Importing .gpx files to use on the BMW Connected App - PC & Iphone

[soofsayer]

Thought I would post this 'How to'. This is for users with a PC /Windows machine and iphone (XS in this case) but will probably be very similar with a Mac.

You will need:

On your PC:
Edge or Chrome browser
USB cable to your iphone
itunes

On your iphone:
Filebrowser (free)
BMW Connected (free)


1. Create a route.

There are various ways of doing this. You can use garmin basecamp or any number of websites, the one I use is myrouteapp https://www.myrouteapp.com/routelab
It is free and allows for place lookup, point to point and waypoints, but any route app that allows gpx export will do.
Once you have created your route you want to be saving/export it as .gpx
Remember where it is saved, or better still leave the destination window open with the gpx file sitting there.

2. Getting the gpx file on to your iphone.

I use FileBrowser which is free on the app store.
Open itunes on your PC with your phone usb connected and click on your phone icon in itunes (assuming you have authorised your iphone with your pc and you are signed in to itunes).
Down the left side is Settings -> File Sharing, click that .
You will see a list of the apps. Scroll to Filebrowser and highlight it.
Then click and drag the gpx file (from 1) into the documents window in itunes.
The file should now be on your iphone.

3. Importing the route to the BMW app.

Open the BMW Connected app on your iphone.
Select the maps icon (2nd along on the bottom of the app)
Now, top right, below the battery and signal icons are 3 horizontal dots, press them.
From the pop up menu select route import.
Then select the big Route Import button.
You may now get an Authentication Required screen, thats fine, press the Open FileBrowser link.
This opens the filebrowser app.
Then select On My iPhone and you should now be looking at the gpx file you copied across.
When you click on the file it will come up with Unknown File type, luckily you know what it is and select Open in another app...
Select the BMW Connected app.
Import the track info which is the detailed route.

Your gpx route import is now complete.

Back in the BMW Connected app you can now navigate to the 3rd icon along the bottom (looks like mountains) and your route is ready to go.


Note: I may edit some of this as I have just worked it out and will be trying it 'hot' tomorrow hopefully.!

If anyone finds a simpler way of doing this please post!

 

[kipperfish]

I use myrouteapp too. But once I have the route I export it via the app on my phone and then into the BMW app (so no cables needed). Seems to work well.

Just to make things more complex if I have a route in Google maps on my pc I'll export that to a gpx file using https://mapstogpx.com/ and then import that for fine tuning in myrouteapp then follow the above

Sent from my IN2023 using Tapatalk

 

[Nige-K]

I use myrouteapp too. But once I have the route I export it via the app on my phone and then into the BMW app (so no cables needed). Seems to work well.

Just to make things more complex if I have a route in Google maps on my pc I'll export that to a gpx file using https://mapstogpx.com/ and then import that for fine tuning in myrouteapp then follow the above

Sent from my IN2023 using Tapatalk

Same here. I use the MyRouteApp app (rather than via browser) and then just click ?Share? and you can share it straight to the Connected app. Quick and easy. MyRouteApp is great for planning routes on your laptop.

 

[soofsayer]

I will give it a go, last time I tried it that wouldn?t work (straight from phone app).

 

[Nige-K]

The steps are:
1) click save as and choose GPX 1.1
2) you should then be asked to confirm download
3) at the top (where the page URL is) you should see a blue down arrow to access the download. Click that.
4) at the top again, there should now be an UP arrow to send it somewhere. Click that.
5) you should now see a choice of apps. My Connected is under the more... option for me.
6) select the Connected app and job done.

Sounds complicated but it?s dead simple and takes seconds to do.

Hope that helps?

 

[Schuey]

Thanks Soof for putting this thread/sticky up.

Can I check, that if you do it the traditional way i.e via the BMW Motorrad app where you simply search and put in your destination on the phone and when it syncs to your bike then off you go, then in this method it would be constantly using up data off your phone allowance? Whereas, if you do it the way you describe above then because you have imported the map to the app, then it won't pull data and just use bluetooth to display the directions? Is that right or am I getting confused?

 

[soofsayer]

Thanks Soof for putting this thread/sticky up.

Can I check, that if you do it the traditional way i.e via the BMW Motorrad app where you simply search and put in your destination on the phone and when it syncs to your bike then off you go, then in this method it would be constantly using up data off your phone allowance? Whereas, if you do it the way you describe above then because you have imported the map to the app, then it won't pull data and just use bluetooth to display the directions? Is that right or am I getting confused?

The maps are already installed on the phone app (if you have done that), it doesnt download as your ride per se, so it would not make much difference, if any, either way. The only data the phone is using when you are riding a route is for gps positioning and traffic changes/alerts.

 

[Schuey]

The maps are already installed on the phone app (if you have done that), it doesnt download as your ride per se, so it would not make much difference, if any, either way. The only data the phone is using when you are riding a route is for gps positioning and traffic changes/alerts.

Thanks Soof, I'm a newbie to this so haven't tried it yet. Better get practicing because I'll probably have to use it to get to the Peaks for our meet, otherwise I might end up getting lost!

 

[Nige-K]

Has anyone else found the route import has stopped working with the Connected app?
It used to work a treat but I just can?t get it to import any more.

 

[Nige-K]

BMW have confirmed this is a known defect, and they?re currently working on it.