Ford owners with a second-generation Sync infotainment system can now get Apple’s Siri Eyes Free feature for iPhone on the car dashboard, thanks to a new Sync 3.8 update.
The second-gen Sync system is found on Ford vehicles made since 2011 and earlier, but the company is just now making Siri Eyes Free available on its vehicles, even though Apple rolled out the feature with iOS 6 back in 2012.
The Sync 3.8 update was first spotted by AppleInsider after it was rolled out to vehicles this morning to second-gen Sync vehicles with MyFord Touch. Also included in the update is a fix that makes pairing your iPhone with Sync easier by automatically reconnecting a device if it’s disconnected.
Siri Hands Free contains a lot less features that CarPlay, but it does allow drivers to use voice commands to operate your iPhone with Siri. Now that iOS 9 has added even more capabilities to Siri, it gives drivers even fewer reasons to be distracted by their phone while driving.
Ford plans to replace its second-generation Sync in 2016 with the Sync 3 platform. Executives at the company have said they plan to support CarPlay, however they haven’t given any details about when the feature will be added.
Buster Hein is a freelance writer who lives in Phoenix, Arizona. Twitter: @bst3r.
4 responses to “Ford brings Siri Eyes Free support to older vehicles”
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Pretty nice that Ford cares about the early costumers.
I think that the same thing could happen with CarPlay, or not? I hope many manufacturers will be focus on the people already bought their cars, not only on the ones which could afford a new one.
I don´t kno anything about the hardware specs, which are needed to run CarPlay properly but i think it is possible that there could be done more, if they want to.
So come on and bring CarPlay to some old cars, not just the new ones!
Ford does not seem to be making this available for 2011-2013 models, only 2014 and newer. Got a copy from a poster on a Ford forum, works great on my 2013 Fusion.
What would ever possess Ford to think consumers would buy a newer model for such a minor update in functionality?
CarPlay would be nice, but that would be asking a lot of a Windows ME based platform…
None of these companies cares about you. They just want to sell you product. 95% of cellphone use related accidents – which now occur more often than drunk driving – 95% are people TALKING on their phones. Texting is criminal for sure, but the accidents due to visual distraction are still not as prevalent as those caused by the mental distraction of talking – because everyone believes talking on the phone while driving is OK.