[RicardoSwe]

This is probably available somewhere in the car's manual, but I can't find it.

I like to listen to podcasts; I do it with my iPhone 5 and the app "Downcast" (great app for this). When I'm driving my 2014 BMW 335i I like to get the podcasts started while parked and then drive on. But it always takes 2-3 minutes before the car recognizes the Bluetooth connection is available. Once it does recognize the Bluetooth connection, everthing works.

The car has Enhanced Bluetooth and it is properly set up. When it works, it's fine.

The cell phone connects quickly when I start the car (less than 5 seconds to connect). I can watch it connect in the ConnectedDrive telephone menu. But if I then go to the Media/External Devices menu, the Bluetooth connection is not active -- that is what takes a long time to get initiated.

So -- is there a way that I can "force" the Media/External Devices Bluetooth connection to be recognized?


That's the primary issue ---

A secondary issue is maybe partly the iPhone app's fault also, but it only happens in the car. Once I get a podcast to start playing in the car, if I pause it in the iPhone app, it has a mind of its own and will start playing again in a few seconds. If I turn off the sound, the app keeps playing silently, loosing my place in the podcast where I left off. Basically, I can't make it pause more than maybe 10-20 seconds. The phone/app doesn't do this when I'm using it outside of the car -- it works fine. This is using ear buds or the phone's speaker. It's only when playing through the car's Bluetooth that it gets a mind of its own and keeps restarting when I've paused it.

Also, if I receive a call while listening to the podcast, the podcast doesn't pause. I think this is just lack of integration of the iPhone app as a "BMW app". If I'm listening to Pandora, a BMW integrated app, it does pause during a call. I can accept this as it is, but I wish BMW would integrate more apps all the time...

I see all this as a safety issue, as well as being just plain annoying. I really don't like trying to fiddle to get the podcast playing (or paused) while I'm underway driving, but sometimes it takes attention to get it right.

Any help?? Thanks!

[RicardoSwe]

I just saw that the iPhone app "Stitcher" is in BMW's App list and it includes podcasts. I checked it out some -- it's OK, but I think the Downcast app is much easier to use, with playlists, downloading past episodes, etc. Basically this comes down to a BMW Apps versus non-BMW apps integration.

The primary question about Media/External Devices Bluetooth initiation question still exists... thanks.

[sahajesh]

Have exactly the same issue, noticed today as normally I use the USB cable and today tried BT - very annoying, no doubt it's an iPhone issue.