So I love my Android phone but also love gadgets in my car. I just got my new 2012 Mini Convertible and adore it. It has Mini Connect but I didn't want to switch to an iPhone since, as I said, I love my Android. Here is the work around I thought of which gives me most of the functionality of Mini Connect and I don't have to switch phones, I just needed an iTouch. Here is the set-up.

A. Connect iTouch via a y-cable.
B. Activate wifi hotspot on my phone.
C. Save phone wifi hotspot as a wifi connection on my itouch.
D. Have Mini Connect installed on the iTouch.
E. Have my phone paired with the Mini.

This set up works great for me to get Facebook, Twitter, News, Web Radio, Dynamic Music, Pandora etc.

To increase the ease of this, I use Tasker on my Android, a program I really love that can take certain actions when certain conditions apply. What I have done here is have Tasker activate the Wifi Hotspot feature whenever my phone connects to the Bluetooth in the MINI and to turn off the feature when it disconnects (I can get anyone details on how I set this up in Tasker if they are interested). Tasker is not required for this to work but basically ensures I never have to fuss with my phone settings (turning on and off the hotspot), but it automates the setting adjustments when I turn the car on or off and my phone and car connect via bluetooth. I'd like to see an iPhone do that type of automation.

Hope this helps others . I am now looking into what fun I could be having if I had a snap in adapter in my armrest. And if I can get some of the Office capabilities activated given my set up and potential adjustments/changes. Finally, I know this isn't ideal since you need to own or buy an iTouch and Mini should really just work with Android too, but at least for now it helps solve some of the problems.

Jeff

PS-Apologies if this solution was already created and detailed by someone else and I didn't see it, it isn't the most complicated so I imagine it was. I did search the forums but didn't see it mentioned anywhere and I wanted to share this since I have seen frustration related to Android phones and Mini Connect from others.

 

Jeff,

thanks for this. Also I have not seen this posted before, and i keep a good eye on what is going on here.

Unfortunately my car is to old to have MINI Connected. But it is nice to know someone has figured a way around it working with an Android phone.

BTW I LOVE Tasker, it is a great program. I also use it to automate tasks when I put my Android in the car doc in my car.

Thanks agian for posting this.

 

/hugz...this totally allows me to go ahead and leave iphone :P

Stupid iphone 4s (s is for sh*t) :P

 

Now that I have manage to finally root my Droid and setup Barnacle, this looks like a great solution for me too. Thanks for the tip.

I just purchased Tasker and would certainly appreciate info on your config to toggle the WIFI Tethering (especially if it's using a third-party adhoc connection rather than the native WIFI tethering which is disabled).

Chris

 

Can you share what type of Ipod Touch you have? I have the 2G version and just took delivery of a car built in October. MINI Connected software should be the most recent one and the iPod Touch's firmware is 4.2.1. I don't have google "send to car", google search, minimalism analyzer, misssion control, pandora, or web radio. But I do get dynamic music, news, twitter, and facebook.

Maybe iOS 5 offers more connectivity... I may have to buy a 4G iPod Touch.

 

I just have Tasker turn on pandora when the bluetooth connects to the phone... and turn it off when I leave the car. I also have the screen stay on when its playing pandora so that I can like songs...I have the audio playing via bluetooth from the phone.
hope that helps!
-Malcon

 

Now that this work around has been in service for few months now...... How is it working out?

what Apple devices are being used and what Mini Connected feature are working / Not working

My countryman is in "production" right now and I'm just trying to get ready for the big day.


Ken

 

Thanks to Jeffrey Klein, I have full functionality of MINI Connected using my Android phone and non-iPhone cell service. Thought I'd post an update on my own experience. If I get a chance and there is any interest, I'll send a YouTube link visually showing how I did this.

The ingredients:

• Mini Connected (mine has Nav as well)
• The standard Mini-supplied Connected cable (iPod/iTouch to split phono & USB males)
• iPod Touch (iTouch) 4th generation player (as of this post, they are available all over the place and on sale - the new 5th gens have the lightening adapter which is not easily compatible with MINI Connected at this time)
• A rooted Android smartphone (mine is the Galaxy S3) and the supplied smartphone USB cable
• The following apps: WiFi Tether on the Android and MINI Connected on the iTouch
• A USB car charger for the smartphone (I use the Ativa Mobil-IT wall/car charger which has a neat little USB insert for the car's AC receptacle)

The recipe:

The iTouch is connected via the standard MINI Connected cable to the MINI's audio jack and adjacent USB port - just as one would normally do with the iPhone. The rooted Galaxy S3 smartphone is then connected via it's own USB cable to the Mobil-IT insert which was plugged into the car's AC receptacle. Wiring is now done and both devices will stay fully charged.

Activate the phone's bluetooth and make sure the pairing is good (while that's not required for the iTouch functionality, it's all part of the fully connected setup, including uploading the phone book.) Now turn on the phone's hotspot and pair the iTouch.

Download the free MINI Connected app to the iTouch if you haven't already done so and register/log in. If using the FourSquare sub-app within the MINI Connected app, register/log in to that as well.

Put the devices down and focus now on the MINI itself. Turn on the MINI and browse to MINI Connect. All your tunes should be there. If you don't see the Connected apps, it probably means you have not logged in to the MINI Connected app on the iTouch.

