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Using an iPhone with the radio

Posted: Wed Aug 11, 2021 4:38 pm
by robsnsx
I am new to BMW radios and the appropriate connections. I just bought a 2020 R1250RT. Should it be possible to connect my iphone to the bike via the connection cable in the storage compartment and then control the phone with the bike controls (i.e. skip song, play, pause, etc)?? Would the sound then be coming from the bikes speakers? Thanks in advance for any advice or suggestions.

Re: Using an iPhone with the radio

Posted: Wed Aug 11, 2021 6:17 pm
by Hors Piste
I had a 2019 model and as I recall if you want to get audio from an iPhone via the cable in the cubby hole you need the special BMW lead which has both USB and audio socket connector.  The iPhone will not be treated as an audio device if you connect to the USB socket only - unlike, for example, a USB stick with audio files on it which will work fine.  The wonder wheel can be used to scroll through a USB stick but I never tried it with a phone so can't answer that bit.

Re: Using an iPhone with the radio

Posted: Thu Aug 12, 2021 6:03 am
by Jefla
We should be able to run our phones with the bike controls and we should be able to connect audio via Bluetooth, but we can’t.  I’m also new to bmw and ride 2020 r1250rt. The audio connectivity is annoying. No Bluetooth connection is inexcusable.

You can pull audio to speakers with a 3.5mm audio plug and the aux setting on the bike, but you can only control volume and no power to the phone.  Plus iphone abandoned the 3.5 for a lightning connection a long time ago so you need a converter (lightening to 3.5mm) and a small phone to fit in that small cubby.

Or, buy the bulky and pricy bmw connector that converts to lightening.  This gives audio, volume and power, but no control of the phone.  I use this with an iphone 13 mini. Few new standard-sized phones will fit in the cubby.

Re: Using an iPhone with the radio

Posted: Thu Aug 12, 2021 8:27 am
by PeteM
robsnsx wrote: control the phone with the bike controls (i.e. skip song, play, pause, etc)??

This is not very intuitive, I wrote a post on how to do it a while ago...


viewtopic.php?t=58.msg57219#msg57219

Re: Using an iPhone with the radio

Posted: Sat Aug 28, 2021 3:03 am
by Remey
I’m told this adapter available on Amazon will work.  Search Amazon for brand UUDCZ

Re: Using an iPhone with the radio

Posted: Sat Aug 28, 2021 4:42 pm
by Remey
Sounds like “Tune2air” is another one