Maybe I just haven't looked far enough, but does the native Sync have SMS messaging? Podcasts? Free-forever and up-to-date Nav? Pandora/Spotify/AppleMusic?

I use CarPlay for all the above. If nothing else, I am sync'd to what I have been listening to.

But if Sync gives you everything you want, you do you.

 

With Google maps (if you have offline maps downloaded) you never lose it unless you go into a tunnel or super heavy tree coverage - it only needs line-of-sight to the satellites.

Of course, that requires some pre-planning, so I will concede that's where the built-in nav CAN be a plus.

 

Apple Maps also allows you to download maps of offline use.

My truck is a 24 Platinum and I couldn’t believe it when I found out that you’re only given a year to try out the built in navigation before you have to pay. It’s crap, if you ask me. I’d much rather the old way of having maps you pay to update than hardware that’s useless if you don’t pay.

so I refuse to use it based on principle. I’m not paying when I’ve already essentially paid for CarPlay. It’s not like I didn’t pay enough for the truck to begin with. It’s just getting worse and worse with all these companies and their hands trying to get in your pockets.

for those that don’t like Google or Apple, there’s also other options in CarPlay, like TomTom, for fully offline, though subscription based navigation. It’s like 10/year or something small, if I remember right when you find a deal. There’s also Sygic, which is based in Europe, so it’s a little strange, but works completely offline. Garmin may even have an app these days for offline navigation. Some have offline navigation, but no CarPlay support, like copilot.

The one thing that shocks me is they ask for money for navigation, but give you ford pass for “free”. GM charges for the onstar app. And it’s not cheap, something like 7/mo. I installed an aftermarket remote start just to avoid paying that fee last time around.

 

For me it’s useless. Ford’s integration is horrible IMO, to the point that I made my phone not recognize my truck anymore. I don’t like that it automatically connects every time I’m close to the truck without asking me because if I step away too far it disconnects without warning also.

Fords NAV is just OK. I think it’s pathetic that Ford offers “tow” routing (considers trailer length/height) on F150s but not Superdutys (unless they have changed since 22).

 

Wow. This is all over the place. Mostly tho it seems those that use Car Play like it.

My beef with it is that you can't pinch and zoom to change the map display. That right there rules it out for me. If I'm navigating in a city and want to see possible routes or see exactly where I am with a lot of detail the Nav screen gets the job done for me quite easily.

Now Alexa.... I haven't found a good use for that in the truck at all.

 

I won't touch an Apple product with a 10-ft pole. But I will say that I never use Android Auto because I can't stand the way it takes my $1,200 smart device and makes it look like something that Atari would have put out in the 1980s. I just don't get it.

 

I must admit, I guess I haven't really found myself needing to pinch and zoom. I use Google Maps on CarPlay 99% of the time. I would use Apple Maps, but they don't have satellite view on CarPlay (although, they do have it on the iPhone... not sure why it's not available on CarPlay?) Anyway, as I am driving the map automatically zooms in or out, based on my speed, and this has always worked for me. If I need to interact with the map enough that I need to be zooming in and out and searching around I would rather pull over somewhere instead of driving, in which case I can just use the +/- buttons to zoom easily enough for me. Honestly though, most times if I needed to change my route or my destination while driving my wife usually handles it from the passenger seat, so that's even better. There has also been situations where I am stuck in traffic and I want to zoom out to look for roads to bypass, but again, I am stopped and can easily use the +/- buttons... I will also admit I have also just taken an exit and let the GPS figure out how to get me back on track, LOL! One thing that does get annoying to me is when the maps start suggesting new routes...

And I agree about the Alexa in the truck. I have never even connected that!

 

My truck has Sync3, and I find the nav there rather braindead. It is much easier for me to ask Siri to give me a route to so-and-so, and if I need to add an intermediate destination (or three), that's easy, too. Like other users above, I have Apple One, with a music collection that I've been curating for over a decade, and a smart playlist of "the thousand least-recently-heard songs rated three stars or higher" that updates itself. Hit shuffle and go, and I always get something I like that I haven't heard in awhile. Unlike Sirius, I don't even get commercials to tell me that my listening experience is commercial-free.

 

I do often find myself wishing I could pinch and zoom the apple maps. Taken many wrong interchanges because of that actually!

Does google maps or Waze allow that?


Another good thing about car play is consistency. We have 4 different manufacturers here and the carplay screen is consistent across all 4.

 

Google maps will not pinch and zoom. At least on Sync3. Can’t answer for Waze, I haven’t used it in a while.

 

I use CarPlay daily and works very well on my 23. Pinch and zoom??.,…just use the plus and negative icons while in full screen mode.

 

Have to admit I never really tried very hard to integrate maps on my phones to the truck.... but....
I have both Iphone (work) and Android, (mine) Samsung.... when I ordered my 2019 Lariat Ford wanted $580 for nav. I didnt want it that bad. And what I read was that you could bluetooth the phone in Gmaps or Mapquest to the screen anyway.
What I found was that Gmaps would not BT to the screen. Mapquest either. And I needed to hardwire in using only specific USBs...
BUT..... Even then, before the truck would allow the screen to show, I had to give all manner of intrusive permissions to Ford before any of it would work...
Am I doing everything wrong? Sync 4 in a 2019 Lariat?
Theres no way Ford needs permissions to access my photos and other memory in order to allow Gmaps to show on my screen.. Plus I needed to confirm those permissions every single time I tried to use the map on my screen.
I use Gmaps and use the adio through the truck to tell me when to turn. Its worked everywhere from NY to Florida as far west as 81 anyway with barely a gap anywhere.
I do find that the Apple play is better at maintaining my Amazon music than the Android Auto though. So I end up using Gmaps and Amazon music off my Iphone rather than the Samsung.
As far as Pinch and Zoom in maps... I do use that often to focus in on details... I also like to swipe ahead sometimes and easily revert to current location.
I would rather have the map off the phone showing on my dash... But it seems Ford wont allow it without getting their piece.
Enlighten me if Im just incompetent...

 

I know what you mean about alternate routes, and I can see where pinch and zoom would be useful. In CarPlay there's a button you can push that shows the total route (and alternates) that I do use from time to time. I'll bet you a nickel that whoever controls the rules for apps on CarPlay (Apple?) won't allow it based on driver distraction. As I understand it, any app that works with CarPlay (or Android Auto) has to be approved and you can bet your bottom dollar there are lawyers involved who worry about liability. So apparently, the apps themselves don't have final say in how they work in CarPlay. I guess Ford has their own rules for their own stuff, and apparently their lawyers think pinch and zoom is okay.

 

Yes that works but it’s hard to read interchanges and zoom back etc.

It needs to be a little more intuitive/interactive on the spaghetti roads.

 

Thankfully I live where the nearest "spaghetti roads" are the hairpin turns to go down to the river and back up...