A Guide to Understanding OTA Updates

[Josh X]

I just cleaned up the original post, added some information about auto updates, and added info about failed updates. If anything needs a correction let me know

Hello,

So I purchased a pre-owned Mach E this past Thursday and scheduled a service apointment to have 21p22 done to fix the charging curve and from what I gather my cars Sync Revision is 168 which I believe is 1.7? Is there anything the dealer needs to do to enable OTAs or am I just waiting for Ford to push one?

I setup the Scriptable widget and my OTA data there shows “cancelled” for 2.3

Expanded Apple CarPlay is something I really want.

Sponsored

 

[Mirak]

Hello,

So I purchased a pre-owned Mach E this past Thursday and scheduled a service apointment to have 21p22 done to fix the charging curve and from what I gather my cars Sync Revision is 168 which I believe is 1.7? Is there anything the dealer needs to do to enable OTAs or am I just waiting for Ford to push one?

I setup the Scriptable widget and my OTA data there shows “cancelled” for 2.3

Expanded Apple CarPlay is something I really want.

First, make sure you have enabled Automatic Updates under the car's Settings > System Updates. These automatic updates cover 2.3.0.

Second, make sure your car is connected to your home's Wi-Fi overnight. This won't move you up in the cue for Ford pushing 2.3.0 to your vehicle, but it will at least speed up the download when the update is eventually pushed.

Other than that, there's nothing else you can do but wait.

 

[Mirak]

@mpshizzle - thank you for putting together this wonderful guide. I wish I had seen it before I did some research of my own, but maybe you'll find the following information helpful and consider incorporating some of it into your first post....

I was confused by the seemingly contradictory language about OTA updates in Ford's recent bulletin re complementary BlueCruise. Ford is recommending setting an update schedule, but that seemed to conflict with Ford's recommendation to enable Automatic Updates (it isn't contradictory, as explained below). So, I went hunting for every scrap of guidance Ford has published on OTA updates, and here are the exact quotes of what I found:

FordPass > Vehicle > Features & Settings > Software Updates

• You’ll get most updates in the background over-the-air. Keep Automatic Updates on so you won’t need to approve every update.
• For certain updates that require your vehicle to be powered off, set a schedule that is ideal for you and we’ll remind you ahead of installation.
• Connect your vehicle to your go-to trusted Wi-Fi networks, like home or work, and you’ll get updates as soon as they are available.
• Connecting the vehicle to Wi-Fi can help download updates faster

FordPass > Vehicle > Features & Settings > Software Updates > Automatic Updates

• Set up automatic updates for the best Software Update experience. Once you have the schedule set and Wi-Fi connected, you’ll get most updates automatically. Some updates may require your review, and we’ll be sure to ask you first.

FordPass > Vehicle > Features & Settings > Software Updates > Recurring Schedule

• Only certain updates that require the vehicle to be powered off are scheduled. Other updates are installed right away.
• Remember you can update your schedule in-vehicle at any time or select Update Now to update right away.

https://www.ford.com/support/category/sync-and-technology/ford-power-up-software-updates/

• Certain updates require your vehicle to be parked with the ignition off. You can plan ahead by scheduling these updates to happen overnight or whenever it’s convenient for you.
• WHY DID MY FRIEND/NEIGHBOR/ETC. RECEIVE A FORD POWER-UP SOFTWARE UPDATE AND I DIDN’T?
  • Software updates are released on a rolling basis, and by default your vehicle will start the process when that version is released.
  • You may need to take action to progress the update. Look at your in-vehicle screen for icons to see if you have an update pending
• WHY DO I HAVE TO SCHEDULE A FORD POWER-UP SOFTWARE UPDATE?
  • Some updates require your vehicle to be parked with the ignition off for a short period of time. When you set a recurring schedule, you can ensure that these types of updates will occur when it’s most convenient for you (e.g., overnight, during work, etc.). You’ll get an in-vehicle and in-app reminder before the update takes place.
• CAN I CHANGE MY FORD POWER-UP SOFTWARE UPDATE SETTINGS?
  • Yes, but it’s not recommended. With Automatic Updates ON, you’ll have a more seamless update experience, and you’ll receive the latest features and enhancements without missing a step.

https://www.ford.com/support/how-tos/sync/sync-updates/what-are-ford-power-up-software-updates/

• Some updates will seamlessly complete in the background. More complex updates might require your vehicle to be parked with the ignition off for a short period of time in order to complete. For these types of updates, you will choose a recurring schedule that is most convenient for you.
• 
  There is an update available. This icon will only appear if Automatic Updates are turned off (Manual setting).
• 
  A previously scheduled update is about to occur.
• 
  An update is available but needs to be scheduled.
• 
  An update is available but needs your permission to proceed.
• 
  An update has failed to complete.
• 
  An update has completed and is ready for your review.

