
At a glance
 23Reference
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Mobility
Voice command system
The concept
The voice command system allows you to con-
trol operation of various vehicle systems with-
out taking your hands off 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 page88.
Symbols in Owner's Manual
Voice commands
Activating voice command system
1.Press the   button.
 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. 
*
{...} Say the specified commands word for 
word. 
{{...}} Indicates responses of the voice 
command system. 

At a glance
 25Reference
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Notes
The mobile phone can also be operated 
with voice commands, refer to 
page205.<
For voice commands, bear the following in 
mind:
>Say the commands and numbers smoothly 
and at normal volume, avoiding excessive 
emphasis and pauses. This also applies to 
spelling when entering the destination.
>Always issue commands in the language of 
the voice command system.
>When selecting a radio station, use the 
common pronunciation of the station name.
>For entries in the voice-activated phone 
book, only use names in the language of the 
voice command system and do not use 
abbreviations.
>Keep the doors, windows and glass sun-
roof
* or panorama glass sunroof* closed to 
prevent interference from ambient noise.
>Avoid making other noise in the vehicle 
while speaking. 

Controls
 29Reference
At a glance
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Communications
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Personal Profile
The concept
You can set a number of functions of your BMW 
individually according to your preferences. 
Personal Profile ensures that most of these set-
tings are stored for the remote control currently 
in use without you having to do anything. When 
the vehicle is unlocked, the corresponding 
remote control is detected and the settings 
stored for it are called up and carried out.
This means that you will always find your BMW 
set to your own personal settings even if 
another person with his/her own remote control 
and settings has used the vehicle since the last 
time you drove it. The individual settings are 
stored for a maximum of four remote controls.
Personal Profile settings
Details on the settings are provided on the 
specified pages.
>Behavior of the central locking system 
when unlocking vehicle, refer to page30
>Automatic locking of the vehicle, refer to 
page32
>Programming buttons
* on steering wheel, 
refer to page54
>Displays on Control Display:
>Brightness of the Control Display, refer 
to page88
>Measuring units for consumption, route/
distances, temperature, and pressure, 
refer to page88
>12h/24h clock format, refer to page87
>Date format, refer to page87
>Language on Control Display, refer to 
page88
>Lighting settings:
>Triple turn signal activation, refer to 
page67
>Welcome lamps, refer to page108
>Pathway lighting, refer to page109
>Daytime running lamps
*, refer to 
page109>High-beam assistant
*, refer to page110
>PDC Park Distance Control
*: optical warn-
ing, refer to page90
>Head-Up Display
*: selection and bright-
ness of display, refer to page102
>BMW Night Vision
*: display settings, refer 
to page105
>Automatic climate control: AUTO program 
and intensity, cooling function, and auto-
matic recirculated air control/recirculated 
air mode, temperature, air distribution, tem-
perature in the upper body region, refer to 
text starting on page115
>Navigation system
*: voice instructions for 
destination guidance, refer to page142
In addition, the following, most recently 
selected settings are recalled during unlocking:
>Programmable memory/direct selection 
buttons: selecting stored functions, refer to 
page21
>Positions of driver's seat, outside mirrors, 
and steering wheel
*, refer to page47
>Audio sources: volume and tone settings, 
refer to page169
>Radio:
>Display of stored stations, refer to 
page172
>Switching RDS Radio Data System on/
off
*, refer to page175
>Phone: volume setting, refer to 
pages200,206
Central locking system
The concept
The central locking system is ready for opera-
tion whenever the driver's door is closed.
The system simultaneously engages and 
releases the locks on the following:
>Doors
>Luggage compartment lid or tailgate and 
rear window
>Fuel filler door 

Everything under control
88
Brightness of Control Display
The brightness is automatically adapted to the 
ambient lighting conditions. However, you can 
change the basic setting.
iDrive, for operating principle refer to page16.
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 "Display settings" and press the 
controller.
5.Change to upper field if necessary. Turn the 
controller until "Brightness" is selected and 
press the controller.
6.If necessary, move the controller to the right 
to select "Display".
7.Turn the controller until the desired setting 
is selected.
The setting is stored for the remote control cur-
rently in use.
Units of measure
You can change the units of measure for con-
sumption, distances, temperature and pres-
sure.
iDrive, for operating principle refer to page16.
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 "Language / Units" and press the 
controller.5.Change to upper field if necessary. Turn the 
controller until "Units" is selected and press 
the controller.
6.Select the menu item to be set and press 
the controller.
7.Select the desired unit of measure and 
press the controller.
The settings are stored for the remote key cur-
rently in use.
Language on Control Display
iDrive, for operating principle refer to page16.
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 "Language / Units" and press the 
controller.
5.Change to upper field if necessary. Turn the 
controller until "Languages" is selected and 
press the controller.
6.Select "Text language" and press the con-
troller. You can change the language of the 
text displays.
7.Select and activate the desired language by 
pressing the controller. 

