[MashinBenzin]

I always stream music over Bluetooth in the car, from my iPhone 7 running Apple Music.

This used to work flawlessly for about 18 months, but now it will reset almost every time I start a new journey. By which I mean, the music starts from the first track in the alphabet. I had to delete the infuriating A.k.a.idiot, but I digress. It then takes 30 seconds to bring up playlists and to get back to roughly where I was before.

Has anyone else seen this behaviour?

It's not the phone - five days in two Range Rovers it was flawless again, and also always fine in my wife's car.

ID5 pronav without EBT / CarPlay.

[goodbyalfa]

It seems to me that we have a number of idrive related posts recently which suggests that BMW need to get their shit in order. Not bloody good enough for a "premium" offering.

I never had a moments trouble from my previous 2015 330d, but the new one with idrive 6 certainly has some gremlins in the software...

[TheRealCCR]

I have a similar issue, wonder if you've experienced it too? When listening to music or podcasts streaming from the iPhone to the car, if I take a phone call the track/podcasts starts again from the beginning. This is so frustrating because if you're half way through a 45 minute podcast, you've got two choices - either listen to the the whole thing again (tedious) or manually skip ahead on the phone (dangerous).

Do BMW update the iDrive stuff frequently?

[MashinBenzin]

Originally Posted by TheRealCCR

I have a similar issue, wonder if you've experienced it too? When listening to music or podcasts streaming from the iPhone to the car, if I take a phone call the track/podcasts starts again from the beginning. This is so frustrating because if you're half way through a 45 minute podcast, you've got two choices - either listen to the the whole thing again (tedious) or manually skip ahead on the phone (dangerous).

Do BMW update the iDrive stuff frequently?

No, I don't get that issue, does sound like a real pain!

My glitch only happens on startup, but it's not predictable other than being guaranteed once the car is left overnight. Sometimes it will resume ok at lunchtime/evening, sometimes not. Other times it will reset after just half an hour parked.

The odd thing is that it was faultless for the first 18 months or so.

[TheRealCCR]

Originally Posted by MashinBenzin

No, I don't get that issue, does sound like a real pain!

My glitch only happens on startup, but it's not predictable other than being guaranteed once the car is left overnight. Sometimes it will resume ok at lunchtime/evening, sometimes not. Other times it will reset after just half an hour parked.

The odd thing is that it was faultless for the first 18 months or so.

Strange... if you didn't have any problems for the first 18 months then there must have been a software update, although it occurs to me that it might not be the car. Apple are always making minor tweaks in their iOS updates - maybe that's the problem? I've just updated to iOS12 but haven't needed to drive the car since, so will see if this is any better.

[Rich9600]

Locally stored music on my iPhone does the same thing over Bluetooth.

It seems related to having used another audio/video application in between usage...

However, my old 128GB iPhone 6 was terrible. Reset almost every journey. The telephone element died a few months ago. Now I have a 256GB iPhone 8 with 15k songs on it. This works much more stabile and will even accept the odd video in between...

My iPhone 6 was almost worthless 4 years on and now sits permanently in the arm rest and acts as a 128GB iPod. This wired connection on an otherwise unused device is now flawless and picks up every time. WiFi sync is a bonus here...

[MashinBenzin]

Originally Posted by Rich9600

Locally stored music on my iPhone does the same thing over Bluetooth.

It seems related to having used another audio/video application in between usage...

However, my old 128GB iPhone 6 was terrible. Reset almost every journey. The telephone element died a few months ago. Now I have a 256GB iPhone 8 with 15k songs on it. This works much more stabile and will even accept the odd video in between...

My iPhone 6 was almost worthless 4 years on and now sits permanently in the arm rest and acts as a 128GB iPod. This wired connection on an otherwise unused device is now flawless and picks up every time. WiFi sync is a bonus here...

Thanks Rich. I had considered that another app in between might have interfered, but haven't been able to pin one down. Interesting that you have had a similar problem.

Maybe I should source a second hand iPhone to sit in the armrest , or replace my 7 (more expensive option!). I am at around 130gb for music so a 128 and some deleting should cut it.

[Jack_is_Back]

Originally Posted by MashinBenzin

I always stream music over Bluetooth in the car, from my iPhone 7 running Apple Music.

This used to work flawlessly for about 18 months, but now it will reset almost every time I start a new journey. By which I mean, the music starts from the first track in the alphabet. I had to delete the infuriating A.k.a.idiot, but I digress. It then takes 30 seconds to bring up playlists and to get back to roughly where I was before.

