(Trying this again: last time I tried to post this it was before an intro post, and I think I put it in the Gen3 forum, so it never went up. And while I've read a lot of similiar questions/answers I somehow haven't quite found this set of permutations addressed)

So! My new-to-me '09 R56 has the regular Boost radio, no navigation, no Mini Connected, and has both a USB port and Aux port under the toggle switches. The menu has Radio, Satellite, CD, --, USB, and Aux. My goal is to play music (mostly Spotify) over the stereo. I have an iPhone 6S (with 3.5mm) and my girlfriend has an iPhone X (no headphone jack). I'd like to have a single plug to connect to either phone to both play music and charge, and ideally I'd want to see what's playing on the car display and control it from the wheel/console.

I've solved the problem satisfactorily with the Belkin Lightning to Lightning + 3.5mm adapter, with a cable from it plugged into each of the car's ports. I get charge, and I can play over the radio in Aux mode. But, no controls, and USB mode has an error (now I know that's just for USB sticks not iPods/phones). Also I get occasional static which sometimes is resolved by moving the aux cable around, and sometimes (weirdly) by playing/pausing/changing volume on the iPhone.

So...I tried to improve upon it and think I was wrong. I (stupidly?) picked up one of the BMW/Mini USB + 3.5mm to Lightning Y cables and...it doesn't work. The phone charges, but still nothing in USB mode, no sound in Aux, and an iPod icon hasn't magically appeared on the display.

Am I right to assume the only way for what I want to work is if I had the iPod box/port thing in the glove box? (I don't). Anyway, I just wanted to ask if I'm missing something (is there some trick to making the Y cable work?). If not I'll put it up in the classifieds or something. I at least got a good deal on it and can pass that along.

And if I'm stuck going the Aux route, I'll have to eventually investigate the static problem. (I recognize the best fix is probably better radio, but I don't think I want to lose the speedometer to a nav-style unit so that would mean DIN one down the line) A Bluetooth to Aux + USB device and separate charger would be another quicker fix, but that would still only be able to play over Aux so no control except on the phone, right?

Thanks! I know there have been a lot of threads about these kind of issues, but I couldn't quite find the answers to them for my combination of features.

Edit: I'm an idiot and double posted this.

 

Did you ever figure this out and get the iPod mode working?