OKAY, so put all those puzzle pieces together, and here are my FIVE KEY TAKEAWAYS to optimize receipt of OTA updates:

1. The more you can keep car connected to Wi-Fi, the better, but this seems to relate only to speed of downloading updates as opposed to availability.
2. OTA updates come in two different flavors: those that can be installed “hot” while the car is On and even driving, and those that require the car to be Off.
3. Ford recommends that you enable Automatic updates.
4. Ford also recommends that you set a schedule for those updates that require the car to be Off.
5. You don't have to choose between enabling Automatic Updates and setting a Schedule. You can do both. If you set a schedule, you will still receive the “hot” updates automatically.

So, now I've got both Automatic Updates enabled, plus I set a schedule for every night of the week at 10:00pm to capture any updates which require the car to be off, plus the car is connected to my home wi-fi when parked in the garage. I think that's the best I can do.

If anyone has any suggested changes to my guide within a guide, please let me know.

 

[mpshizzle]

@mpshizzle - thank you for putting together this wonderful guide. I wish I had seen it before I did some research of my own, but maybe you'll find the following information helpful and consider incorporating some of it into your first post....

I was confused by the seemingly contradictory language about OTA updates in Ford's recent bulletin re complementary BlueCruise. Ford is recommending setting an update schedule, but that seemed to conflict with Ford's recommendation to enable Automatic Updates (it isn't contradictory, as explained below). So, I went hunting for every scrap of guidance Ford has published on OTA updates, and here are the exact quotes of what I found:

FordPass > Vehicle > Features & Settings > Software Updates

• You’ll get most updates in the background over-the-air. Keep Automatic Updates on so you won’t need to approve every update.
• For certain updates that require your vehicle to be powered off, set a schedule that is ideal for you and we’ll remind you ahead of installation.
• Connect your vehicle to your go-to trusted Wi-Fi networks, like home or work, and you’ll get updates as soon as they are available.
• Connecting the vehicle to Wi-Fi can help download updates faster

FordPass > Vehicle > Features & Settings > Software Updates > Automatic Updates

• Set up automatic updates for the best Software Update experience. Once you have the schedule set and Wi-Fi connected, you’ll get most updates automatically. Some updates may require your review, and we’ll be sure to ask you first.

FordPass > Vehicle > Features & Settings > Software Updates > Recurring Schedule

• Only certain updates that require the vehicle to be powered off are scheduled. Other updates are installed right away.
• Remember you can update your schedule in-vehicle at any time or select Update Now to update right away.

https://www.ford.com/support/category/sync-and-technology/ford-power-up-software-updates/

• Certain updates require your vehicle to be parked with the ignition off. You can plan ahead by scheduling these updates to happen overnight or whenever it’s convenient for you.
• WHY DID MY FRIEND/NEIGHBOR/ETC. RECEIVE A FORD POWER-UP SOFTWARE UPDATE AND I DIDN’T?
  • Software updates are released on a rolling basis, and by default your vehicle will start the process when that version is released.
  • You may need to take action to progress the update. Look at your in-vehicle screen for icons to see if you have an update pending
• WHY DO I HAVE TO SCHEDULE A FORD POWER-UP SOFTWARE UPDATE?
  • Some updates require your vehicle to be parked with the ignition off for a short period of time. When you set a recurring schedule, you can ensure that these types of updates will occur when it’s most convenient for you (e.g., overnight, during work, etc.). You’ll get an in-vehicle and in-app reminder before the update takes place.
• CAN I CHANGE MY FORD POWER-UP SOFTWARE UPDATE SETTINGS?
  • Yes, but it’s not recommended. With Automatic Updates ON, you’ll have a more seamless update experience, and you’ll receive the latest features and enhancements without missing a step.

https://www.ford.com/support/how-tos/sync/sync-updates/what-are-ford-power-up-software-updates/

• Some updates will seamlessly complete in the background. More complex updates might require your vehicle to be parked with the ignition off for a short period of time in order to complete. For these types of updates, you will choose a recurring schedule that is most convenient for you.
• 
  There is an update available. This icon will only appear if Automatic Updates are turned off (Manual setting).
• 
  A previously scheduled update is about to occur.
• 
  An update is available but needs to be scheduled.
• 
  An update is available but needs your permission to proceed.
• 
  An update has failed to complete.
• 
  An update has completed and is ready for your review.

