
Telephoning
174
Telephoning
The concept
Your BMW is equipped with a full mobile phone 
preparation package. After logging on a suitable 
mobile phone on the vehicle once, you can 
operate the mobile phone via iDrive, with the 
buttons on the steering wheel and by voice.
A mobile phone that has been logged on once is 
automatically detected again with the engine 
running or the ignition switched on as soon as 
it is in the vehicle interior. The logon data of up 
to four mobile phones can be stored simulta-
neously. If several mobile phones are detected 
simultaneously, the respective last mobile 
phone logged on can be operated via the vehi-
cle.
Using a phone in your vehicle
Using snap-in adapter*
The so-called snap-in adapter, a mobile phone 
cradle, enables the battery to be charged and 
the mobile phone to be connected to the exter-
nal antenna of your vehicle. This ensures 
improved network reception and a consistent 
voice reproduction quality. Ask your BMW cen-
ter which mobile phones snap-in adapters are 
offered for.
BMW discourages the use of mobile 
phones or other mobile communications 
devices inside the vehicle without a direct con-
nection to an outside antenna. Otherwise, the 
vehicle electronics and mobile communication 
device can influence one another. In addition, 
there is no assurance that the radiation which 
results from transmission will be dissipated 
from the vehicle interior.<
Avoid operating a mobile phone detected by 
the vehicle with the keypad of the mobile 
phone, otherwise malfunctions can occur.
For your safety
A car phone makes life more convenient in 
many ways, and can even save lives in an emer-
gency. While you should consult your mobile 
phone's separate operating instructions for a 
detailed description of safety precautions and 
information, we request that you direct your 
particular attention to the following:
Only make entries when the traffic situa-
tion allows you to do so. Do not hold the 
mobile phone in your hand while you are driving; 
use the hands-free system instead. If you do 
not observe this precaution, your being dis-
tracted can endanger vehicle occupants and 
other road users.<
Suitable mobile phones
Ask your BMW center which mobile phones 
with a Bluetooth interface are supported by the 
mobile phone preparation package or which 
mobile phones snap-in adapters are available 
for. These mobile phones support the functions 
described in this Owner's Manual with a certain 
software version. Malfunctions can occur with 
other mobile phones.
Care instructions
You can find what you need to know about car-
ing for your mobile phone in the separate Caring 
for your vehicle brochure and in the mobile 
phone operating instructions.
Operating options
You can operate the mobile phone* using:
>The steering wheel, refer to page11
>iDrive, refer to page16
>Voice commands, refer to page183
* 

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Making calls with car phone: 
BMW Assist calls
You can use the car phone via the hands-free 
system for BMW Assist calls.
When the status information "Communication" 
or "BMW Assist" is displayed in "BMW Ser-
vice", only BMW Assist calls are possible.
It may not be possible to establish a telephone 
connection using the mobile phone while a con-
nection is being established to BMW Assist or 
while a call to BMW Assist is already in 
progress. If this happens, you must log off the 
mobile phone from the vehicle if you wish to 
place a call with the mobile phone.
Commissioning
Logging on mobile phone on vehicle
The following prerequisites must be met:
>The mobile phone is ready to operate.
>The Bluetooth link on the vehicle, refer to 
page177, and on the mobile phone is 
active.
>Depending on the mobile phone, preset-
tings on the mobile phone are necessary: 
e.g. via the menu item Bluetooth activated 
or the menu item Connection not with con-
firmation.
>For logging on, specify any desired number 
as the Bluetooth passkey, e.g. 1. This Blue-
tooth passkey is no longer required follow-
ing successful logon.
>The ignition is switched on.
Only log on the mobile phone with the 
vehicle stopped, otherwise the passen-
gers and other road user can be endangered 
due to a lack of attentiveness on the part of the 
driver.<
Switching on ignition
1.Insert the remote control as far as possible 
into the ignition lock.
2.S w i t c h  o n  t h e  s w i t c h  o n  i g n i t i o n  b y  p r e s s i n g  
the Start/Stop button without depressing 
the brake or clutch pedal.
Preparation with iDrive
iDrive, for explanation of principle, refer to 
page16.
1.Press the   button to open the start 
menu.
2.Open the   menu by pressing the controller.
3.Select "Communication settings" and 
press the controller.
4.Select "Bluetooth" and press the controller.
5.Select "Phone" and press the controller. 

