
At a glance
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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 
spoken commands into control signals for the 
selected systems and provides support in the 
form of instructions or questions.
The voice command system includes a special 
microphone.
The microphone is located:
>Near the interior rearview mirror in the 
Coupe, refer to page14
>On the steering column in the Convertible
Prerequisite
In order to enable identification of the com-
mands to be spoken, use iDrive to set the lan-
guage for the voice command system. Setting 
iDrive language, refer to page84.
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 the responses of the voice 
command system. 

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Notes
The mobile phone can also be operated 
with voice commands, refer to 
page195.<
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 
usual 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 convertible top closed to prevent 
interference from ambient noise.
>Avoid background noises in the vehicle 
while speaking. 

Controls
 29Reference
At a glance
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Communications
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Mobility
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 
page33
>Programming buttons on steering wheel, 
refer to page55
>Displays on Control Display:
>12h/24h clock mode, refer to page83
>Date format, refer to page83
>Brightness of the Control Display, refer 
to page83
>Units of measure for consumption, 
route/distances, temperature and pres-
sure, refer to page84
>Language on the Control Display, refer 
to page84>Lighting settings:
>Triple turn signal activation, refer to 
page64
>Welcome lamps, refer to page102
>Pathway lighting, refer to page103
>Daytime running lamps
*, refer to 
page103
>High-beam assistant
*, refer to page104
>PDC Park Distance Control
*: optical warn-
ing, refer to page86
>Head-Up Display
*: selection and bright-
ness of display, refer to page97
>BMW Night Vision
*: display settings, refer 
to page100
>Automatic climate control: for AUTO pro-
gram and intensity, cooling function, and 
automatic recirculated air control/recircu-
lated air mode, temperature, air distribution, 
temperature in the upper body region, refer 
to page109
>Navigation system
*: voice instructions for 
destination guidance, refer to page132
The most recent settings for the following are 
also called up during unlocking:
>Programmable memory/direct selection 
buttons: selecting stored functions, refer to 
page44
>Driver's seat, exterior-mirror and steering-
wheel position, refer to page49
>Audio sources: volume and tone settings, 
refer to page159
>Radio: display of stored stations, refer to 
page162
>Phone: adjusting volume, refer to page190 

Everything under control
84 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 fuel 
consumption, distances, temperature and 
pressure.
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.
7.Press the controller.
8.Select the desired unit of measure and 
press the controller.
The settings are stored for the remote control 
currently 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 select a different language 
for the text displays.
7.Select the desired language and press the 
controller.
The setting is stored for the remote control cur-
rently in use. 

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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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Entering house number
All house numbers stored for the street on the 
navigation DVD can be entered.
1.Select "House number" and press the con-
troller.
2.Enter the house number:
Select the individual digits and press the 
controller.
3.Change into the third field from the top. 
Turn the controller until the house number 
is selected and press the controller.
Starting destination guidance with 
manual destination entry
>Select "Start guidance" and press the con-
troller.
Destination guidance starts immediately.
>If destination guidance is not to be started 
immediately:
Select "Add to destination list" and press 
the controller.
The destination is stored in the destination 
list, refer to page141.
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 town/city of destination
The town/city of destination can be spelled or 
entered as an entire word.
Spelling town/city of destination
To enter the town/city of destination, spell it 
using the customary spelling 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 towns/cit-
ies of destination that match your entries. 
Up to 6 entries are displayed at once on the 
Control 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 
town/city of destination. The more let-
ters you say, the more exactly the sys-
tem recognizes the town/city. 

Destination entry
138 The town/city can also be selected from the list 
via iDrive:
Turn the controller until the town/city of desti-
nation is selected and press the controller.
Entering the destination as an entire 
word*
Towns/cities of destination and streets located 
in the region where the language of the voice 
command system is spoken can be entered as 
an entire word.
Example: to enter a US town/city of 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 town/city 
of destination.
The system can suggest up to 6 towns/cit-
ies of destination that match your entries.The town/city can also be selected from the list 
via iDrive:
Turn the controller until the town/city of desti-
nation 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 city/town in this list.<
Entering street and house number
The street is entered in the same way as the 
town/city of destination.
To enter the house number:
Up to 4-digit house numbers can be entered. 
Say the house number as individual digits.
Starting destination guidance
Destination guidance starts immediately. A destination is suggested by the system.
2.Select a town/city:
>Select highlighted town/city: {Yes}
>Select other town/city: {No}
>Select entry, e.g. {Entry 3}
>Display additional entries of the list: 
{Next page}
>To respell the town/city: {Repeat}
2.Say the name of the town/city of desti-
nation.
A destination is suggested by the system.
3.Select a town/city:
>Select highlighted town/city: {Yes}
>Select other town/city: {No}
>Select entry, e.g. {Entry 3}
>Reenter the town/city: {Repeat}
>Enter town/city of destination by 
spelling it: {Spell}
1.{House number}
2.Say the house number.
{Start guidance} 

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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/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
*.