart from that CarPlay with any map app is just way better (and always up to date!)

[G in CT]

I had a similar experience with this company. Bimmernaviupdate.com. Ordered the update with lifetime code, my card was charged immediately but it took almost 6 weeks to receive anything from them and only after having to contact them several times. Finally received the USB drive with NO FSC code or instructions. Contacted them again. Once I received the code I tried to install the update, nothing happened. Contacted them as they stated they would provide "email or phone support". 8 emails later and NO attempt at phone support, still no success. Despite telling them several times that if they could not get the update to work I would dispute the charge with AMEX, which I did. They sent a message saying "You make dispute. We lost your money. Not good behaviour." Really. I told them I would be more than happy to pay them if they could get their product to work. Nothing. Crickets. At this point, I wouldn't accept anything from them as I wouldn't trust it. I would avoid this company like the plague!