Apple CarPlay Release News?

[JonM in MN]

My '16 w/SYNC3 will be delivered in a week or so. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

1. My car will NOT have CarPlay installed from the factory

2. CarPlay will come as a SYNC3 update later this year, from what I've gleaned perhaps mid-year.

Thoughts? Anybody have more info?

 

[Bluedrank]

Correct. They've been completely silent as to when this might happen. So in other words, be patient and don't hold your breath that it will be any time soon.

Sync 3 is capable enough in its current form, so it's not like you're getting garbage until the update. I'm excited about the Android auto personally, as I think Android is years ahead of where Apple is in OS design and technology. I was super disappointed when I was first doing research on this car and learned it wasn't going to support Android auto. Then I was super excited when they announced it and included support for the 16 models.

 

[JonM in MN]

Right. I don't understand why this is so hard to roll out. CarPlay's been out what? A year at least?

Ford announced the roll out in January.

 

[pleaseyesplease]

Yeah, it's mystifying. I'm ready for Car Play now - just release it already!

They may be waiting until the '17s start to ship with it to release it as an update for us. Who knows...

 

[A FiSTful of...]

Software doesn't write (or more importantly test) itself.

Given the press that hacked, in-car systems have been getting lately, I suspect the testing cycles for integrating CarPlay or Android Auto will be a little (lot) longer than usual.

 

[Sil3nt611]

There's a lot of testing to do with software to make sure it works correctly. Ford would rather you get annoyed waiting for it than you get annoyed because the product they put out too soon didn't work correctly. It will come on the '17 Ford models with Sync 3, so I would assume we should be seeing the update by mid summer.

I really don't need either, I'm mostly waiting for the update to see if it will at all fix the fact that none of my 3 Apple devices correctly play music (2 iPods and an iPhone 4). If I could get just one of them working how they worked on my old aftermarket Pioneer unit then I'd be happy with Sync 3 as-is.

 

[pleaseyesplease]

Software testing is critical before any release. I'm just being antsy

Sil3nt, I had problems with my iPhone 6s playing music correctly, and not even being able to reconnect to the car. I did a reset to factory settings and then - very important - began the phone pairing process by using the voice command button on the steering wheel, saying "pair phone", and then following the on-screen prompts from there. After combing many forums I had found that suggestion, and it was the only version of the pairing process that worked for me across the board and has continued working. Might be worth a try.

There's a lot of testing to do with software to make sure it works correctly. Ford would rather you get annoyed waiting for it than you get annoyed because the product they put out too soon didn't work correctly. It will come on the '17 Ford models with Sync 3, so I would assume we should be seeing the update by mid summer.

I really don't need either, I'm mostly waiting for the update to see if it will at all fix the fact that none of my 3 Apple devices correctly play music (2 iPods and an iPhone 4). If I could get just one of them working how they worked on my old aftermarket Pioneer unit then I'd be happy with Sync 3 as-is.

 

[Sil3nt611]

I actually have my iPhone connected via USB. My phone is actually an Android that I connect via bluetooth but I have no music on it, I just was given a free iPhone 4 for the sole purpose of using it for music in my car so I leave it in the center console plugged in with that idea that it just always works and I don't have to fiddle with something before taking off to get music to play. The iPods would freeze on me and index incorrectly (a song would be playing and the information for it on the screen was for a song of a completely different artist and genre). Each iPod did something a bit different, but I haven't tried them in so long I forget what it was. The iPhone 4 was listed as a supported device and having gotten it for free I decided to give it a shot. It works *better* than the iPods in that it doesn't freeze and indexes correctly. The functionality I don't get out of it that that iPods would do until they froze is that I can play a playlist/artist/genre list, etc...and when I have that playing and shut off the car and go to turn it back on later when I drive my car again it starts playing "all songs" starting with the first alphabetical one. I've been leaving it on all songs and just shuffling through them and it will start the song that I left off with that way rather than resetting. However with that It will start with the song I left off with however from then on it will play alphabetically unless I go in and tell it to shuffle EVERY TIME I turn on my car... It really shouldn't be something that de-selects unless you disconnect the device or something. I also like playing through playlists and such when I get in the mood for certain songs and I don't want it to reset to all songs next time I start my car.

My iPods are a 3rd and 4th gen nano, so several years old now, but they did work correctly until they froze from what I can remember other than the indexing issues. I was using the iPods in my old car with my Pioneer head unti without issues for years so I know it's not the iPods. But it's annoying the iPhone 4 is listed as supported but it doesn't work correctly. If Ford would lend me more devices I could test them all for them and tell them what does and doesn't work, but I'm not about to go out and buy a bunch of different and newer players when I own and have tried 3 of the most supported devices for pretty much everything else in the world... I have done a factory reset once before to fix the indexing issue. It did work for that, but they still froze. And next time I synced music up to the iPod the indexing issue was back. Shouldn't have to factory reset every time I add music.

 

[jimdrives]

SYNC3 Apple Carplay release date?

Any new news or rumors on when dealers will be ready to upgrade/upload Apple Carplay into 2016 FiSTs? Or, how much it will cost?

