CarPlay Interface for BMW CIC, NBT, EVO and CCC (1 to 7 Series, X1-X6 and Z4): how to install Android Auto and Apple CarPlay

If you drive a BMW with iDrive —a 1 Series F20, a 3 Series E90 or F30, a 5 Series E60 or F10, an X1, an X3 or an X5— you already know how well a BMW ages inside: the plastics hold up, the iDrive controller is still the best rotary control in the industry and the screen stays readable in bright sunlight. The only thing left behind is the software.

The navigation system asks you to pay for maps, Bluetooth is only good for phone calls, and Spotify or Google Maps are simply not there. The good news is that you don't need to tear out the dashboard: there is a CarPlay interface made specifically for the iDrive CCC, CIC, NBT and NBT EVO systems that connects behind the original screen and adds wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto while leaving the car looking exactly the same.

Does a BMW with iDrive have CarPlay as standard?

It depends on which system your car has, and in the vast majority of cases the answer is no:

• iDrive CCC (approx. 2003-2010): the first generation with a console screen and rotary controller. It cannot support CarPlay in any way.
• iDrive CIC (approx. 2009-2013): hard-drive navigation and a 6.5" or 8.8" screen. It doesn't support it either, not even with coding.
• iDrive NBT (approx. 2013-2016): more modern menus, but CarPlay arrived later. It cannot be enabled.
• iDrive NBT EVO (approx. 2016-2020): the first one with CarPlay, but only as a paid option and, for years, with an annual subscription. Android Auto arrived much later and many cars were left out entirely.

In short: if your BMW is older than 2016 there is no official route, and if it has NBT EVO you will probably have to pay to unlock CarPlay only, with no Android Auto. Swapping the whole unit for an NBT EVO with screen, controller and coding easily goes beyond 0 at a specialist workshop.

The solution: CarPlay interface for BMW CIC, NBT, EVO and CCC

An interface is not a head unit: it replaces nothing you can see. It is a module that sits between the multimedia unit and the original screen, adding a new video source that you open from the iDrive menu itself. Switch it off and your BMW is exactly the car it always was.

• Wireless Apple CarPlay: your iPhone connects on its own as soon as you start the car, with no cables and no menus.
• Wireless Android Auto (it also works over cable if you prefer).
• Google Maps and Waze on the original screen, with live traffic and speed cameras, and no more paying for map updates.
• Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube Music and podcasts, with sound through the factory system, including Hi-Fi or Harman Kardon.
• Control with the iDrive wheel and the steering wheel buttons: you don't need a touchscreen to move around CarPlay.
• Phone screen mirroring for the apps CarPlay doesn't cover.
• Video input for a reversing camera, switching automatically when you select reverse.
• AUX input and external microphone for calls and voice commands from Siri and Google Assistant.
• Plug & play installation: no cutting cables and no coding of the control unit.

The advantage over fitting an Android head unit is obvious: you keep the factory interior untouched, and in a BMW that counts for a lot when it's time to sell the car.

BMW compatibility: supported versions

The interface covers BMW and MINI models from 2003 to 2020, depending on the iDrive system each car has:

• NBT and NBT EVO (2013-2020): 1 Series F20/F21, 2 Series F22/F23/F45, 3 Series F30/F31/F34, 4 Series F32/F33/F36, 5 Series F10/F11 and F07 GT, 7 Series F01/F02, X1 F48, X3 F25, X4 F26, X5 F15 and X6 F16.
• CIC (2009-2015): 1 Series E87, 3 Series and M3 E90, 5 Series E60, 5 Series GT, 6 Series F13, 7 Series F01, X1 E84, X3 F25, X5 E70, X6 E71 and Z4 E89.
• CCC (2003-2010): 3 Series E90/E91/E92/E93, 5 Series E60/E61, 7 Series E65/E66, X5 E70 and X6 E71/E72, with 6.5", 8.8" or 10.25" screens.
• It is also compatible with MINI models fitted with these same systems.

Not sure which one you have? Look at the menu when you start the car: CCC shows four quadrants, CIC a side menu with hard-drive navigation, and NBT EVO tile-style menus. If in doubt, send us a photo of your screen switched on via WhatsApp and we'll confirm the right reference free of charge before you buy.

What is the installation like?

It is plug & play and not a single cable in the car gets cut. Between 45 minutes and an hour is normal.

1. Disconnect the negative battery terminal before you start.
2. Using a plastic trim tool, release the surround around the console screen.
3. Remove the screen screws and pull it out just enough to reach the connector at the back.
4. Unplug the original video cable and insert the interface's two leads in between: one towards the unit and one towards the screen.
5. Connect the module to the CAN Bus with the supplied connector: that is what lets the iDrive wheel and steering wheel buttons control CarPlay and makes the new source appear in the menu.
6. Fit the microphone near the rear-view mirror or the pillar and hide the cable behind the trim.
7. If you are fitting a reversing camera, route its video cable to the tailgate along the side of the boot.
8. Reconnect the battery, open the new source from iDrive and check CarPlay, sound and microphone before closing the console.

The module sits behind the screen or under the console, so once it's fitted nothing is visible at all.

• BMW dealership: there is no official retrofit for CCC, CIC and NBT. Migrating to NBT EVO with screen, module, controller and coding exceeds 0 at a specialist workshop.
• Enabling CarPlay on an NBT EVO: where possible, it is charged as an option —and for years it was billed as a subscription— and you still end up without Android Auto.
• Updating the navigation maps: between and each time, and you would still have no apps and no live traffic.
• PantallasPremium: the wireless CarPlay and Android Auto interface for BMW CIC, NBT, EVO and CCC costs , with wiring and microphone included.

Frequently asked questions

Do I lose iDrive and the original navigation?
No. The interface adds a new source and iDrive keeps working exactly as before. You switch between them with a button on the controller or the steering wheel.

How do I use CarPlay if my screen isn't a touchscreen?
With the iDrive wheel and the steering wheel buttons: the interface translates those commands into CarPlay, so it feels like the rest of the system.

Does the car need coding?
No. It works over the CAN Bus without modifying the vehicle's programming, so it leaves no trace in the control unit.

Does it work with the Harman Kardon system?
Yes. CarPlay audio plays through the original speakers, whether you have the basic system, Hi-Fi or Harman Kardon.

Can it be removed without leaving a mark?
Yes. Since no cable is cut, you simply remove the leads and plug the original video cable back in.

See the CarPlay interface for BMW CIC, NBT, EVO and CCC

You'll find the full list of models and systems, the box contents and all the connection details on the product page for the CarPlay and Android Auto interface for BMW CIC, NBT, EVO and CCC. If you don't know which system your car has, send us a photo of the screen switched on and we'll confirm it for you.