MINI Connected Update Removes Facebook
Bug fixes and improved connectivity come with removal of the app’s most prominent social media feature.
An update to MINI Connected pushed out to users improves connectivity and fixes some bugs, but also removes the Facebook update capability from the app. The update Version 2.8 has been confirmed on iOS and states in the What’s New section, “Removed Facebook feature due to Facebook policy.”
The bullet point for the improved connectivity update was an incomplete sentence but appears to help maintain connectivity when the phone is locked or the app is in some kind of state.
The value of social media connectivity being integrated into a connected car has been a topic of discussion among OEMs who often believe it adds modern value and reaches a very connected demographic, connected enthusiasts who want to advance all connectivity options for drivers, and detractors who often say social media has no place being used in a moving vehicle. The decision to remove Facebook from MINI Connected will undoubtedly play well with detractors of social media use in cars.
Despite the removal of Facebook, other social media services Foursquare and Twitter appear to remain a part of the MINI Connected app.
No word yet on this being pushed to Android or whether this same push was done to BMW Connected systems. Facebook did not respond to a request for more information about the policy.
<p>Whether a supporter or a detractor, few can argue that the FB capability in MINI Connected was at best a novelty and marginally useful, even less so than the restrictive Twitter application. I lost much of my interest in my MINI Connected capability when Google Send-to-Car was eliminated. Hopefully the future will offer in-car technology that provides a seamless interface to the capabilities already resident on the ubiquitous smartphone, rather than an attempted on-board re-invention of the wheel.</p>
<p>Completely agree with Gary. FB capability in MINI Connected was at best a novelty and marginally useful but I still hope Google’s Send-to-Car will come back, as I used it constantly before it was removed.</p>
<p>The option in Google Maps to Send-to-Car to my MINI is still available, but raises the following error: “We couldn’t communicate with your automaker. Please contact them for assistance.”</p>
<p>The question is – did anybody use the Facebook functionality?</p>
<p>I have lots of MINI owners in my Facebook friends list – I’ve never seen any indication that any of them used the functionality… I sure didn’t… During MTTS or any of the large regional events – did anybody see posts to Facebook (or Twitter for that matter) that seemed to come via Connected?</p>
<p>“works in the car when phone is locked/ app is in the background”. this should be the news…</p>
<p>Am I the only person who just wants a replaceable panel in which my mobile device simply snaps into in place of the radio/infotainment area?
I do not want any automakers terrible attempts at UI</p>
<p>I’m sure you’re not the only person who wants that, I don’t. I like my Harmon Kardon system and 100% do NOT want a mobile device to replace the radio/infortainment system. What I do want is that if I connect a mobile device then things like web radio should be standard and not an option. Also voice activation should also be standard, especially if there is a button for it on my steering wheel.</p>
<p>MINI misslead me into believing that by having Visual Boost I would also have voice activation and web radio as part of the option/pkg. It was not. Those items should be standard.</p>
<p>For the amount of money I spend for this “premium” car (hint to MF editors), those items should be included.</p>
<p>No loss. They should remove Twitter too (and all social media stuff). What MINI should be doing is fixing the Connected App for Android phone users. The rating is so bad for the android app, the reviews show people removing it from their phones within hours of downloading and trying to use it. Plus no web radio with Mini Connected on android app, only for iphone. Figures.</p>
<p>Not one of my customers care about the FB integration or pretty much anything involving the MINI Connected set up other than Bluetooth audio streaming (which should be standard imo) and Send to car function which everyone wants back.</p>
<p>OMG the was an option to send an address to the car? I just got a Mini Cooper and I was wondering if there was a way to send and address I entered on my phone to my car navigation system!</p>