OKAY, so put all those puzzle pieces together, and here are my FIVE KEY TAKEAWAYS to optimize receipt of OTA updates:

1. The more you can keep car connected to Wi-Fi, the better, but this seems to relate only to speed of downloading updates as opposed to availability.
2. OTA updates come in two different flavors: those that can be installed “hot” while the car is On and even driving, and those that require the car to be Off.
3. Ford recommends that you enable Automatic updates.
4. Ford also recommends that you set a schedule for those updates that require the car to be Off.
5. You don't have to choose between enabling Automatic Updates and setting a Schedule. You can do both. If you set a schedule, you will still receive the “hot” updates automatically.

So, now I've got both Automatic Updates enabled, plus I set a schedule for every night of the week at 10:00pm to capture any updates which require the car to be off, plus the car is connected to my home wi-fi when parked in the garage. I think that's the best I can do.

If anyone has any suggested changes to my guide within a guide, please let me know.

Thanks! Yes I made an attempt to summarize all of that in the "automatic updates vs schedule" section. But it's a lot of info to distill ha ha

 

[e-pony]

The only other thing would be an alert when car update has been completed. See that in Fordpass or not? And showing update number in Settings. Seems that update numbers do not match version numbers shown in Settings About for Sync

 

[RickMachE]

I can only select 1 day per week for updates. Did you make 7 different schedules? Or are you more "updated" than me?

 

[mpshizzle]

I can only select 1 day per week for updates. Did you make 7 different schedules? Or are you more "updated" than me?

Power up 2.3.0 added the ability to have more than one day a week scheduled

 

[RickMachE]

Power up 2.3.0 added the ability to have more than one day a week scheduled

Ah, right. Still waiting on that. Got 2.1, then the failure.

 

[mpshizzle]

The only other thing would be an alert when car update has been completed. See that in Fordpass or not? And showing update number in Settings. Seems that update numbers do not match version numbers shown in Settings About for Sync

Right. Power ups can update any module in the car, not just sync. So the numbers do not necessarily correspond

 

[Mirak]

Power up 2.3.0 added the ability to have more than one day a week scheduled

So turns out 2.3 added at least two useful features - full screen Apple CarPlay and the ability to schedule updates for every night. Did not know that.

 

[dtbaker61]

There seems to be a lot of confusion around OTA. What updates are out, how they work, and how to know what you have. So I thought I'd make a guide to help clear things up.

1) What do the numbers mean?

Power Ups (OTA updates) are numbered, but the numbers mean nothing. They might as well be named Sharon, Bill, and Tim. They can come in any order and do not (necessarily) depend on each other.

2) Can the updates be installed by the dealer (or FDRS)?

Yes, they are being released via FDRS at the same time they are publicly released on OTA. The caveat here is they're not labeled or organized in the same way as the OTA - they just show as a set of modules needing updates. So if you ask your dealer for PowerUp x.x.x they may not know what you're asking for. Instead ask them to run all of the module updates in FDRS.

3) Can I force an update or get the current status of an update?

No. Unlike app updates, they are not available to go "fetch". We are totally at Ford's mercy here. Even if the update has been publicly "released" they still need to specifically send an update to your car, and it has a limited time window to download and install it.

While there's no OFFICIAL way to get more info about updates, it has been discovered that hidden in the Ford website you can get a bit more detail on the latest update push for your car. The easiest way to access this is via an iOS widget developed by @tonesto7 or an android widget developed by @kennelh and @DevSecOps

4)Automatic Updates vs Update Schedule (Settings found in Sync)
More details on this (courtesy of @Mirak) Can be found here

There are two kinds of updates that can be sent out.
1) Updates that can be installed on the fly while you're driving
2) Updates that require your car to be parked for a while

If you have auto updates turned on it will install "on the fly" updates as soon as it can (probably the next time you drive the car). Scheduling does not apply to these updates.

For updates that require your car to be parked for a while, it will wait until your next scheduled time. If you do not have a schedule set, it will not automatically install. As of power up 2.3.0 there is a button that will allow you to install these updates immediately rather than waiting for the next scheduled time.

As of the writing of this post, there have not yet been any updates that require the car to be parked

5) How do I know which updates I have?

