[ezmaass]

This may seem like a dumb question - and I apologize if it is in advance - but has anyone figured out how to register for a ConnectedDrive portal account online?

I understand that some features (such as sending navigation points to the car and using the BMW Remote services) require you to set this up via the ConnectedDrive portal - or so I've read. When I go to bmw-connecteddrive.com it appears that the site is only available for overseas (Europe, Asia, etc) and not North America. Is there a US specific site, or am I just missing something?

Likewise, I'm assuming the term "BMW Assist" is now being phased out to make room for ConnectedDrive? On multiple BMW web pages I've now seen referenced to BMW Assist being a pre-March 2013 "feature" and ConnectedDrive as MY 2014+ - am I understanding this correctly?

Thanks for any help!

[AP]

I asked my dealer to do so when I bought my car, took a week or two to come through. I knew I was connected when my traffic info changed from being tmc to rtti.
Suggest ringing up your dealer and they should be able to help.

[raleedy]

Back in September, BMW Assist setup was all I needed to get these services. Maybe something's changed in the meantime. But my account was more or less seamllessly transfered from old BMW to new one.

[nal13]

You have to hit the SOS button on your car and register. Once you do that it takes about an hour to process and you can start using the service. It's a decent service and it will "beam" you directions, make reservations, etc. You can then also use the MY BMW remote app once set up which will give you information on your car.

[ezmaass]

Thanks for the responses guys. Maybe I should clarify, though - I DO have BMW Assist setup - had it in my 335i, and like you guys, it was seamlessly carried over to the new one. I have all of the menus in the iDrive for service requests, apps, BMW Online, etc, etc. All of that works fantastically...

However, I'm not sure how I setup an online account - there's supposedly a ConnectedDrive portal on the web, correct? If you go to www.bmw-connecteddrive.com you can see the existence of one - supposedly you can add your cars there, manage certain features (like the ability to unlock or send directions, etc). But it only appears to be for Europe and Asia.

For those who can send directions to their car directly - have you done this from Google Maps on a computer using "Send to Car?" If so, what do you use as your BMW Assist account name when it asks for one?

Also, for those who have used the BMW app - what is the exact name of the app from the app store? I've seen a few that appear to be put out by BMW, but I'm not sure which is the right one.

Thanks!

[raleedy]

Use your BMW Assist username and password. If you don't know what they are, call them up -- that's what I had to do. Search for BMW Apps in the App Store. There are multiple apps.

I use both BMW Remote and Google Maps for send to car. Once your computer links to your BMW Assist account, you're good. For BMW remote the app wants you to create a 4 digit PIN.

[ezmaass]

So, I'm still having a hard time downloading the BMW Remote app. I've managed to find it on the Google Play store, but Google won't let me download it - it says it's not compatible for use in my device's country (which is the US). Raleedy, it looks like you're in the US - how did you manage to get this downloaded?

Any other Android users out there who have managed to successfully download and use BMW Remote?

[ezmaass]

OK - quick update. I got around the Google Play message that I couldn't download it in my country. Per another user's recommendation I found on the web, I used a "side-loader" to download the APK directly to my computer, then e-mailed to my phone, and finally manually installed the app... phew! I'm not sure why it says it wasn't available in my country. When you load the app, it clearly states that it's usable in the US.

I entered my BMW Assist info, selected a 4-digit pin, and off I went. I haven't tried all of the functions yet, but I called up the vehicle info and did a "locate" function just to see that it was working - so far so good. It looks like the app provides the ability to:

- lock / unlock the doors
- sound the horn
- flash the lights
- set the climate in the car
- locate the car on a map
- send addresses to the navigation system

I look forward to using each and reporting back on them!