Sync 3

[vegasvic]

I'm coming from a 2012 F150 work truck with no frills. I installed a magbak holder in the CD slot. I used wireless ear buds to take phone calls, listen to books on tape, listen to music. I have a radar detector app on my phone as well as Waze and google maps. The cigarette lighter was located below the CD slot and I charged my phone there. Thats all I ever used.

I picked up my 2023 BS yesterday. The dealership made my phone findable everytime the BS is started. What can the Sync 3 do for me that isn't already taken care of thru carplay? I read thru the owners manual and it wasn't very helpful.

vic

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[SeaJay]

In my opinion iPhone CarPlay is much better than SYC 3 and if you are the only one linking to the car a wireless dongle is a wonderful addition so you don’t have to plug your phone in each time you get in the car.

 

[davidg4781]

I think the only thing Sync3 can do is use your phone to call emergency services if you’re in an accident. Although, I believe newer iPhones will do that on their own.

I was hoping some apps would work with it but none of the ones I have do.

 

[vegasvic]

In my opinion iPhone CarPlay is much better than SYC 3 and if you are the only one linking to the car a wireless dongle is a wonderful addition so you don’t have to plug your phone in each time you get in the car.

I didn't know that was possible! I'll start looking now!

 

[Dude]

What can the Sync 3 do for me that isn't already taken care of thru carplay?

Like you are considering I primarily use CarPlay. All the Apple Apps I want to use work great in CarPlay except one so I normally am on the Sync screen with CarPlay in the background (usually running a navigation App like Google Maps or Gaia or Waze).

Reason is my main source of music is SiriusXm (free lifetime subscription) and the native SiriusXM on the Sync screen is far better than the nearly useless (to me) SiriusXM App on the iPhone.

so while I am on the Sync screen (playing SiriusXM music) most of the time, I found a quick way to switch screens temporarily to see the maps app on CarPlay for a few seconds then it switches back to the sync screen automatically.

And rarely I will use Ford’s built in Navigation App under sync for the rare times I don’t have cell coverage for the CarPlay / iPhone Navigation Apps.

bottom line .. if it wasn’t because I use SiriusXM I would almost always use CarPlay.

 

[Mark S.]

The main advantage of SYNC over CarPlay is the ability to quickly switch between listening sources. If you want to switch to AM/FM from a streaming source on your phone while using CarPlay you must first exit CarPlay to SYNC, then select AM/FM from the Audio screen on SYNC. You must then switch back to CarPlay to access apps on your phone. You can switch back to a streaming source on your phone directly from the CarPlay interface, but to go back to a vehicle source (AM/FM, SiriusXM, USB drive, etc.) you must first exit CarPlay to SYNC.

This is the only disadvantage I can think of with CarPlay or Android Auto. Everything else about the CP/AA interface is better than SYNC.

There is currently a push by a number of auto manufacturers, including Ford, to replace their factory infotainment interfaces with Android.

https://www.androidpolice.com/android-auto-vs-android-automotive-vs-google-automotive-services/

 

[davidg4781]

The main advantage of SYNC over CarPlay is the ability to quickly switch between listening sources. If you want to switch to AM/FM from a streaming source on your phone while using CarPlay you must first exit CarPlay to SYNC, then select AM/FM from the Audio screen on SYNC. You must then switch back to CarPlay to access apps on your phone. You can switch back to a streaming source on your phone directly from the CarPlay interface, but to go back to a vehicle source (AM/FM, SiriusXM, USB drive, etc.) you must first exit CarPlay to SYNC.

This is the only disadvantage I can think of with CarPlay or Android Auto. Everything else about the CP/AA interface is better than SYNC.

There is currently a push by a number of auto manufacturers, including Ford, to replace their factory infotainment interfaces with Android.

https://www.androidpolice.com/android-auto-vs-android-automotive-vs-google-automotive-services/

Can you switch it using the steering wheel controls? I'll try later today but I think you can do that on my mom's CR-V.

 

[Dude]

The main advantage of SYNC over CarPlay is the ability to quickly switch between listening sources. If you want to switch to AM/FM from a streaming source on your phone while using CarPlay you must first exit CarPlay to SYNC, then select AM/FM from the Audio screen on SYNC. You must then switch back to CarPlay to access apps on your phone. You can switch back to a streaming source on your phone directly from the CarPlay interface, but to go back to a vehicle source (AM/FM, SiriusXM, USB drive, etc.) you must first exit CarPlay to SYNC.

