[a.summers86]

Originally Posted by davekilshaw

My Alexa function hasnt been working since the update, no matter what I did with the My BMW app or my profile...

So this morning I did an Idrive reset, Power button down for 30 seconds, and when it all rebooted, Alexa is working.. Stopped and started the car 2 times and still working fine.. :-)

Don’t be fooled - it’ll soon stop working all the time. Mine did the same after I reset my idrive.

Few days later back to the sporadic working/ not working status.

[a.summers86]

Has anyone's Alexa experience improved since the app update?

[xenon]

Originally Posted by a.summers86

Has anyone's Alexa experience improved since the app update?

Touch wood, mines been perfect for a week or so.

[srbs73]

Originally Posted by xenon

Touch wood, mines been perfect for a week or so.

Same for me.

[Yorkshire330e]

So I was updated to 03.2021.30 the other day (dealership forced/plug in update). Finally gave me the Alexa option.

As others above, I get the error message calling out how to connect via smartphone/apps etc. What I’ve found is when I initially try and connect, it doesn’t work, but once it’s worked then it works every time while I’m in the car... until the next time the ignition has been off/have disconnected the iPhone (not by doing anything just by leaving the car)... then it’s back to square one again to make it connect seemingly.

As others have mentioned, opening MyBMW does seem to help but not certain this is the issue...

[Keith_C]

Finally got my car to update last night after some decent motorway commutes over the last week has put some charge into my 12v battery.

Did an iDrive reset as I lost steering wheel heating so had to log in, redo settings, connect phone etc.

Connected Alexa through the My BMW app and then through the Alexa app via skills and although it said skills wasn't available it seemed to connect. Tried Alexa but got the little blue icon at top of display for a second and the usual screen that others had got about connecting through the My BMW app etc so thought that was it, it's not working so went to run an errand and about 5 mins into my journey I asked Alexa what was the time. Surprisingly, she told me, so I presumed that was it, you could do generic questions but not skills through your Alexa account.

Got back in the car after doing my errand and again got the little icon and the connection screen, so again, thought it must be very inconsistent like others have found. 10 minutes into the same drive home I asked her to turn on my bedroom side light and she said OK and I can confirm when I got home later that she did.

I'm just wondering now whether it needs a few minutes to interact with the phone when you first start the car and they all connect up together. Like most people, when you 1st install something you try it straight away when you start the car and maybe that's why it didn't work, it hadn't had time to connect everything together.

I'm also using a Samsung S8+ so deffo works on Android.

[CinnamonRage]

Originally Posted by Yorkshire330e

So I was updated to 03.2021.30 the other day (dealership forced/plug in update). Finally gave me the Alexa option.

As others above, I get the error message calling out how to connect via smartphone/apps etc. What I’ve found is when I initially try and connect, it doesn’t work, but once it’s worked then it works every time while I’m in the car... until the next time the ignition has been off/have disconnected the iPhone (not by doing anything just by leaving the car)... then it’s back to square one again to make it connect seemingly.

As others have mentioned, opening MyBMW does seem to help but not certain this is the issue...

Think you’re the first I’ve heard with this update. Anything else new, that you’ve spotted? Does the rev bat show in Sport plus mode in the heads up display?

[Yorkshire330e]

I don’t have head up display I’m afraid and also don’t remember sport plus being an option on 330e either? Sorry not much use.

Nothing much different although I was mainly interested in it enabling Alexa, which it has done so I’ve mainly been faffing with that.

I think the colours in Waze in CarPlay looks somehow slightly different but can’t quite be certain. I’d seen some recent threads talking about additional ambient lighting settings but there is nothing new in there as I’ve looked at that.

I’ll have a thorough look through all the menus over the weekend and call out if there’s anything of note.

[srbs73]

Originally Posted by CinnamonRage

Think you’re the first I’ve heard with this update. Anything else new, that you’ve spotted? Does the rev bat show in Sport plus mode in the heads up display?

I think I saw someone post that it was fixed on 03/2021. You can fix via coding now if it’s annoying you . I’m on 11/2020.50 and fixed it courtesy of some MY21 coding from IFR.

[a.summers86]

Originally Posted by Yorkshire330e

So I was updated to 03.2021.30 the other day (dealership forced/plug in update). Finally gave me the Alexa option.

As others above, I get the error message calling out how to connect via smartphone/apps etc. What I’ve found is when I initially try and connect, it doesn’t work, but once it’s worked then it works every time while I’m in the car... until the next time the ignition has been off/have disconnected the iPhone (not by doing anything just by leaving the car)... then it’s back to square one again to make it connect seemingly.

As others have mentioned, opening MyBMW does seem to help but not certain this is the issue...

Touch wood mine seems to be working ok now.

