zitsky

I find using the rotary controller with CarPlay a bit awkward especially going from the Dashboard to Home screen and back. I see you can also use the steering wheel controls or Siri. Which method do you prefer?

I think I fixed the problem with Siri asking me to unlock my phone.

I am still on iOS 16.7. Is anyone on 17.0.2?

superswiss

I don't use CarPlay very much in my own car. Mostly use it in loaners and rental cars so I have a personalized experience. If I do use CarPlay I usually use a specific app such as Google Maps and don't really navigate around. I open the app on the phone before I start driving. Having said that, remember the rotary controller doesn't just turn. You can also push it up/down and left/right. To go from the Dashboard to the Home screen push the controller to the right. To go back to the Dashboard push it to the left. Similarly, you can jump between the left nav and top nav by pushing left/right on the controller, and if you are in the left nav bar pushing down jumps directly to the Home/Dashboard button in the lower left corner. Also within other parts of the UI you can go left/right, up/down quicker then by turning the controller and cycling through all the UI controls. You can also use the center touchpad and swipe/gesture your way through the UI. That sometimes feels more natural to me, or using the small touchpad on the steering wheel. For more complex inputs I use voice commands as I do with the COMAND system. Remember you can instruct Siri to use a specific app. For example you can say "Drive me home using Google Maps".

S_W222

Honestly, CarPlay is designed (and continues to evolve) to be all based on a touch-screen just like the majority of vehicles nowadays. The use of rotary knob will continue to be a hassle and there is just no way around it with the W222. U need to get used to it. If non of your other cars have CarPlay with touch screen, you won't feel or know what you are missing. If you have any 2016+ BMW or other newer vehicles from other brands, you will get a feeling of some level of a downgrade as you use CarPlay on the W222.

I still think CarPlay in the W222 is your best option to get the best out of your vehicle during road trips or even short trips for navigation or music.

You can use Siri whenever you can and that will solve many of the challenges due to the lack of touch screen, but it is not that effective for complex addresses unless you name a particular place that is well known on the app (nothing like a street address or so).

wildta

Yes and the alternative is to have your copilot (your husband) type in the address or select a playlist directly on the phone and avoid the knob altogether.

zitsky

Really helpful thanks!

Whoever said use the copilot has never driven with someone who usually drives a 13 year old BMW.