This is the only disadvantage I can think of with CarPlay or Android Auto. Everything else about the CP/AA interface is better than SYNC.

There is currently a push by a number of auto manufacturers, including Ford, to replace their factory infotainment interfaces with Android.

https://www.androidpolice.com/android-auto-vs-android-automotive-vs-google-automotive-services/

Three comments about that for clarification:

(1) Pretty much spot on except the “exit CarPlay”: some people would infer exit to mean terminating CarPlay then restarting CarPlay later which isn’t technically the case and most likely you didn’t intend to mean CarPlay had to be stopped. CarPlay continues to run on the iPhone and will instantly take over as soon as one switches back to CarPlay after doing whatever Sync maneuvers are necessary including switching up audio sources.

For my own use which 99.5% is to listen to SiriusXM, I use the superior SiriusXM built into Sync and not the streaming SiriusXM App from the iPhone available in CarPlay. I found a quick method to temporarily get back to CarPlay which is always running as well (usually with Google Maps, Waze or Gaia). The quick way uses a handy steering wheel button and I don’t have to mess with any Sync buttons or audio buttons below the 8” Display (once I setup for this for a drive).

(2) Unlike what you stated about using Sync for switching audio sources like AM/FM using Sync that is not always true albeit for limited cases. While I agree with you in the general case, i programmed one AM station and a handful of FM stations along with the bulk of the remaining 36 presets for SiriusXM stations. I can use the right side steering wheel controls to switch stations from SiriusXM to FM to AM to switch my audio sources without going back to Sync to use the Audio and Sources button (as stated in #1, I keep CarPlay running in the background when I don’t have to give a lot of attention to a CarPlay App like a Maps App).

(3) One advantage of keeping Sync active on the 8” Display is that allows use of Sync voice commands to switch audio sources using a few memorized Sync voice commands. Again this does allow for effortlessly changing audio sources by Sync voice command.

And I can still say “Hey Siri” to have my iPhone send a text message to someone or to make a phone call using my iPhone.

Bottom line is I can use both Sync voice commands and Siri voice commands at the same time because I keep Sync on the 8” Display, have CarPlay running with its App like a Maps App that I use a steering wheel control to temporarily view then automatically back to Sync.

I know my use of CarPlay and Sync (primarily for pre-programmed SiriusXM, FM and AM sources) isn’t mainstream for the bulk of CarPlay users but it works well for me.

And I will also sometimes use the iPhones Music App via CarPlay instead of SiriusXM, FM or AM stations for variety which in that case I do stay on the CarPlay screen.

 

[Dude]

Can you switch it using the steering wheel controls? I'll try later today but I think you can do that on my mom's CR-V.

Yes, see my post: you can use the right side steering wheel controls to switch stations (e.g. from from SiriusXM to FM to AM without going back to Sync to use the Audio and Sources buttons).

And you can use Sync voice commands to switch audio sources if your vehicle has the sync voice option.

 

[davidg4781]

Yes, see my post: you can use the right side steering wheel controls to switch stations (e.g. from from SiriusXM to FM to AM without going back to Sync to use the Audio and Sources buttons).

And you can use Sync voice commands to switch audio sources if your vehicle has the sync voice option.

Yeah you explained it in a lot more detail than I did.

I really wish we could see CarPlay maps in the center console. It might be easier to check where I'm going if it's right there.

 

[Dude]

I really wish we could see CarPlay maps in the center console. It might be easier to check where I'm going if it's right there.

Yep I agree

 

[TexasJHerrera]

do you have a PN and vendor you can share for the wireless dongle?

 

[Meanderthal]

do you have a PN and vendor you can share for the wireless dongle?

CarLinkit is the most popular/reliable CarPlay dongle. They have a version that does Android Auto now but I have seen people reporting issues with it. Not sure if a firmware update has/will fix that. I have one and it works well for CarPlay.

 

[TexasJHerrera]

Thanks for that!

 

[SeaJay]

do you have a PN and vendor you can share for the wireless dongle?

FWIW, I searched “wireless iPhone dongle” on Amazon and hit purchase. (So I’m pretty much no help at all)

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