 

[Sil3nt611]

The IVTteam people said in another thread there's no specific release date yet other than to say it will be here before the end of 2016. I assumed by the end of summer, but I figured that back when they announced it. There's a lot of testing to do to get software ready for release. Something that seems wasn't really done with the initial release of Sync 3 based on the fact that so many Apple devices plugged into USB had so many issues for me. Everything is built around Apple devices anymore so it's funny that it really doesn't work with this. I had a Hyundai Elantra rental for a week on my vacation and it had zero issues playing my iPod. I've moved to a USB stick for music in the Fiesta and it has worked well for MP3 files.

Also no posted cost that I've seen for Carplay. I know there will be a cost and hardware will have to be installed for it to work. Android Auto is free with the update.

 

[jimdrives]

The IVTteam people said in another thread there's no specific release date yet other than to say it will be here before the end of 2016. I assumed by the end of summer, but I figured that back when they announced it. There's a lot of testing to do to get software ready for release. Something that seems wasn't really done with the initial release of Sync 3 based on the fact that so many Apple devices plugged into USB had so many issues for me. Everything is built around Apple devices anymore so it's funny that it really doesn't work with this. I had a Hyundai Elantra rental for a week on my vacation and it had zero issues playing my iPod. I've moved to a USB stick for music in the Fiesta and it has worked well for MP3 files.

Also no posted cost that I've seen for Carplay. I know there will be a cost and hardware will have to be installed for it to work. Android Auto is free with the update.

Thanks for the reply, S. I'm linking up my iPhone via BT, right now, and able to play Spotify pretty well that way. What I'm looking forward to is being able to use Waze and other apps on the LYNC screen. The way the air vents are angled in the FiST, the phone screen winds up partially hidden behind the wheel, making it hard to use nav when I'm driving through the city...

 

[Sil3nt611]

I just can't use my phone for nav at all. I tried with it suctioned to the windshield of my rental car and it kept giving me issues to the point where I gave up and threw down $100 on a Garmin that worked flawlessly for me. I'm sure it's partially due to the fact that I have a low end phone, but where I was going I'd likely have lost cell signal anyway and I couldn't see my phone screen with my sunglasses on (some kind of polarization block I guess). That's why the in dash nav was worth it to me and I've put it to good use in my car.

 

[pleaseyesplease]

Perhaps I am missing something, but when I went back to the Ford site today the information under 2016 Fiesta with Sync 3 + Car Play shows this:

https://owner.ford.com/how-tos/sync...arplay/sync-3-plus-apple-carplay-support.html

The only "hardware" it says is necessary is an apple usb -> lightning cable, and it needs to be plugged into a USB port in the car. You get a cable like this with your charger that the phone comes with.

If this is true, how do we install car play on Sync 3? Or do you download it as an app on your phone? That doesn't seem right. Or possible. It doesn't really say anything about that. Maybe this is good news?

 

[Bluedrank]

Perhaps I am missing something, but when I went back to the Ford site today the information under 2016 Fiesta with Sync 3 + Car Play shows this:

https://owner.ford.com/how-tos/sync...arplay/sync-3-plus-apple-carplay-support.html

The only "hardware" it says is necessary is an apple usb -> lightning cable, and it needs to be plugged into a USB port in the car. You get a cable like this with your charger that the phone comes with.

If this is true, how do we install car play on Sync 3? Or do you download it as an app on your phone? That doesn't seem right. Or possible. It doesn't really say anything about that. Maybe this is good news?

Carplay needs to be installed on the car before anything will work. That's not currently possible, as they need to release the Sync 3 update first before any of these new features are available for 2016 models. I'm not sure how iPhones initiate carplay though, as I'm part of the Android Master Race. That being said, you are correct in the fact that the page no longer lists that CarPlay will require additional hardware.

Previously that page said:
"Note: Apple CarPlay is available on 2017 model year Ford vehicles with compatible SYNC 3. Owners of 2016 model year Ford vehicles with SYNC 3 are required to perform a software upgrade and purchase a hardware upgrade to use Apple CarPlay. Please check back on the Ford Owner site this summer for more information about these upgrades."

So it's possible that things have changed. We won't know until they release the Sync update I suppose. Maybe before the end of the year, we'll see.

 

[Racer83L]

I think the update is just about ready to release....

their site removed the information about checking back summer 2016 and now it just has the instructions to use CarPlay. ITS COMING!!!!!!

lol android master race, thats cute.

 

[Lokesh]

I think the update is just about ready to release....

their site removed the information about checking back summer 2016 and now it just has the instructions to use CarPlay. ITS COMING!!!!!!

lol android master race, thats cute.

I hope you're right.

 

[M-Sport fan]

Sync 3 is only included with the optional audio/nav package, and NOT the standard/base audio, correct??

(So I do not have to worry about ANY of this stuff, right? )

 

[Lokesh]

I have Sync 3 without nav, and it looks like Sync 3 with Sony audio is standard on Ford.com.

 

[Bluedrank]

Sync 3 is only included with the optional audio/nav package, and NOT the standard/base audio, correct??

(So I do not have to worry about ANY of this stuff, right? )

If you have a 2016 us car you have sync 3

 

[M-Sport fan]

If you have a 2016 us car you have sync 3

OK, THANKS!

(I'm still waiting on the ordered car, that's why I did not know. )