The My BMW App is scheduled to get more features this month, with several of them using AI for the first time in the automotive industry. The new app will also bring additional customer benefits with new features like BMW Digital Key Plus or Remote Theft Recorder possibly proving to be quite useful on the long run. Since its introduction in July 2020, the My BMW App has been upgraded several times and it is becoming more useful with each new version.
The app can be used for a number of purposes. From planning travel routes and transferring them to the car’s on-board navigation system, to checking the vehicle status and arranging service appointments, everything can be done from your smartphone. This month, a big update is planned, that’s bound to bring new functions to the app, such as Digital Tyre Diagnosis, which will be unique in the automotive industry.
That’s because, according to BMW, it will use Artificial Intelligence, in order to detect any tire inflation pressure losses earlier than the vehicle’s tire pressure monitoring system. Any loss of pressure is indicated to the driver by the My BMW App along with recommended action. Statistical information and AI methods can also be used to make predictions about the wear of the vehicle tires, so that a forecast can be made about the remaining service life of the tires until the recommended minimum tread depth is reached.
For now, this function will only be available on the BMW iX and i4 but, according to the German car maker, an expansion to a wider range of models will follow. This feature will be rolling out to selected markets (Germany, UK, Norway, USA, Canada) starting today.
The My BMW App will also now include BMW Digital Key Plus which basically turns your smartphone into a key fob. That may sound familiar, but the new system uses UWB (ultra wideband) technology which allows you to lock and unlock your car without even taking your phone out of your pocket. For now, it will only be available on the BMW iX as well. The Remote Theft Recorder is yet another new function, which will alert the owner via a notification on the smartphone, when the car’s alarm is triggered.
In case that happens, the car’s camera will be activated and will start recording the surroundings and the interior of the car. You will then be able to download the images on your phone, using the My BMW App. To use this function, the vehicle must be equipped with the optional anti-theft alarm equipment, Parking Assistant Plus and Interior Camera. Last, but not least, the new app will also get a Demo Mode. This will allow the use of the vehicle functions of the My BMW App without your own BMW vehicle. The user can choose between various BMW demo models and get an impression of the various functions of the app.