- BMW has made Android Auto available in its cars after years of supporting only Apple CarPlay.
- The feature is wireless only, at least for now.
- It’s not certain whether all compatible cars have the feature at this point.
BMW has come a long way from the days when it shied away from Android Auto.
Android Police has confirmed that, as promised in December, BMW is rolling out Android Auto to compatible cars (more on that in a moment) in July. While the in-car smartphone interface appears to have arrived as early as the start of the month, such as for some 3 Series owners in Europe, it’s clearly available in the US — AP‘s Richard Gao got support on his 2020 Z4 after a firmware update.
We’ve asked BMW if it can comment on availability, including a timetable for when all eligible cars will get support.
There are some caveats. Most importantly, Android Auto on BMWs is wireless only. That limits compatibility to Google Pixel phones (plus a few Nexus devices) and some Samsung models. Also, only certain BMW vehicles support the feature. You’ll need at least iDrive 7.0, and then only on the 3, 5, 7, 8, X3, X5, and X7 model lines. If you’re driving a different model or can’t get the latest firmware, you’re out of luck.
Read more: The best Android Auto apps
You might also encounter hiccups, at least at this early stage. Gao said he would occasionally get music playback stutters “every few minutes,” not to mention complete disconnections that required manually reestablishing the link.
Even so, it’s a big step. BMW is one of the few major holdouts for Android Auto, having exclusively supported Apple CarPlay for years. Brands like Chevy, Honda, and Jaguar Land Rover have supported the technology for years, if usually through wired connections. While this doesn’t quite make Google’s infotainment software ubiquitous, it’s now to the point where you don’t have to be too picky about your choice of ride.
