BMW G06 sat nav update
X6 G06 and X6 M: the coupé-SUV sister of the X5, on iDrive 7 until a newer system arrived with the facelift of about 2023.
Sat nav update result
We identified your Map Update!
Enter the VIN of your X6 to see whether it has iDrive 7 or the newer system, which map family it uses and whether a later version is out. You pay nothing to check.
Which sat nav does the X6 G06 have?
The G06 is the coupé-SUV sister of the X5 G05, and for map purposes it divides neatly into two halves. From its launch in about 2019 it used BMW's MGU unit running iDrive 7, whose map family is LIVE, with JOY on some later units. The facelift of about 2023 then moved the X6 on to a newer iDrive. Which half your car belongs to decides what you can order:
| Built | Navigation unit | Map family | Price and delivery |
|---|---|---|---|
| From launch, about 2019 | MGU, iDrive 7 | LIVE, or JOY on some later units | £59.99 either way: LIVE with its FSC file on exFAT, JOY as a ZIP of FSC files |
| Facelifted cars, from about 2023 | A newer iDrive, possibly iDrive 8 or 8.5 | Depends on the unit | Your VIN shows if a USB update is available |
Both years are a guide rather than a hard cut-off. What counts is when your X6 left the production line, not when it was first registered, so a car on a 2023 plate could fall on either side of the facelift. The X6 M F96 follows the same pattern.
Easier than ever
Which map does your X6 G06 need? Just type your VIN.
We have made it easier than ever to find the right map and confirm it is compatible with your navigation unit. Type your VIN into the search box at the top of this page and we will show the unit your car was built with, the map it needs and the price. Checking is free.
Pre-facelift or facelift: telling the two X6s apart
Before the facelift, the X6 is an iDrive 7 car through and through. The MGU unit runs the LIVE maps, while some later units use the JOY map family instead; the price is the same for both, and your VIN decides which of the two you receive. Our VIN lookups show iDrive 7 cars use the LIVE maps, with a few later units on JOY.
With the facelift of about 2023 the X6 gained a newer iDrive; as far as we know, it is iDrive 8 or 8.5. The easiest clue from the driver's seat is the curved display that comes with iDrive 8: if your X6 has one, it is on the newer system. On cars with the newer iDrive 8, the VIN check tells you whether we can supply a USB update for your unit. If it cannot be confirmed automatically, we tell you before you pay anything.
- Built about 2019 to 2023: iDrive 7 on the MGU
- Map to order: LIVE, with JOY on some later units
- Curved screen fitted: run the VIN check first
- X6 M F96: same split by build date
Still updating over the air? How to check on an X6
Throughout the map update subscription or free period, an iDrive 7 X6 fetches new maps over the air by itself, so a USB update would add nothing while that lasts. The My BMW app shows where the period stands for each car on your account, and the BMW ConnectedDrive Store shows the same once you log in.
Once the period has ended, new map versions stop arriving over the air. From then on the maps are refreshed by USB, using an FSC file: the files are prepared for your VIN, copied to a stick and installed in the car. If your X6 is a facelifted car, let the VIN check confirm the method before anything else. For a wider look at what BMW provides at no cost and what it does not, read can you update a BMW sat nav for free?
How to update the maps in your X6
Look up the status
Use the app or the online store to confirm over-the-air maps are no longer included.
Enter the VIN
The check identifies iDrive 7 and whether your X6 needs LIVE or JOY (£59.99 for either).
Set up the stick
Put the files on the USB stick in the layout shown in the installation guide.
Update in the car
Park somewhere safe, plug the stick in and leave the X6 to finish installing.
A LIVE order is the map data together with an FSC file, copied to an exFAT stick. With JOY, which some later units use, the FSC files arrive as a ZIP archive and go into a folder named FSC on the stick. Either way there is nothing to type in: the X6 takes its activation from the stick, so do not rename any of the files. One LIVE package covers the whole of Europe. For more on how FSC files work, see BMW FSC code explained.
Apple CarPlay in the X6 G06
CarPlay is normally built in on the G06, as it is on other iDrive 7 and later BMWs. That marks a change from the X6 before it: late F16 cars with NBT EVO and Navigation Professional, listed as 2017 to 2018 X6 F16/F86 on our compatible list, can have CarPlay activated by USB. That activation is a product for those older systems, not for the G06. If CarPlay is missing on your X6, check the My BMW app first. For how CarPlay differs across the range, see does my BMW have Apple CarPlay?
Where the G06 sits: X5 sister, F16 successor
As the coupé-SUV sister of the X5, the G06 has a close relative in the X5 G05, and that guide deals with the same questions from the X5 side. The X6 that came before, the F16 (with the X6 M F86), used NBT and then NBT EVO. Those are different units with their own map families, so an older X6 needs the F16 guide rather than this one.
BMW X6 G06 sat nav FAQ
Is the sat nav in an X6 G06 the same as in an X5 G05?
The two are sister models, with the X6 as the coupé-SUV version, so it is natural to assume they match. For the X6 itself, cars built from the launch in about 2019 have the MGU unit with iDrive 7 and take LIVE maps (or JOY on some later units), while facelifted cars, from about 2023, moved to a newer iDrive. Rather than borrow an answer from an X5, run the VIN of the X6: the check works car by car.
I have an X6 M F96. Does this guide apply to it?
Yes. The X6 M F96 is covered as part of the G06 range, so the same split by build date applies: iDrive 7 with LIVE or JOY maps before the facelift of about 2023, and a newer iDrive after it. The VIN check confirms which side of that line your car sits on.
My X6 has a 2023 registration. Which system does it have?
It could have either. Facelifted X6s, from about 2023, run a newer iDrive, as far as we know iDrive 8 or 8.5, but the build date decides it rather than the plate, and a curved display is the visible sign of iDrive 8. On cars with the newer iDrive 8, the VIN check tells you whether we can supply a USB update for your unit. If it cannot be confirmed automatically, we tell you before you pay anything.
My previous X6 F16 had CarPlay activated by USB. Can the G06 have the same?
It should not need it. CarPlay is normally built in on the G06, and our USB activation is a product for older NBT EVO cars, such as the 2017 to 2018 X6 F16 and F86 on our compatible list. If CarPlay is missing on your G06, check the My BMW app first.
The map files for my X6 came as a ZIP archive of FSC files. Is that right?
Yes, if your X6 uses the JOY maps. Some later MGU units take JOY instead of LIVE. It costs the same £59.99 and is supplied as a ZIP archive of FSC files, which go in a folder named FSC on the USB stick. The VIN check tells you beforehand which map family your car needs, and the installation guide shows the folder layout.