[dbs600]

Can someone please help me receive text messages through iDrive?

I’ve tried in the past, but couldn’t figure it out, and I’d like to enable same for safety.

I have an Apple iPhone 5S with iOS 9.

Also, specific questions:

Does the car sync with texts already on the phone connecting to the car or does the car only ‘see’ new, unread texts while connected?

Is there an audible alert through iDrive when a new text is received?

Can I respond to texts through iDrive? Can I speak-out the responses?

Can the car read-out texts?

Thanks!

[IanS100]

If your prime concern is safety ignoring all text while you're driving would be the sensible option, but on the practical aspect, I've been unable to synch txt messages in my f10 but the e90 (2010 with cic Pro Nav) managed it, however, it only displayed texts received while the phone was connected with the car, there was no iDrive audible warning, I couldn't reply via iDrive and iDrive wouldn't read them out. To summarise, all I could do was display new messages, so a bit of a dubious advantage!

[AP]

I have a IPhone 4 with IOS 6 and this works for me.
I do know that it will only transfer the text message across to the phone if it is locked.
An envelope will appear on the satnav display (assuming you have got the radio station / USB / RTTI status displayed). There's no beep so its quite easy to miss whilst you are driving.

I can't recall where I found the information originally but have found this which may help.

If you have paired your phone previous, remove the pairing from your phone and the iDrive system just to start fresh.
In iDrive go to Telephone -> Bluetooth -> Your Phone and the push the iDrive controller to the right to get to the main configuration screen
Scroll down to Configure Bluetooth and make sure that the check box for "Office" is checked
On your iPhone, go to Settings -> Bluetooth -> Your BMW and touch the blue arrow to go to the settings. Make sure that the Show Notifications slider is set to "ON"
On your iPhone, go to Settings -> Notifications -> Messages. Make sure the following sections are "ON": Notification Center, Show Preview and View in Lock Screen. We also changed the alert style to Alerts in this section.
After getting it all set up and testing by letting the phone lock itself (not pushing the lock button) and sending a text message from another device, it still did not work for us initially. This is the part about shutting off the car and walking away for at least 5 or 10 minutes. Maybe there is a bug that needs the connection to be severed and re-connected to make things work. It is sort of a mystery right now. After coming back and having a message sent the system worked and the notifications came through to the iDrive and were read aloud by the car.


Can't comment on whether later versions of IOS will work or not (or are in deed supported). You may have to get updated software for the car - check the BMW website to see if there is a newer version.
Suggest trying the above first and seeing if that helps.

In the real world it not that great. If it read it out as it arrived, it would be a great feature but is a bit fiddly and arguably a bit dangerous to be using it whilst on the move. You have to first see if the envelope is displayed and then load up office messages and then load it up. Change the filter from service messages to all and then it will show.
I generally only try this when stuck in traffic as its too distracting when driving.

It's basically in the same place where you receive satnav messages from the concierge service.

Hopefully that's a help.

I've not managed to get emails working, not sure how involved that is and whether its even possible.

[dbs600]

Thanks, Gentlemen.

Why this has to be so difficult is beyond me; argh!

Going to try all you state, AP, hopefully with good results to report!

[dbs600]

Thanks for everyone’s help.

I can now receive new texts, which can be read aloud.

Old texts don’t sync and there’s no alert for new texts.

Unfortunately, also not able to respond through iDrive.

Can anything be unlocked via coding?

Hard to believe the system was designed with such restrictions.

Not intuitive. :|

[martin mustang]

Maybe is down to safety, I am not sure about you but when I use my I-drive for reading a new text messages after I am done I think how I was driving the last few hundred meters with my subconscious, must admit messages do distract big time compare to phone calls, hence I the see this as a big favour to our safety I guess.
I also go nuts when I am in traffic behind someone not moving because they busy texting, with 3 car spaces in front of them, while the roundabout behind is deadlock.

Originally Posted by dbs600

Thanks for everyone’s help.

I can now receive new texts, which can be read aloud.

Old texts don’t sync and there’s no alert for new texts.

Unfortunately, also not able to respond through iDrive.

Can anything be unlocked via coding?

Hard to believe the system was designed with such restrictions.

Not intuitive. :|

[dbs600]

Originally Posted by martin mustang

I also go nuts when I am in traffic behind someone not moving because they busy texting, with 3 car spaces in front of them, while the roundabout behind is deadlock.

True.

[COBodom]

Originally Posted by dbs600

Thanks for everyone’s help.

I can now receive new texts, which can be read aloud.

Old texts don’t sync and there’s no alert for new texts.

Unfortunately, also not able to respond through iDrive.

Can anything be unlocked via coding?

Hard to believe the system was designed with such restrictions.

Not intuitive. :|

I rarely use this, but If I recall correctly once I connected the phone I got a little envelope icon in the upper right corner of the idrive screen. The same icon that I get when I send an address to my car's navi via google or phone app. The icon indicates unread message (be it navi address or sms). This is not an audible alert, only visual.

Overall, its a very poor indicator.

[Spyder63]

Originally Posted by dbs600

Thanks for everyone’s help.

I can now receive new texts, which can be read aloud.

Old texts don’t sync and there’s no alert for new texts.

Unfortunately, also not able to respond through iDrive.

Can anything be unlocked via coding?

Hard to believe the system was designed with such restrictions.

Not intuitive. :|

I coded my 2013 F10 with the following to enable Siri-Eyes (as it is called) and it works well for reading new text messages aloud and I am able to reply via dictation and send a text message. I can also dictate and send an email, just haven't used it much so not sure but I believe I can ask Siri to check for new emails as well. Prior to coding this feature I never received any emails in iDrive. Using Siri seems to be limited to texts, email, and Find POI commands. If I ask her to route me to a restaurant, for example, the directions and mapped route only appear on the iPhone, not iDrive screen. Ah, just remembered I did ask Siri "where am I?" while going down the road and she did reply correctly. Could not tell me what the weather was at that point though. Probably should explore other commands.

FDL Code HU_NBT => CE_DEVICE_SPEECH_RECOGNITION => aktiv

Enables Siri over long press of voice button. Requires ISTA/P >= 2.50.4.x I-Level.