How to Update the BMW ICOM NEXT A Firmware

In recent times, many users have encountered difficulties when attempting to update the firmware of their BMW ICOM NEXT A through ISTA+. After initiating the update, ISTA displays a message indicating that the update process has started, but it disappears within a few seconds, leaving the firmware message unchanged. Fortunately, there is an alternative method for updating the firmware, which involves using the web interface. The process is similar to updating the A2 ICOM.

Before you begin, please read through the entire description and refer to the accompanying pictures for guidance.

Here are the steps to successfully complete the firmware upgrade:

1. Ensure that your BMW ICOM NEXT A is connected to the car with power or that the engine is running.

2. The voltage of your BMW ICOM NEXT A should be greater than 13V.

3. Download and install the latest version of the BMW ICOM NEXT A software.

4. Locate the decompression software and click the Start button in the upper left corner. Enter "ProgramData" and navigate to BMW -> ISPI -> data -> TRIC -> ICOMNext -> ICOM-Next 04-22-20. You should see four files in this location (2x .xml and 2x tar.gz). Keep this location open for now.

5. Open the Itoolradar or any other software that displays the IP address of your ICOM Next A, and copy it.

6. Launch your web browser and go to the following website: http://XXX.XXX.XX.XX:60080/ (Replace XXX.XXX.XX.XX with the IP address of your ICOM).

7. Enter the login and password: Login: NZY1150263 (root password).

8. Select the "Firmware Update" option (refer to the screenshot below).

9. Make sure the "System" option is selected at the bottom, then choose the "File" option.

10. Go back to the folder that you opened in step four and copy the entire path, which should look like this: "C:\ProgramData\BMW\ISPI\data\TRIC\ICOMNext\ICOM-Next-04-22-20". Paste it at the top of the new window that appears. Alternatively, you can manually navigate to this location by browsing each folder.

11. Select the A.GZ file that contains the word "ROOTFS" in its name. In my case, it was "ICOM Next-rootfs-012210.tar.gz". Click OK (refer to screenshot 10).

12. Click the "Send File" button located to the right of the file selection.

13. On the next screen, confirm that you want to update the firmware, check for errors, and select "Yes". The LED lights on the BMW ICOM Next A should all turn red, which is normal.

14. Wait a few seconds until "Update Complete" is displayed and do not restart the ICOM! On the website, select the "Update Firmware" option.

15. Return to the firmware update website, select the "APPLICATION" option, and then choose "Choose File" again.

16. Select the second file that contains the word "app" in its name from the same location as in step ten. In my case, the filename was "ICOM Next-app-012212.tar.gz".

17. Confirm that the "Application" option is selected again and click the "Send File" button.

18. Wait until the "Update successful" message appears and press the "Restart BMW ICOM Next A" button.

19. After a few seconds, the ICOM should restart and load the new software.

By following these steps, you should be able to successfully update the firmware of your BMW ICOM NEXT A.