[filmguyuk]

Hi, all.

I'm new to the forum - this is my first post having just picked up an F07 LCI 5 series GT. I've had it for about 4 days. Love the car but really struggling with Spotify+iDrive and the Connected Drive system. I'll park the Connected Drive issues for now because in all truth I'm unsure of the benefits of paying for it and not sure I fully understand what it does.

So when I first connected my iPhone X, Spotify loaded up on my ID4 and I was really impressed with the features. I loved being able to search for titles via the iDrive touch input controller. I had album artwork and all was going nicely.

Then the day after I plugged it in and couldn't get Spotify to load. What it would do is show the phone connected via USB and state in the top menu title Spotify USB in words but no interface, just the ability to skip back and forward. After some time on the phone with BMW, they told me it might be due to BMW Live issues. So I thought, give it a day or two.

So I was reading online in the intervening period and it seemed that the Connected Drive app, which BMW told me first open on the phone actually doesn't need to opened prior to launching the Spotify app. So I tried all manner of different things. No joy.

So I checked the versions of the software on the iDrive, performed with the file taken from the BMW update website via USB - again no difference. I went from MN 002.033.002 and TN 002.034.001 to MN 002.034.071 and TN 002.034.070 - the update also added ADD-ON HN 002.255.073. So I rolled it back to the previous version.

Then I spotted my iPhone needed an update, so upgraded to iOS 12.1.1. Still it refused to work, but with the updated iOS app I did notice something a bit weird. When the phone was plugged in and I went to see all opened apps by swiping from the bottom - there was a little box at the bottom of that screen which said Music USB out with the iTunes/Apple Music icon.

So my thought was to see if this was taking over the USB connection and stopping Spotify from loading or being detected by iDrive. In my previous car, a Skoda Octavia, Apple Music would also have priority when streaming music over Bluetooth - which was super annoying. So I backed up my phone and removed the Apple Music app because it seemed far easier then finding out how to restrict it from running, I then rebooted the phone. Powered it back up and connected my phone and boom, Spotify has worked correctly 5 out of 5 times.

I had really wanted some Carplay integration but know it's not an ID4 option and with Spotify working + BMWs amazing Pro Nav - I think I'm sorted. I mean I'll hold my hand up and say I'm 99% sure I don't know what the hell I'm doing - so I welcome other thoughts and opinions on this solution.