[Android][Other] Integration of Spotify and BMW Connected Drive - Android

[Daniel]

So this idea has been implemented for iOS, can we see some Android love please???

The Connected Drive app is available on the Google Pllay store but it's only showing integration with Twitter and some other parts of the phone, would love to see Spotify added to this!

BMW Connected

[faithless1108]

I just tried it with my Moms G3. Didn't work either...

[poisike]

@faithless1108 Thanks for trying! So i guess the information on BMW website is wrong. I checked BMW German website and it also says under Spotify: ""Zur Verwendung dieser zertifizierten BMW Apps ready Applikation in Ihrem BMW laden Sie diese im App Store oder bei Google Play™ herunter, verbinden Sie das Smartphone über den USB-Anschluss oder den Snap-in Adapter mit dem Fahrzeug, starten die App und erleben Sie die einzelnen Funktionen über den iDrive Controller, das Display und das Audiosystem des Fahrzeugs."

When I last checked BMW websites (last year end?), only iPhone was mentioned under Spotify app, so they have certainly changed it not too long ago. I wonder why BMW website team thinks this functionality is available? Of course this idea here is also marked implemented... But at least here it says that it currently only works in new 7 series over BT, BMW website does not mention this and talks about USB connection. I would call this false advertising.

I just hope this means that the Spotify Android app integration will be available very soon.

[faithless1108]

Full ACK

I will try this again with my brothers G4. But imho is there no fu**ing differenz between the phones... It is the ConnectedApp or the Car that doesnt support Spotify, not the phone...

[faithless1108]

These are my Softwareversions in the Car.

[ileeam]

bah humbug it will be waiting for a update to the idrive then for android.... pointless upgrading my plan to 13gb then!

[Mastrchee]

I just found something interresting - I plugged in my phone via USB and opened up "audio player" under connected drive in iDrive. Then, I started playing spotify on the phone and I could hear the music from my car speakers. I cant see any track information nor can i control it through iDrive, but its audio through USB, which is much more higher quality than over BT. Just to be sure, I turned off my BT on the phone and the music continued to play. I could reproduce this on both my Nexus 6P (6.0.1) and Moto G (5.1).

[poisike]

@Mastrchee Yes, i found this a long time ago and it works great for me. The strange thing is that I have heard that USB audio has severe issues on Android and that's why BMW has not allowed any audio app integrations on Android over USB connection.

USB audio issue > https://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=66832
This issue is marked Obsolete by Google.

As far as i know, the USB audio issue was fixed a long time ago. I certainly don't have this problem with any of my Nexus devices. In fact I'm having more problems with Bluetooth audio and Nexus 6P.

I have used Spotify ConnectedDrive integration on IOS and as far as i can see, the Android version would be a lot better to use.
On IOS, i have to unlock device, open Spotify app and then select it in idrive. If i want to switch to different app, then i need to unlock device again.
On Android, i only need to connect USB cable and BMW Connected app starts automatically. It is also possible to switch apps without touching Android device and switching apps seems a lot quicker.

So i really hope ConnectedDrive integration will be released soon for Spotify Android app...

[Mastrchee]

@poisikeinteresting, surely it would make sense for BMW to enable the feature above a specific android api level which includes the fix, rather than completely ignoring all android phones. Sadly though, this is probably the wrong forum for getting BMW to sort it - one can only hope that they would read this. Re: BT; I have the same issues on the N6P, Im using a tasker profile to toggle Bluetooth once a day, which appears to elevate the problem to a certain extent.

[mischaandlilly]

Got M6 since last week and I was so disappointed that spotify doesn't work on it.

[poisike]

@Mastrchee Yeah, it shouldn't be hard to enable this for newer phones. The thing i don't understand is why are they now advertising Spotify, iHeart Radio and Pandora Android apps as available in iDrive. http://www.bmw.com/com/en/owners/bmw_apps_2013/introduction.html

Spotify and iHeart Radio at least work in the new 7 series (BMW website fails to mention it only works in 7 series), but Pandora doesn't evan work in 7 series.

About a week ago, I and another member here sent emails to BMW asking about this, but neither of us have got a reply... Maybe You can try too?