A common complaint from owners of F-series cars with the 10.25" display: CarPlay works, but it sits in a box with a strip of BMW information beside it, and the map looks small on a big screen. On many of these cars the layout can be changed so CarPlay uses the full width. Here is how it works and where it applies.
Why CarPlay is boxed in
BMW’s widescreen displays are wide and short. On NBT Evo the default CarPlay view keeps a BMW panel at the side, so CarPlay is drawn in a near-square window. It was a design choice, not a hardware limit — the screen can show CarPlay edge to edge.
Where fullscreen is possible
The fullscreen layout applies to NBT Evo cars with the 10.25" widescreen — typically F-series models from around 2016 to 2019 and the earliest G-series cars with iDrive 6. The software level matters: some ID5 cars need the ID6 update (€50) before the layout can be enabled.
Cars with the 6.5" or 8.8" screens already give most of the display to CarPlay, so there is little to gain. On iDrive 7 (MGU) CarPlay is already shown large and the split-screen options vary by software version.
- NBT Evo with the 10.25" widescreen — yes, on supported software
- ID5 software may need the ID6 update first
- Smaller 6.5" / 8.8" screens — little benefit
- iDrive 7 — already large; checked per version
How it is enabled
It is coding, done either together with CarPlay activation (from €150 on NBT Evo) or on a car that already has CarPlay. Remote over ENET anywhere in Ireland, or at your car around Dublin. We test it with your iPhone before the session ends.
The only thing we need first is the last 7 characters of your VIN, which tells us the head unit, the screen and the software level — and whether fullscreen is possible on your build at all.
Want to check your BMW? Send us your VIN.
The last 7 characters are enough — we reply with what your car supports and the price.