BMW G22 sat nav update
4 Series G22 Coupé, G23 Convertible, G26 Gran Coupé and M4: iDrive 7 or iDrive 8, and the right way to bring the maps up to date.
Sat nav update result
We identified your Map Update!
From your VIN we can tell which iDrive generation your 4 Series was built with, whether it is on LIVE or JOY maps, and how current they are. Checking is free.
Which sat nav does the G22 have?
This generation of 4 Series comes in three bodies: the G22 Coupé, the G23 Convertible and the G26 Gran Coupé, with the M4 (G82 and G83) alongside them. All of them are close relatives of the G20 3 Series, and the navigation does not change with the body. What changes it is when the car was built: the first cars, from about 2020, run iDrive 7 on BMW's MGU unit, and later cars moved to iDrive 8, which arrived around 2022.
| Period | Unit | Maps | How the maps reach the car |
|---|---|---|---|
| From launch (about 2020) | MGU, iDrive 7 | LIVE, £59.99 (JOY on some later units, also £59.99) | Over the air while the subscription or free period runs, then by USB with an FSC file |
| Later cars (iDrive 8 from around 2022) | iDrive 8, with the curved display | Confirmed by VIN | The VIN check tells you whether we can supply a USB update |
Both dates are approximate. A 4 Series built around 2022 could sit on either side of the change, and the registration year will not tell you which, so the VIN check above is the way to be certain.
Easier than ever
Which map does your 4 Series 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.
iDrive 7 or iDrive 8: telling them apart in a 4 Series
The screen is the most obvious clue. iDrive 8 is the generation that came with BMW's curved display, so a Coupé, Convertible or Gran Coupé with one should be treated as an iDrive 8 car. If the screen leaves you unsure, or the car was built around the time of the change, let the VIN check decide.
Knowing which you have matters because the two are not handled in the same way. For iDrive 7 the map families are known: our VIN lookups show iDrive 7 cars use the LIVE maps, with a few later units on JOY. For iDrive 8 the VIN check comes before anything else, as the update steps below explain.
- From about 2020: MGU unit, iDrive 7
- iDrive 7 maps: LIVE, or JOY on some later units
- Curved display: iDrive 8, from around 2022
- iDrive 8: VIN check says whether USB applies
Over the air or by USB: is your free period still running?
An iDrive 7 4 Series looks after its own maps while its map update subscription or free period is active, downloading new versions over the air. So the first thing to establish is whether that period is still running on your car. Look in the My BMW app, with your car added to it, or log in to the BMW ConnectedDrive Store, and look up the status of its map update subscription.
When the period runs out, no further maps arrive over the air. From then on a USB update with an FSC file keeps them current, using the LIVE maps or, on some later units, JOY. You can also renew through BMW instead; can you update a BMW sat nav for free? puts the two routes side by side.
How to update the maps in your 4 Series
Check the status
Make sure the over-the-air period has lapsed, using My BMW or the ConnectedDrive Store.
Enter your VIN
We confirm iDrive 7 or 8 and, for iDrive 7, whether the car takes LIVE or JOY.
Order and load
£59.99. Copy the maps and activation files to the USB stick exactly as the guide shows.
Run the installation
With the car parked somewhere safe and open, insert the stick and leave it until the installation has finished.
On a LIVE unit the maps go on an exFAT stick with a single FSC file, which the car reads by itself, so there is no code to type; leave the file name as supplied. LIVE is a single package for the whole of Europe. On the later units that use JOY, the activation arrives as a ZIP archive of FSC files, and those files go in a folder named FSC on the USB stick. 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. BMW FSC code explained covers how these activation files work.
Apple CarPlay in the G22, G23 and G26
CarPlay is normally built in on this 4 Series, so there should be nothing to activate. The USB CarPlay activation we sell exists for older NBT EVO systems, such as those in later F32s, and the G22 family is not part of it. If CarPlay is missing from yours, check the My BMW app first; the wider picture across BMW models is in does my BMW have Apple CarPlay?
The G20 3 Series and the 4 Series before the G22
The G22 family shares a great deal with the G20 3 Series, and the BMW G20 sat nav update guide looks at the same iDrive 7 picture from the saloon and Touring side, which is useful if both cars are on your drive. The F32 4 Series that the G22 replaced is a different story: NBT and then NBT EVO, with a typed code on the earlier cars and CarPlay activation possible on later ones, all set out in the F32 guide.
BMW G22 sat nav FAQ
Do the G22 Coupé, G23 Convertible and G26 Gran Coupé take different maps?
No. Whether it is a Coupé, Convertible or Gran Coupé, what counts is the iDrive generation inside. On iDrive 7 the map is LIVE, or JOY on some later units; on a later iDrive 8 car the VIN check comes first. Whichever body your 4 Series has, enter its own VIN rather than going by the shape.
Is the M4 G82 or G83 any different when it comes to maps?
The M4 versions, G82 and G83, belong to the same 4 Series family, so the same split applies: iDrive 7 on the earlier cars and iDrive 8 on later ones. The update route follows the iDrive generation, not the M badge.
My 4 Series was built in 2022. Does it have iDrive 7 or iDrive 8?
It could be either. iDrive 8 arrived in the 4 Series around 2022, so a car from that year may still be on iDrive 7. A curved display points to 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.
Can I reuse the map update from my G20 3 Series in my 4 Series?
Not the same files. The two cars are close relatives, and an iDrive 7 car of either kind takes the LIVE maps (or JOY on some later units), but the FSC file is generated for one VIN. Each car needs its own activation, so check each VIN on its own.
CarPlay had to be activated on my old F32. Does the G22 need the same?
Usually not. CarPlay is normally built in on iDrive 7 and later cars, so the G22, G23 and G26 fall outside our USB activation, which is meant for older NBT EVO systems such as those in later F32s. If it is missing, start with the My BMW app.