u/ObjectIndependent212

Hey everyone, I was able to activate CarPlay in my 2016 F32 430i with the NBT Evo that came from factory for only about $33 AUD ($23 USD). This works for all countries, wherever and whenever.

This is about the most inexpensive method I've found, after scouring forums and YouTube, and I'm happy to share it with anybody else who has been waiting to pull the trigger on CarPlay but just doesn't want to pay a whole bunch to use a feature that's already in their car.

*This is not sponsored, I am not getting paid to post this, I just want to share how I got CarPlay for the absolute cheapest way possible instead of paying BMW hundreds of dollars just to simply activate software that my car came with from the factory*

[GUIDE]

My car came with iD5 with the 8.8” display, and this works for BMWs or Minis produced from 07/2016 and all versions of NBT Evo, however some versions need a Wi-Fi antenna installed, and some version will come locked with split screen CarPlay that can be removed at an extra cost. I will explain this down below and how to check whether your car has the split screen/antenna or not.

Please note that you need a Windows laptop and an ENET(RJ45) to OBD2 cable. These can be bought for as cheap as $10 USD on amazon and are essential in connecting your laptop to your car. If your laptop does not have an ethernet port, you must buy a USB to Ethernet converter to plug the cable into your laptop when you are flashing the car. I got mine for $10 USD.

The ENET cable can also be used for other things in your car, such as if you wanted to code features into your car with Bimmercode. ENET is the best way to do it, since it's a physical connection instead of those overpriced wireless adapters.

You will also need a Wi-Fi adapter. To know if your car already comes with one, check if your car came with “enhanced telephony with extended smartphone connectivity” or “telephony with wireless charging” through a VIN decoder. Mine already came with one, and there are tutorials on YouTube on how to fit the antenna, it's not hard and you only need to pull a few trim pieces out. You can order a cheap antenna for around 20 bucks if you don't have one.

First of all, to see if your head unit can support CarPlay, you need to check your software version in iDrive. To check this in iDrive, you must:

Press the Navigation Button > Select Map > Press Option > Select Navigation Settings > Scroll down and then select Position and Version > Select Version information.

Go down to where it should say NBTEvo_(Your Version).

What matters is the first letter after NBTEVO_, For example NBTEvo_T1832I, this means NBTEvo_T would be your software version.

NBTevo_N, O, P, Q, R, S and onwards… = Fullscreen CarPlay is supported.

NBTevo_G, H, I, J, K, L, M = Only split screen by default; updating the head unit software is usually required.

After you have figured out your version, look up ID5/6 Apple CarPlay on eBay. I picked the cheapest seller I could find, again this is not sponsored but this is the guy I purchased from:

Link to eBay listing

^
This one also comes with Android Screen Mirroring, Video from USB, and a lifetime maps FSC certificate so that you can update your maps for free. Again, if your car's NBT_Evo does not support fullscreen, you must buy another update package so that you can have fullscreen, otherwise you're stuck with splitscreen. The process to install the update is the same.

Before purchasing the product, include a message to the seller that says your version of NBT Evo, and the last 7 digits of your VIN. Optional, but you can also send your current maps if you want an updated map.

After buying it, the guy will usually take a few hours to generate a code for you and send you software to install it into your car via the enet cable. Basically, what this means is the code that is being "generated" will unlock the CarPlay feature that your car didn't come optioned with, through software that is given to you called "Feature Installer".

From what I can understand, feature installer is trusted and known on many BMW forums, so it should be absolutely fine to use.

After the seller sends the files over to you, it should include the software and a photo of the instructions/code.

It's as easy as this, go to your car. Plug your cable into either your laptop or adapter. Then plug the OBD end into the car's port. Start up the car, you can leave it running. Open the software and follow the instructions. It's really easy and it's just clicking a button once then copying the code into feature installer then hitting start. It takes only 2-3 minutes to install, then you're done. Make sure you still follow the instructions carefully though.

That's literally all there is to it. CarPlay has worked for me flawlessly, and only for the price of $33 AUD. That's even cheaper than what BimmerRemote is doing, and when you go through that route, it takes longer for them to code your car, when you could just do it yourself for even cheaper on demand.

For $450 AUD, BMW is overcharging for CarPlay.

If anyone knows a cheaper method, please let me know as this is the cheapest I have been able to find. If you have any questions, I'll try to answer them.