Page 19 of 272

At a glance
17Reference
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Menu overview
Communication
>Telephone*
>BMW Assist* or TeleService*
Navigation or onboard information
>Navigation system*
>Onboard information, e.g. for displaying
the average fuel consumption
Entertainment
>Radio
>CD player and CD changer
*
>External audio device
Climate
>Vent settings
>Seat heater distribution
*
>Automatic programs
>Parked car ventilation
*
menu
>Switching off Control Display
>Tone and display settings
>Settings for traffic information
*
>Settings for your vehicle, e.g. for the central
locking system
>Display of maintenance intervals and dead-
lines for legally mandated inspections
>Settings for telephone
*
Operating principle
From radio readiness, refer to page56, the fol-
lowing message is shown on the Control Dis-
play:
To hide the message:
Press the controller.
This displays the start menu.
On vehicles with a single drive, the message
automatically disappears after approx. 10 sec-
onds.
Start menu
You can call up all the functions of iDrive using
five menu items.
Opening start menu
Press the button.
To open the start menu from the menu:
Press the button twice.
Page 20 of 272

iDrive
18
Opening menu items of start menu
With the start menu you can open the menu
items Communication, Navigation, Entertain-
ment and Climate by moving the controller to
the left, right, front or rear.
You can open the menu by pressing the con-
troller.
Comfort opening of menu items
Comfort opening offers you:
>Opening of a menu item of the start menu in
the last display shown
>Direct changing between Communication,
Navigation, Entertainment and Climate
without pressing the button
For this purpose, move the controller in the cor-
responding direction and hold it for longer than
approx. 2 seconds.
Displays in menu
1Each menu is divided into fields.
The respective active field is highlighted.
2A symbol indicates the last selected menu
item of the start menu:
1Menu items are usually grouped in horizon-
tal or vertical lists.
2In these lists, arrows indicate the possibility
of accessing other menu items that are not
currently visible.
3Settings are displayed graphically or
numerically.
Communication
Navigation or onboard information
Entertainment
Climate
menu
Page 21 of 272
At a glance
19Reference
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Operating principle at a glance
Basic operation via iDrive is described in this
view.You can view the individual steps under Set-
tings on Control Display, Brightness of Control
Display, refer to page78.
1Selecting menu item:
>Turn the controller; the highlight moves
>Menu items shown in white can be
selected by highlighting
2Activating menu item:
>Press the controller
>New menu items are displayed or the
function is carried out
3Selecting menu item: refer to 14Changing between fields:
>Briefly move the controller left, right,
forward or back
>Release controller
>Active field appears lighter
5Adjusting settings:
>Turn controller
>Graphic display, numerical value or text
displays can be changed
>Confirmation by changing field
Page 22 of 272

iDrive
20
Status information
1Display for:
>Entertainment:
Radio, CD
>Telephone
* in "Communication":
Name of linked mobile phone, network
search or no network
>"BMW Assist"
*:
Existing voice connection with a service
from BMW Assist
2Entertainment sound output off
3Display for traffic information
*, TI:
Traffic information for the navigation sys-
tem can be received and transmission is
switched on
4Display for:
> New entries present in "Missed calls"
*
> Roaming active
5 Telephoning
* possible if the mobile
phone is logged-on in the vehicle
Mobile phone network with strong
reception, display dependent on mobile
phone
6Time
Other displays:
The status information is temporarily hidden
when there are Check Control instructions or
inputs via the voice command system
*.
Assistance window*
Additional information can be displayed in the
assistance window:
>The computer or the trip computer
*
>The arrow or map view with a navigation
system
*
>The current position
Selecting display
1.Move the controller to the right to change to
the assistance window and press the con-
troller.
2.Select a menu item.
3.Press the controller.
Page 23 of 272