Has anyone else seen this behavior?

It's not the phone - five days in two Range Rovers it was flawless again, and also always fine in my wife's car.

ID5 pronav without EBT / CarPlay.

I get this AND the Podcast issue described over both Bluetooth and wired connections. So infuriating.

I wondered if CarPlay would solve it but it's so bloody expensive I refuse to pay for it.

[Jack_is_Back]

Originally Posted by Rich9600

It seems related to having used another audio/video application in between usage...

Possibly Twitter?? It's the only app I might look at during the day that has video/audio.

[Rich9600]

Originally Posted by Jack_is_Back

Possibly Twitter?? It's the only app I might look at during the day that has video/audio.

I don't use a Twitter. However, I suspect Facebook to be an issue and my Nest cameras seem as though they used to be problematic on my old phone.

Old iPhone 6 on usb reset yesterday, fist time in about 3 weeks. 30-40 journeys I'd guess.

iPhone 6 on BT was 1-2 journeys.
iPhone 8 on BT was doing 10+ journeys before abandoning. I used it for a while a few weeks ago, the car had sat idle for almost a week and the iPhone 6 had discharged and then needed unlocking once it recharged. I forgot for about a week and was driving by the time I remembered. So, I just used the iPhone 8 over BT. The iPhone 8 gets more use than the 6 did latterly. The iPhone 6 had become so slow I never used it at home any more. So, phone spec may be helping iDrive stability here. I don't think I've tried BT in iOS 12...

[Fantastic]

Mines just started doing this too. Only difference I can see from before for me is iOS12 update. Hope either Bmw or apple sort it out soon as it’s annoying having to find the right playlist again.

[MashinBenzin]

Originally Posted by Jack_is_Back

Possibly Twitter?? It's the only app I might look at during the day that has video/audio.

Hmm, I use twitter too... could be the culprit.

[JazBMW]

I have the same two problems. Using iPhone podcasts mostly. Absolutely garbage tech from BMW. I’ve had issues for years in multiple BMWs. I’ve had BMWs for years. Won’t be getting another next year when i upgrade again. Every other car i drive handles Bluetooth seamlessly. Whether airpods in or not. Get in the non-bmw car and the podcast seamlessly continues 99% of the time. In BMW it continues about 20% of the time (80% of the time it plays my song library alphabetically even though music app not even open or in use and podcasts were just playing on my phone seconds before. The bmw forces alphabetically a-z song playback. Extremely frustrating glitch. Have to then patiently wait for phone to stop lagging due to car messing with it and open podcasts and hit play while driving. Sometimes the stupid car plays the podcasts for a second and then still goes back to a-z songs. Absolutely garbage. Bye bye bmw morons. Cars are legendary to drive but torture to use the media system and I’ve lost all patience for it so time to move on.

[Paul D3]

It’s amazing how much it makes you hate the first song on your phone..

Only happens if I’ve closed the music app.

[MashinBenzin]

Thanks for resurrecting and reminding me how immensely irritating this was! That's one very big reason to be glad to not have the 440i anymore.

[JazBMW]

My pleasure. Stumbled upon this thread. Thought it was a good place to vent my years of built up frustration. Thanks for validating it.

Yeah you sadly both true. I have had to delete the first song in my list a few times because if i hear the first 5 seconds of it again i might throw my phone out of the window. What’s so surprising is I’ve driven some pretty old 5-10+ years and very affordable cars/trucks over the same time period and none of them are anywhere near as bad at handling bluetooth and resuming audio. How bmw can be newer and more premium and somehow have such rubbish code/design to cause these glitches and then make it worse by not fixing them is really disappointing. And as you both say. Immensely irritating!

Thanks for the tip re leaving the music app open. Will try that. I go through phases where i try to fix it and trouble shoot and other times i just play the audio direct from my phone’s speaker so I don’t have to bother with the rubbish connection issues while driving. I also find occasionally the car autolaunches the amazon music or spotify apps. i would rather it leave app and song selection to me, as it is evidently rubbish at it. Sadly no luck as yet. Best i can confirm is bmw sucks at it and while i accept mistakes always happen but not fixing mistakes is not acceptable. So therefore time to drive something new.

All the best

[nascot]

This happens to me and leaving the app open sometimes works, sometimes doesn't. I've not been able to figure out a pattern of when it works so I know what do to each time. It feels pretty random to me.

Edit: my iPhone is plugged in, not using the Bluetooth.