I was full of questions about whether to get MINI Connected and took a leap of faith I'd be able to somehow make it work. Thanks to Jeffrey Klein for suggesting this. I can use every app, have full access to all my iTunes albums with album art and everything, and my bluetoothed Android works perfectly - interrupting the iTouch stream as needed during calls. In short, seamless functionality.

 

I would love a step by step for Tasker turning on Pandora (or other apps), etc. when it connects to Bluetooth. It's a bit confusing.. I am going to be using a Samsung Galaxy S2 tethered to an Ipod touch 4th generation.

Also, how do I play video off the ipod on the mini's in car screen? What connections will I need? Is this something you can do only when the car is in park/turned off? How do you prevent it from draining your car battery? So many questions!!!

I am anxiously awaiting my new 2013 countryman (with mini connect and navigation). It's due to arrive in Mid July. What a long wait!!

Thanks!

 

a follow up to KIDZITI's post (and thank you very much for the post).
I did not want to 'root' my android phone - just chicken that I'll kill the phone somehow, so I tried a free Android App called 'FoxFi'.
No rooting and it works perfectly with MiniConnect.
My setup:
ipod touch
HTC Incredible phone running Android version 4.0.4
iPod plugged in though standard Mini connector cable, with wifi set to connect to "FoxFi" (once you open the FoxFi app on your phone and start up the hotspot). Also with the Mini Connect App installed on the iPod.
Start the MiniConnect App on the Ipod.
Go to the Mini Connect icon on the Mini screen and click it.
Wait for the apps to load up on the mini screen.
Works like a charm!

Thanks for all of you who posted and helped me figure it out.

 

Thanks, mcurry -

I think the iPod/hotspot solution is a better way to go than just an iPhone for the following reasons:

1) It allows one to keep a dedicated iPod in the car, so no more connecting/disconnecting every time one enters or exits the car - the connection is seamless and automatic even without Tasker - and my smartphone/hotspot never leaves my shirt pocket.

2) It totally opens the full functional availability of MiNi Connected to ANY device that can act as a hotspot. So it's no longer just an iPhone-exclusive club.

It is worth saying here that I was called out for "illegally tethering" in post #20 of this thread. And while the poster launched right into me with this misguided assumption, it should be pointed out that tethering can be done legally and cheaply. And rooting a phone does not mean you are doing something illegal (although you could void your warranty).

My previous phone was a Galaxy S3 and the issue that prompted me to root was that the native hotspot app kept popping up the "first time user" prompt randomly, playing havoc with my Tasker script. So I rooted to get a better tethering app, and also to allow Tasker to control my GPS on/off (which you cannot do without root).

Regardless of whether or not one roots their phone (and there are reasonable arguments on both sides of the issue), the fact is that at only $10/month extra for 2.5 GB of high speed internet plus tethering, I would imagine this LEGAL option is within the financial means of most folks with smartphones and MiNis.

 

As someone who has an Android, and will NEVER buy an iPhone, I can concur that the iPod Touch + Android phone with hotspot + tethering solution can deliver the full Mini Connected app functionality without having to root your phone. I have no interest in streaming internet radio, so paying for a bigger data plan isn't something I need to do. And that whole post about "illegal tethering"... that was a bit loony.
All that said, quite honestly, most of the Mini Connected apps I find to be a bit of a waste of time and not very interesting. Regardless, if you have an Android, you can get Mini Connected working with little effort. Keeping a dedicated iPod in the car is nice, and if you want to invest some time in using Tasker, you can get a pretty slick implementation going that basically is hands-free.

 

Would I still need to install Facebook, Twitter, Pandora and all other apps to the Ipod or just the mini connected?

 

Again, thanks to Jeffery Klein, I have a working iPod Touch Generation 4 in my 2012 Mini that has most of the Mini-Connected functionality working. Since it is now 2015, I did not expect that all the functionality would work without an upgrade to the iOS. Here is what I did:

What I had:

1. Already had a Samsung Galaxy S4
2. Already had Foxfi to use as an Android hotspot
3. Already had Mini-Connected in the car
4. Bought the Y connector with the car
5. Thought I could eventually use an Android phone with Mini-Connected
6. Got the Android Mini-Connected app from the Google Play Store (did not work)

What I purchased:

1. Purchased an iPod Touch Gen 4 based on what was reported by Jefferey Klein
2. Purchased Tasker for the Samsung

What I am trying:

1. I am trying to initiate the Foxfi app in the Samsung in response to hooking up to the Mini's Bluetooth in the car. Trying that with Tasker. Tasker is not working as advertised - have not found how to add a Tasker icon to the home screen in the Samsung Galaxy S4.
2. Trying to find the iPod Touch instruction that lets me turn on the iPod only when it is getting power from the car.
3. Some of the apps will not install on the iPod Touch because they require an iOS upgrade on the iPod Touch. They all seem to require an upgrade to 7.0 to work.

What I would like to get working:

1. The Tasker icon on the Samsung Galaxy S4.
2. Only turn on the iPod Touch when it is connected to the Y connector in the car.
3. Upgrade to iOS 7.0 on the iPod Touch Gen 4, so I can upgrade the Twitter and Facebook apps on the iPod Touch.