Source
r/MINI•
nullput

MINI Connect: what am I missing?

I just ordered a Cooper which I got the multimedia package but Mini Connect isn't available in Australia thanks to our government treating us all like children. I haven't been able to find any info on what Connect actually does. The app in the App Store is full of 1-2 star reviews. Can anyone explain it or provide a link to a page that does? Apparently there are some hacks to enable it but I just want to know if it's worth the time and effort.

Posted Feb 17, 2016, 3:22 AM UTC

17
MotoringAllianceR53•

You are missing the true disappointment felt when you expect something and it turns out to be pure crap.

3
th3m00s3•

I like it a lot, personally. Not sure why it's low-rated. It maps your trips, records where your car was parked, shows you your average MPG (you can even zoom into parts of the trip where your MPG was high/low), shows you your average speed (can also zoom in here and see segmented data), and shows you how much fuel is left in your tank and how long you've got left to go. You can add Calendar events and see messages on your phone on the center display, but I've only used this feature once or twice. Spotify is a supported app, but I haven't experienced the same issues as u/nonchalansaur. I get better sound through my USB than Bluetooth and can pick Spotify playlists right through my Mini. The "app" itself on the center display is pretty cool and shows vehicle status, has a trip computer, and can even show you things like how many G's you're pulling. Mini has a good overview on their website, too: http://www.miniusa.com/content/miniusa/en/why-mini/programs-and-events/mini-connected.html

3
nonchalansaur•

Yeah it was weird, the screen showed that the song was playing but with no sound and I tried everything from restarting the app and then my phone. Volume was definitely on.. Also didn't like how the phone screen changed into the mini connected display when plugged in. Is there a way to disable that?

1
th3m00s3•

The only workaround I've found was to select the audio input in "Multimedia" to the USB setting, not the Spotify app. Then I can stream from Spotify (as the car is just reading the audio feed from the phone) and search for songs/navigate through the app on my phone.

1
archiface•

I tried using it once or twice and found it to be relatively worthless.

2
nonchalansaur•

I downloaded it and then deleted it within 2 days so there are only a few things I know about it. It maps out your driving trips (as long as you're connected by usb) and I think eventually it figures out the best route for your commute. There are also phone apps that can be used through mini connected. It gave me all the controls to my Spotify playlists through the car display, but for some reason I wasn't getting any sound... To sum it up, I downloaded it for the first time 3 years after I got my mini and didn't feel like I was missing anything.

2
nullputOP•

Thanks for all the comments. I don't think I'll bother trying to enable it

1