At a glance
21Reference
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Switching assistance window off/on
1.Move the controller to the right to change to
the assistance window and press the con-
troller.
2.Select "Assist. window off" and press the
controller.
To switch on, change to the assistance window
and press the controller.
Switching Control Display
off/on
1.Press the button.
This opens the start menu.
2.Press the controller to open the menu.
3.Select "Display off" and press the control-
ler.
To switch on, press the controller.
Programmable memory/
direct selection buttons
You can store and run certain functions of iDrive
on the direct selection buttons:
>Destinations of navigation
>Entertainment:
>radio station
>CD
>CD compartment of CD changer
>AUX
>Telephone: phone numbers
Saving function
Navigation
1.Select navigation destination, e.g. in the
destination list or the address book.
2.Press the ... button longer
than 2 seconds.
Special features:
>With the destination guidance system and
the map view started, the current destina-
tion is stored.
>During destination entry via a map, the
coordinates at the cursor are stored, not the
current destination.
Communication
1.Enter the phone number or select it in a list
of the stored phone numbers, e.g. of the
A-Z list.
2.Press the ... button longer
than 2 seconds.
If a name is assigned to the phone number, the
name will also be stored.
Entertainment
The source being played at the time of saving,
e.g. a radio station or a certain CD of the CD
player, is stored in the Entertainment menu, and
not what is selected with controller.
Page 24 of 272

iDrive
22 1.Select the desired function, e.g. radio sta-
tion or CD.
2.Press the ... button longer
than 2 seconds.
If the vehicle is equipped with two drives,
the current track is stored for CDs with
compressed audio files.<
Running function
Press the ... button.
The function is run immediately. This means,
for example, that when a phone number is
selected, the connection is also established, or
when a navigation destination is called up, des-
tination guidance is started.
Displaying button assignment
You can display the assignment of the buttons
by touching them with your finger. Please do
not wear gloves when doing so. Touching with
an object, e.g. a pen, does not function.
Displaying short info
Touch the ... button.
The assignment of the buttons is displayed.
Navigation destination
Entertainment source
Phone number
Not assigned
Displaying detailed information
Touch and hold the ... button.
Deleting button assignments
1.Press the button.
This opens the start menu.
2.Press the controller to open the menu.
3.Select "Settings" and press the controller.
4.Select "Vehicle / Tires" and press the con-
troller.
5.Select "Programmable Memory Keys" and
press the controller.
6.Select "Delete assignment of all memory
keys" and press the controller.
Page 25 of 272

At a glance
23Reference
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Voice command system
The concept
The voice command system allows you to con-
trol operation of various vehicle systems with-
out ever removing your hands from the steering
wheel.
Individual menu items on the Control Display
can be spoken as commands. This frees you of
having to use the controller.
The voice command system transforms your
oral commands into control signals for the
selected systems and provides support in the
form of instructions or questions.
The voice command system uses a special
microphone located in the area of the interior
rearview mirror, refer to page14.
Precondition
Via iDrive, set the language that applies for the
voice command system in order to enable iden-
tification of the spoken commands. To set the
language of iDrive, refer to page79.
Symbols in Owner's Manual
Voice commands
Activating voice command system
1.Press the button on the steering wheel.
This symbol on the Control Display and
an acoustic signal tell you that the voice
command system can respond to com-
mands.
2.Say the command.
The command is displayed on the Control
Display.
This symbol is shown on the Control Display
when you can input additional commands.
If no other commands are possible, then oper-
ate the equipment via iDrive.
Terminating or canceling voice
command system
Press the button on the steering wheel
or
*
{...} Say the specified commands word for
word.
{{...}} Indicates responses of the voice
command system.
{Cancel}
Page 26 of 272

Voice command system
24
Commands
Having possible commands read aloud
You can have the system read aloud the possi-
ble commands related to the selected menu
item on the Control Display.
To have the system list the possible com-
mands:
For example, if you have selected "CD", the
system will read aloud the possible commands
for operating the CD player and the CD
changer
*.
Opening help
Using alternative commands
There are often a number of commands to run a
function, e.g.:
Running functions directly with short
commands
With short commands you can carry out certain
functions directly, regardless of which menu
item is selected, refer to page245.
Opening start menuExample: selecting a track
1.Switch on Entertainment sound output if
necessary.
2.Press the button on the steering wheel.
5.Press the button on the steering wheel. {Options}
{Help}
{Radio on} or {Turn radio on}
{Main menu}
3.{Entertainment}
The system says:
{{Entertainment}}
4.{CD}
The system says:
{{CD drive switched on}}
6.Select track, e.g.:
{Track 1}
The system says:
{{Track 1}}