Ford Ditches MyFord Touch For Sync 3

Ford Sync 3 (Credit: Ford)

The MyFord Touch is out for good, and many people are cheering its departure thanks a legacy of slow responses, troubling navigation, and general user frustration. Ford recently unveiled Sync 3, which is the new infotainment platform that will start appearing in the company’s vehicles.

The move means the end of Ford’s relationship with Microsoft. The new system was developed with the help of the Blackberry QNX software. Regular updates can be downloaded by the vehicle whenever it is connected to a WiFi network, improving performance and offering upgraded features.

Like a growing number of newer in-car infotainment systems, Sync 3 behaves much like a modern smartphone. Users will be able to tap, even lightly, as well as do the pinch-and-zoom like on Android and Apple devices. Among the improvements are larger fonts that make it easier to read menus and messages at a glance, a brighter screen, and larger areas of the screen where users to make touch commands.

One of the biggest pet peeves many Ford owners have had with their car is the way the voice controls work, or don’t. The Sync 3 system is supposed to improve that issue, allowing users to speak more naturally to the system.

Just like the previous system, when the vehicle is in a collision, Sync 3 calls for help. New features mean it can tell first responders how many seatbelts were being used and what part of the vehicle was impacted.

The voice commands work for AppLink, which connects to select apps housed on a connected smartphone. Drivers can use apps like Stitcher, Pandora, SiriusXM, Spotify, and iHeartRadio with simple virtual controls that appear on the car’s infotainment screen. AppLink even has the ability to find these compatible apps on a connected phone, meaning users don’t have to deal with more steps to get things up and running. The hope is that the changes make the infotainment system easier and less distracting to use while traveling down the road, which will lead to happier owners and more business.