Sideloading/modding BMW iDrive 8.5?

[jcracken]

I feel like this type of topic doesn't seem to get much traction anywhere I've seen--BMW's iDrive 8 and newer is an AOSP version of Android Automotive customized to use BMW services without the Google Play certification package that would give it Google services.

They've done PR/interviews saying this is for privacy reasons, but I'm sure being able to keep the metadata themselves for their own use/sales probably doesn't hurt.

I've lightly looked into what it would take to sideload the Google Play Services package into iDrive to see if it's similar to how it can be done on Amazon devices. It turns out that Android Automotive locks out apk/apkm installation for safety reasons so for other Android Automotive devices, the sideload workaround was to take source code and rebuild it with a new package string so that you can upload it to the Google Play Store as a "beta." That avoids Google scanning it for AA compatibility and allows you to install it directly to your car through Google Play.


Since iDrive doesn't have the Google Play Store, the question then becomes if iDrive has an app store that developers can release to without needing some sort of special access only afforded to devs BMW approves themselves. I haven't seen hide nor hair of that on the internet, and I don't have a car (yet) to play around with myself.

The other question is that if BMW's store is locking out any apps that aren't approved like the Google Play store is. If that isn't the case, and you manage to force in an app using something like adb, then you can just install the Google Play Services package manually without futzing with a storefront.

[MJBO]

iDrive 8 and 8.5 are based on Linux and developed in house by BMW, not Android Automotive.

iDrive 9 is Android Automotive.

https://www.press.bmwgroup.com/globa...ve?language=en