Telephoning
176
Preparation with mobile phone
6.Additional operations must be carried out 
on the mobile phone and differ depending 
on the model, refer to the operating instruc-
tions of your mobile phone, e.g. find, con-
nect or link under Bluetooth device.
Logging on
Depending on your mobile phone, you will first 
be requested consecutively via the display of 
your mobile phone or the Control Display to 
enter the Bluetooth passkey you specified.
Display on the Control Display if the Bluetooth 
passkey can be entered with iDrive:
7.Select "Add device" and press the control-
ler.
8.Enter the Bluetooth passkey.
Depending on the mobile phone, approx. 
30 seconds are available for entering the 
Bluetooth passkey on the mobile phone 
and on the Control Display.
9.Select "Confirm passkey" and press the 
controller.
10.Wait a few seconds until the list of the 
logged-on mobile phones is shown on the 
Control Display and "Phone" is selected.To cancel the logon of the mobile phone on the 
vehicle:
Select "Refuse connection" and press the con-
troller.
The next time you use the mobile phone in the 
vehicle interior, it will be detected within a max-
imum of 2 minutes with the engine running or 
the ignition switched on.
As soon as a mobile phone is detected by the 
vehicle, the phone book entries stored on the 
SIM card or on your mobile phone are trans-
ferred to your vehicle, refer to the operating 
instructions of your mobile phone if necessary. 
This transfer is dependent on your mobile 
phone, refer to the operating instructions of 
your mobile phone if necessary, and can take 
several minutes.
Up to four mobile phones can be logged on 
consecutively. If you log on a fifth mobile phone, 
the logon data of the last mobile phone in the 
list will be deleted, refer to below.
List of logged-on mobile phones
All mobile phones for which the vehicle has 
stored the logon data can be displayed. If sev-
eral logged-on mobile phones are detected by 
the vehicle simultaneously, you can operate the 
mobile phone highest up in the list via the vehi-
cle.
You can change the order of the mobile phones 
in the list. As long as a mobile phone is selected 
in this list, the mobile phones cannot be oper-
ated via the vehicle.
iDrive, for explanation of principle, refer to 
page16.
1.Press the   button to open the start 
menu.
2.Open the   menu by pressing the controller.
3.Select "Communication settings" and 
press the controller.
4.Select "Bluetooth" and press the controller.
5.Select "Phone" and press the controller. 

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6.Select the desired mobile phone and press 
the controller.
7.Select "Move device up" and press the con-
troller.
The selected mobile phone is move upward 
by one position.
Logging mobile phone off vehicle
If you no longer want to operate your mobile 
phone via the vehicle, you can delete the logon 
data of the mobile phone.
iDrive, for explanation of principle, refer to 
page16.
1.Press the   button to open the start 
menu.
2.Open the   menu by pressing the controller.
3.Select "Communication settings" and 
press the controller.
4.Select "Bluetooth" and press the controller.
5.Select "Phone" and press the controller.6.Select the desired mobile phone and press 
the controller.
7.Select "Delete device" and press the con-
troller.
The logged-off mobile phone is deleted 
from the list.
The phone book entries you have trans-
ferred from your mobile phone to your vehi-
cle are also deleted in the process.
Activating/deactivating Bluetooth link
Bluetooth technology is not approved in 
all countries. Observe the applicable local 
regulations. Temporarily disconnect the Blue-
tooth link between the vehicle and the mobile 
phone if necessary.<
If the Bluetooth link is deactivated, you cannot 
operate your mobile phone via the vehicle and 
other devices with a Bluetooth interface can be 
used via the mobile phone, e.g. a laptop com-
puter.
To temporarily deactivate the Bluetooth link 
between your vehicle and your mobile phone:
1.Remove the mobile phone from the snap-in 
adapter and switch it off.
2.Press the   button to open the start 
menu.
3.Select the   menu and press the controller. 