I ended up factory resetting the idrive and starting from scratch.

I’ve not had the error message for over a week now which is a record.

Where in Yorkshire are you - just out of interest?

[Yorkshire330e]

Originally Posted by a.summers86

Touch wood mine seems to be working ok now.

I ended up factory resetting the idrive and starting from scratch.

I’ve not had the error message for over a week now which is a record.

Where in Yorkshire are you - just out of interest?

Huddersfield/Halifax

[Yorkshire330e]

Originally Posted by Yorkshire330e

I don’t have head up display I’m afraid and also don’t remember sport plus being an option on 330e either? Sorry not much use.

Nothing much different although I was mainly interested in it enabling Alexa, which it has done so I’ve mainly been faffing with that.

I think the colours in Waze in CarPlay looks somehow slightly different but can’t quite be certain. I’d seen some recent threads talking about additional ambient lighting settings but there is nothing new in there as I’ve looked at that.

I’ll have a thorough look through all the menus over the weekend and call out if there’s anything of note.

Had a thorough scan through every menu option and can’t see anything else new.
It’s given me Alexa that I didn’t have before (was on 11.2020.40) and CarPlay seems more stable, I think.

[a.summers86]

Originally Posted by Yorkshire330e

Huddersfield/Halifax

Close to me then... I’m Kirkburton area.

[giorgoXXI]

For me, the problem was my phone kept killing the MyBMW app, which I think needs to be running for Alexa to work.

In Android, you need to make sure the app doesn't get killed in the background.

When it works it is actually really good, a lot smoother than using Google Assistant through Android Auto.

[willougs]

I dont get any errors. I get the blue spinning ring full screen when I say Alexa, ask my question, then nothing happens. Blue circle continues spinning for random number of seconds. It then just beeps and goes back to what I was listening too before.

It really is a terrible integration. Even the tutorial in the app to set it up is pretty useless.

[a.summers86]

Originally Posted by willougs

I dont get any errors. I get the blue spinning ring full screen when I say Alexa, ask my question, then nothing happens. Blue circle continues spinning for random number of seconds. It then just beeps and goes back to what I was listening too before.

It really is a terrible integration. Even the tutorial in the app to set it up is pretty useless.

I've had this today also - must be a server issue as its been working well for the last week or so and I've not changed any settings.

It did start working again after football tonight though after a full day of not working.

Agree its a poor effort all round. Don't release it if it doesn't work...

[xenon]

I agree that this is probably a server-end issue and will probably get better. When it does work it’s excellent.

[giorgoXXI]

Originally Posted by willougs

I dont get any errors. I get the blue spinning ring full screen when I say Alexa, ask my question, then nothing happens. Blue circle continues spinning for random number of seconds. It then just beeps and goes back to what I was listening too before.

It really is a terrible integration. Even the tutorial in the app to set it up is pretty useless.

I had that same issue, then I rebooted the iDrive and it started giving me the reasons why it wasn't working (app not properly setup)

[cliveywolves]

Randomly car went into dealers today to sort a minor problem with boot operation and came back with ‘ Alexa ‘ working, no software updates done as dealer said nothing available for my car for circa 2 months so it still running on 11/2020/31 which I’ve had since I picked up the car originally. Connected to Alexa on the way home first time for me..

What’s the issues with it still or is it just intermittent and clunky at best ...?

[srbs73]

Originally Posted by cliveywolves

Randomly car went into dealers today to sort a minor problem with boot operation and came back with ‘ Alexa ‘ working, no software updates done as dealer said nothing available for my car for circa 2 months so it still running on 11/2020/31 which I’ve had since I picked up the car originally. Connected to Alexa on the way home first time for me..

What’s the issues with it still or is it just intermittent and clunky at best ...?

To me, it seems as much to do with the phone / app as it is the car.

[cliveywolves]

Originally Posted by srbs73

To me, it seems as much to do with the phone / app as it is the car.

I think it is as well that’s sort of what the dealer was trying to explain but very badly

[rodc271]

Originally Posted by cliveywolves

Randomly car went into dealers today to sort a minor problem with boot operation and came back with ' Alexa ' working, no software updates done as dealer said nothing available for my car for circa 2 months so it still running on 11/2020/31 which I've had since I picked up the car originally. Connected to Alexa on the way home first time for me..

What's the issues with it still or is it just intermittent and clunky at best ...?

After your experience, checked the app, and for the first time it said Alexa available for my 330i.

Checking the car itself, the extra voice option 'Third party providers' was there as well.

BMW have definitely done something even though as you say car version not changed, 11/2020.45, and not aware of a My BMW app update. Only told last week by BMW that my car needed .50 at a minimum for Alexa to work.

Alexa working in the car as well.

All very strange.