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4.Turn the controller until "Language / Units" 
is selected and press the controller.
5.Change to upper field if necessary. Turn the 
controller until "Languages" is selected and 
press the controller.
6.Select "Arrow display pop-up instructions" 
and press the controller.
 The arrow view appears in the assistance 
window. 

Navigation
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Mobility
Starting destination guidance with 
manual destination entry
>Select "Start guidance" and press the con-
troller.
Destination guidance starts immediately.
>If the destination guidance does not need to 
be started immediately:
Select "Add to destination list" and press 
the controller.
The destination is stored in the destination 
list, refer to page150.
Entering destination via 
voice*
You can enter a desired destination via the 
voice command system. When entering the 
destination, it is possible to change between 
voice command and iDrive at any time. Reacti-
vate the voice command function for this pur-
pose if necessary.
With {Options} you can have the possible 
commands read aloud.<
1.Press the   button on the steering wheel.
Selecting country
1.Wait for the system to ask for the country of 
destination.
Say the name of the country of destination in 
the language of the voice command system.
Entering destination
The destination can be spelled or entered as an 
entire word.
Spelling destination
To enter the destination, spell it using the 
orthography of the country of destination. 
Pronounce the letters smoothly and at normal 
volume, avoiding excessive emphasis and 
pauses.
The system can suggest up to 20 destina-
tions that match your entries. Up to 
6 entries are displayed at once on the Con-
trol Display.
2.{Enter address}
2.Say the name of the country of destina-
tion.
1.Spell town/city name:
Say at least the first three letters of the 
destination. The more letters you say, 
the more exactly the system recognizes 
the town/city.
A destination is suggested by the system.
2.Select town/city:
>Select highlighted town/city: {Yes}
>Select other town/city: {No}
>Select entry, e.g. {Entry 3}
>To show other entries in the list: 
{Next page}
>To respell the town/city: {Repeat} 

Destination entry
148 The town/city can also be selected from the list 
via iDrive:
Turn the controller until the destination is 
selected and press the controller.
Entering the destination as an entire 
word*
Towns/cities and streets located in the region 
where the language of the voice command sys-
tem is spoken can be entered as an entire word.
Example: to enter a US destination as an entire 
word, the system language must be English.
Speak smoothly and at normal volume, avoiding 
excessive emphasis and pauses.
1.Wait for the system to request the destina-
tion.
The system can suggest up to 6 destina-
tions that match your entries.
The town/city can also be selected from the list 
via iDrive:
Turn the controller until the destination is 
selected and press the controller.
Destinations that sound the same which 
cannot be differentiated by the system 
are summarized in a separate list and shown as 
a destination followed by three dots. Select this entry with {Yes} if necessary. Then 
select the desired town/city from this list.<
Entering street and house number
The street is entered in the same way as the 
destination.
To enter the house number:
Up to 4-digit house numbers can be entered. 
Say the house number as individual numbers.
Starting destination guidance
Destination guidance starts immediately.
Saving destination
The destination is added to the destination list 
or can be stored in the address book.
Map-guided destination 
selection
If you only know the location of the town/city or 
street of the destination, then you can enter the 
destination by using a map. You can use the 
cursor to select the destination on the map and 
then adopt it into the destination guidance.
1.Select "Navigation" and press the control-
ler.
"New destination" is selected.
2.Press the controller. 2.Say the name of the destination.
A destination is suggested by the system.
3.Select town/city:
>Select highlighted town/city: {Yes}
>Select other town/city: {No}
>Select entry, e.g. {Entry 3}
>To reenter the town/city: {Repeat}
>To enter the town/city by spelling: 
{Spell}
1.{House number}
2.Say the house number.
{Start guidance}
{Add to destination list} or
{Add to address book} 

Navigation
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At a glance
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Mobility
Displaying streets and towns/cities of 
route
You can have the roads and towns along the 
route displayed during destination guidance.
The distances remaining to be traveled on each 
individual road are also displayed.
1.Select "Navigation" and press the control-
ler.
2.Change into the third field from the top. 
Turn the controller until "Route list" is 
selected and press the controller.
To exit the menu:
 Select the arrow and press the controller.
Destination guidance via 
voice instructions
Switching voice instructions on/off
During destination guidance, voice instructions 
can be switched on or off in the arrow or map 
view:
Select the   symbol and press the controller.To switch the voice instructions on and off at 
any time:
1.Press the   button.
This opens the start menu.
2.Press the controller to open the   menu.
3.Turn the controller until "Settings" is 
selected and press the controller.
4.Turn the controller until "Language / Units" 
is selected and press the controller.
5.Change to upper field if necessary. Turn the 
controller until "Languages" is selected and 
press the controller.
6.Select "Navigation voice instructions" and 
press the controller.
 The voice instructions are switched on.
The setting is stored for the remote control cur-
rently in use
*.