Telephoning
178 4.Select "Communication settings" and 
press the controller.
5.Select "Bluetooth" and press the controller.
6.Select "Settings" and press the controller.
 The Bluetooth link is activated.
7.Select "Bluetooth communication active" 
and press the controller to activate or deac-
tivate the link.
Adjusting volume
Turn the knob during a call to select the desired 
volume.
This volume for the hands-free system is main-
tained, even if the other audio sources are set to 
minimum volume.
You can also adjust the volume with buttons on 
the steering wheel, refer to page11.The setting is stored for the remote control cur-
rently in use.
Operation via iDrive
You can operate the following functions via 
iDrive:
>Dial phone numbers.
>Dial phone numbers from the phone book.
>Dial stored phone numbers, e.g. from the 
list of accepted calls.
>Hang up.
With the ignition switched off and radio readi-
ness, e.g. after removing the remote control, 
you can continue an ongoing call for a maximum 
of 25 minutes via the handsfree system.
Requirements
The logon data of the mobile phone are stored 
in the vehicle and the mobile phone is ready to 
operate.
The engine is running or the ignition is switched 
on.
The mobile phone is detected by the vehicle.
iDrive, for explanation of principle, refer to 
page16.
1.Press the   button.
This opens the start menu.
2.Move the controller forward to open "Com-
munication". 

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Receiving calls
If you have the phone number of the caller 
stored in the phone book and the phone num-
ber has been transmitted, the name of the entry 
is displayed.
Accepting a call
Select "Accept" and press the controller.
Rejecting a call
Select "Reject" and press the controller.
The caller is diverted to your mailbox if it has 
been activated.
Calling
Dialing phone numbers
1.Select "Phone" and press the controller.
2.Select "Dial" and press the controller.
3.Enter the desired phone number by dialing 
the individual digits and pressing the con-
troller.
Always enter the complete phone number 
consisting of national dialing code, area 
code, and phone number.
The letters correspond to the digits on the 
keypad of the mobile phone.To delete an incorrect character:
Move the controller toward the right to 
select  , and press the controller.
4.Select "Dial number" and press the control-
ler.
Ending a call
1.Select the phone number and press the 
controller.
2.Select "End call" and press the controller.
Dialing a phone number from phone 
book or a phone number stored in a list
Phone numbers you have called, incoming calls 
and the entries of the phone book are stored in 
lists when the mobile phone is connected to the 
vehicle via Bluetooth. If the caller is entered in 
the phone book, the name of the entry is dis-
played instead of the phone number. 

Reference 231
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Short commands of voice command 
system
With short commands you can carry out certain 
functions directly, regardless of which menu item is selected. Here are the important short 
commands for the voice command system.
Assistance window
Communication
*
FunctionCommand
To open the assistance window20{Assistance window}
To select the display in the assistance window20{Assistance window map facing north}, 
{Assistance window map direction of travel}, 
{Assistance window arrow display}, 
{Assistance window perspective}, 
{Assistance window current position}, 
{Assistance window trip computer} or
{Assistance window onboard info}
To change scale in assistance window146{Assistance window scale ... feet} or
{Assistance window scale ... miles}
FunctionCommand
To open phone175{Phone}
To dial phone number179{Dial number} 
To display phone book179{A to Z}
To select from the phone book179{Call ...} or
{Dial name}
To display "Top 8"180{Top 8}
To redial179{Redial}
To display "Received calls"180{Received calls}
To display "Missed calls"180{Missed calls}
To display "Bluetooth"176{Bluetooth}
To open BMW Assist189{BMW Assist}
To open "BMW Service"189{BMW Service}
To open "BMW Contact"181{BMW Contact}
To open "BMW Contact Numbers"181{BMW Contact numbers}