[A_Camera]

For me personally it seems that the update broke something that didn't need fixing. I experience a very unstable public AC charging experience, every time I open the BMW App charging stops. Maybe it is a bug in the local public charging station and a huge coincidence. We'll see.

I basically never use public AC chargers, but if it is this problem also with private AC charging then I will definitely not be happy. I mean, how does the car sense that it is a public or private AC charger it is connected to? There is no communication between them, the car requests a certain current and that's it. That request is the same as with any other AC charger. I haven't charged since I made the update, but will notice it immediately if it will behave like you describe.

 

[A_Camera]

I gave a link to the release notes for 07/2025 (and older releases) in post #18, and said that most of the changes apply to cars other than the i4. As the G26 platform ages, it's (unfortunately) the case that more functionality will be added to newer platforms, and existing platforms will get minor tweaks & bug fixes.

As a software engineer, I'd rather see a list of actual bug fixes, but I suspect the vast majority of owners don't really care, so BMW just talk about general improvements, enhanced stability, etc. - they also use these phrases in previous release notes.

As a software engineer, I also prefer a list of what is fixed. Most people wouldn't care to read it, but it wouldn't cost too much for BMW to assemble such a list and distribute it to people via mail or make it available to read somewhere. I knew that the only thing they said was the AC charging thing, that was in the message. I don't care about what other models are getting, and I also don't expect any new functionality changes or wish for anything, in fact, the less update, the better it is in my opinion. But BMW knows more than you do, so they know why they hurried out this update to us. My guess is that there was a need, other than the AC charging.

 

[ND_697]

As a software engineer, I also prefer a list of what is fixed. Most people wouldn't care to read it, but it wouldn't cost too much for BMW to assemble such a list and distribute it to people via mail or make it available to read somewhere. I knew that the only thing they said was the AC charging thing, that was in the message. I don't care about what other models are getting, and I also don't expect any new functionality changes or wish for anything, in fact, the less update, the better it is in my opinion. But BMW knows more than you do, so they know why they hurried out this update to us. My guess is that there was a need, other than the AC charging.

I think you're missing the point - the update contains various updates for different models (even if you don't care about them, at least check the release notes), and it's the July release which they're sending out in August. This is only the third update I've received in my car, and I think I got the 03/2025 update in April (maybe early May), so maybe they've improved how quickly they send out updates.

You're getting hung up on AC charging being the only i4-applicable change (even though there are minor navigation tweaks as well, at least for 8.5), and somehow making out there's a conspiracy that BMW are hiding the truth as to why we're getting the update so quickly - maybe there is another reason, but I'm not jumping to that conclusion.

 

[i4.phil]

They/BMW can do the OTA all they want. Sometimes it's a good method for some BMW owners if the OTA actually works (occasionally). But I wish they'll just put the software on their website and we all can download it to our USB sticks and install it ourselves.

 

[i4m50Norway]

Any mode in particular? Sports/Comfort/Eco/All of the above?

Eco Pro

 

[i4m50Norway]

This update is the first time - that I did not got it before NA customers got it.
So not a fast push to Europe - but a rather slow one.

This might be because of the recall in USA : "Suddenly" loss of power.
Needed to be done first in US - and then we are getting it later.

With the new Service Model, every vendor in every industry try to take - the vendors takes more responsibility - but it also often result in customers feeling lost - without information they had in the old world.

 

[xyrBimmer]

They/BMW can do the OTA all they want. Sometimes it's a good method for some BMW owners if the OTA actually works (occasionally). But I wish they'll just put the software on their website and we all can download it to our USB sticks and install it ourselves.

They're the New Jersey gas station of car manufacturers. They don't trust we can load an update from a USB drive.

*for our non-US members who may not know, in the state of New Jersey, you cannot pump your own gas, a station attendant must do it for you. It's for "safety" reasons.

 

[A_Camera]

I think you're missing the point - the update contains various updates for different models (even if you don't care about them, at least check the release notes), and it's the July release which they're sending out in August. This is only the third update I've received in my car, and I think I got the 03/2025 update in April (maybe early May), so maybe they've improved how quickly they send out updates.

You're getting hung up on AC charging being the only i4-applicable change (even though there are minor navigation tweaks as well, at least for 8.5), and somehow making out there's a conspiracy that BMW are hiding the truth as to why we're getting the update so quickly - maybe there is another reason, but I'm not jumping to that conclusion.

No, I didn't miss any points. You, on the other hand, don't seem to understand what I meant, but it's OK for me.

 

[A_Camera]

This update is the first time - that I did not got it before NA customers got it.
So not a fast push to Europe - but a rather slow one.

This might be because of the recall in USA : "Suddenly" loss of power.
Needed to be done first in US - and then we are getting it later.

With the new Service Model, every vendor in every industry try to take - the vendors takes more responsibility - but it also often result in customers feeling lost - without information they had in the old world.

I don't know how many updates you have received before this one, I have received only one, and that came looong after NA. This is called 07/2025 and considering it is still August, I call that fast.

Yes, I suspect that it has to do with the "Sudden loss of powe" thing. That was exactly my point earlier, which BMW doesn’t want to tell us, so they invented this AC charging instability issue.

 

[i4m50Norway]

They're the New Jersey gas station of car manufacturers. They don't trust we can load an update from a USB drive.

*for our non-US members who may not know, in the state of New Jersey, you cannot pump your own gas, a station attendant must do it for you. It's for "safety" reasons.

If you want USB update - get an old BMW i3.
I much prefer how much easyer the process works in the BMW i4.

 

[i4m50Norway]

I don't know how many updates you have received before this one, I have received only one, and that came looong after NA. This is called 07/2025 and considering it is still August, I call that fast.

.......

3 regular OTA updates.
3 early Beta program OTA updates.
1 Service update, before major repair of components in the car. 24/11
Only missed update was 25/04

All of them was before anyone from NA had received them.

 

[idbar]

It's more to do with the fact that BMW haven't been releasing any OTA updates for iDrive8.

Last OTA update for iDrive8 was 07/2024 and I'm not sure if anybody in NA got that. Will be interesting to see if we finally get an OTA update in Europe.

I got 03/25 on iDrive 8.0 OTA because of the recall. I was on 07/2024.55, dealership installed due to a drive train warning.

 

[ND_697]

No, I didn't miss any points. You, on the other hand, don't seem to understand what I meant, but it's OK for me.

Your point seems to be that BMW have invented the AC instability issue as a smokescreen to allow them to hide the truth from us about the recall issue. I think it's more likely that BMW have genuinely fixed some obscure bug(s) related to AC charging, but hey, if you're a conspiracy theorist then fine by me.

 

[BMW_fan]

NOTE: it looks like software 07/2025.38 will break the "EXCLUDE HOME" feature.

At least confirmed to break it in the G70. No longer works. It is an option in settings but does nothing now after it was already working before the July OTA.

 

[ogakul]

Yes I had that experience a few weeks ago. 25/07 update available.
The day after the update was gone - and car reported at latest software.
Then Yesterday I got the 25/07 update for a second time, and this time it did work.

I retried like 10 times the past 2 days. Also tried multiple possible fixes like iDrive reset with 30 sec button hold, disabling Android Auto and deleting app data on the phone. Always the same issue: It starts the transfer immidiately but fails at 10-11%. After a while it says again "new update available" and the phone starts downloading it again. Quite annoying.

Will leave it for a week or two and if it still fails, contact the dealer as I'm still under warranty.

I had multiple OTA updates in the past and there were never issues.

 

[Nurius]

I saw a service bulletin for my VIN about "sudden shutdown of drivetrain" or something, so a part of this might indeed be a silent update.
As a software engineer (lol, yes I did study CS) I often think about what could be done with open firmware for the i4. That would be a technical wonderland.

I had a short exchange by mail with someone who worked on the i4 firmware, all he had to tell was it's .. complicated, and that secure coding was necessary to stop the worst nonsense that was going on.

 

[Pfrock42]

I haven't seen anyone mention it but the one (minor) visible change is the inclusion of altitude on the main navigation screen A nice little detail as I do like to see the altitude when driving in the mountains!

It was already available on one of the widgets but I had to dig around for it a little bit.

Mind you I was a little bit confused at first when it seemed to be turning on/off but then I realised this was when I was going through a tunnel and it loses the GPS connection

 

[ParalaX]

I just received the update and had a small drive. Am I the only one to find the system much more responsive? For me the best example is that there is no more drop in frame rate when in map mode on the instrument cluster (especially visible in the epower gauge)

The system was not slow before but sometimes a bit laggy so I’m really happy with the update!

 

[ND_697]

I haven't seen anyone mention it but the one (minor) visible change is the inclusion of altitude on the main navigation screen A nice little detail as I do like to see the altitude when driving in the mountains!

It was already available on one of the widgets but I had to dig around for it a little bit.

Mind you I was a little bit confused at first when it seemed to be turning on/off but then I realised this was when I was going through a tunnel and it loses the GPS connection

It was mentioned in post #18

 

[wybiel]

I retried like 10 times the past 2 days. Also tried multiple possible fixes like iDrive reset with 30 sec button hold, disabling Android Auto and deleting app data on the phone. Always the same issue: It starts the transfer immidiately but fails at 10-11%. After a while it says again "new update available" and the phone starts downloading it again. Quite annoying.

Will leave it for a week or two and if it still fails, contact the dealer as I'm still under warranty.

I had multiple OTA updates in the past and there were never issues.

Same issue, additionally when you try it when the car is in the off state it goes up to 34% then stops, as soon as you go into drive it fails instantly. Did a call with BMW about it and they are not able to fix it remotely. They told me that i had to go to the dealer and let it flash there.