There's no good way to tell. If your car has had an update, the most recent one will show under "software updates" on your sync screen. Beyond that, only your dealer can access the update history for your car.

6) What caused my update to fail and how do I fix it?

There are a plethora of reasons an update can fail but here are some of the more common ones I've seen on the forum

• Download failed or interrupted due to weak cell signal or wifi anomalies
• Battery level on car is too low
• Car was not driven enough times during the update window and update timed out
• Ford botched the update and sent out a corrupted file (this has only happened a small number of times, mostly to people in the early access program)

If the update failed there's not much you can do besides making sure your battery is charged and you are driving your car. In most cases your car will automatically try again in the coming days or weeks

7) What updates have been released?

For cars built before July 7, 2021:
1.4.0 - Added Securialert
1.6.0 - Nothing you'd notice
1.7.1 - Sync update, added notes
2.1.0 - Nothing you'd notice
2.3.0 - Sync update, added games, update scheduling abilities, and full screen CarPlay
2.4.1 - Nothing you'd notice (early access only)

For cars built after July 7, 2021:
BlueCruise Map update

gee, this really clears things up...

1. the Powerup version number shown in Settings->SystemUpdates actually has NOTHING to do with any combination of actual module versions/update status.

2. Owners cannot see the actual list of modules, module versions, when or what was fixed or added to any of them because there are no release notes published anywhere.

3. Owners cannot verify whether or not specific modules are up to date, or request updates if they are not. Only the PowerUp version, which we have established is not related to any particular level of module updates.

....and Owners have no way to submit bugs against specific versions of modules because there is no online KnowledgeBase to review, enter new bugs, or suggest enhancements that you actually want.

 

[EcoJim]

There seems to be a lot of confusion around OTA. What updates are out, how they work, and how to know what you have. So I thought I'd make a guide to help clear things up.

1) What do the numbers mean?

Power Ups (OTA updates) are numbered, but the numbers mean nothing. They might as well be named Sharon, Bill, and Tim. They can come in any order and do not (necessarily) depend on each other.

2) Can the updates be installed by the dealer (or FDRS)?

Yes, they are being released via FDRS at the same time they are publicly released on OTA. The caveat here is they're not labeled or organized in the same way as the OTA - they just show as a set of modules needing updates. So if you ask your dealer for PowerUp x.x.x they may not know what you're asking for. Instead ask them to run all of the module updates in FDRS.

3) Can I force an update or get the current status of an update?

No. Unlike app updates, they are not available to go "fetch". We are totally at Ford's mercy here. Even if the update has been publicly "released" they still need to specifically send an update to your car, and it has a limited time window to download and install it.

While there's no OFFICIAL way to get more info about updates, it has been discovered that hidden in the Ford website you can get a bit more detail on the latest update push for your car. The easiest way to access this is via an iOS widget developed by @tonesto7 or an android widget developed by @kennelh and @DevSecOps

4)Automatic Updates vs Update Schedule (Settings found in Sync)
More details on this (courtesy of @Mirak) Can be found here

There are two kinds of updates that can be sent out.
1) Updates that can be installed on the fly while you're driving
2) Updates that require your car to be parked for a while

If you have auto updates turned on it will install "on the fly" updates as soon as it can (probably the next time you drive the car). Scheduling does not apply to these updates.

For updates that require your car to be parked for a while, it will wait until your next scheduled time. If you do not have a schedule set, it will not automatically install. As of power up 2.3.0 there is a button that will allow you to install these updates immediately rather than waiting for the next scheduled time.

As of the writing of this post, there have not yet been any updates that require the car to be parked

5) How do I know which updates I have?

There's no good way to tell. If your car has had an update, the most recent one will show under "software updates" on your sync screen. Beyond that, only your dealer can access the update history for your car.

6) What caused my update to fail and how do I fix it?

There are a plethora of reasons an update can fail but here are some of the more common ones I've seen on the forum

• Download failed or interrupted due to weak cell signal or wifi anomalies
• Battery level on car is too low
• Car was not driven enough times during the update window and update timed out
• Ford botched the update and sent out a corrupted file (this has only happened a small number of times, mostly to people in the early access program)

If the update failed there's not much you can do besides making sure your battery is charged and you are driving your car. In most cases your car will automatically try again in the coming days or weeks

7) What updates have been released?

For cars built before July 7, 2021:
1.4.0 - Added Securialert
1.6.0 - Nothing you'd notice
1.7.1 - Sync update, added notes
2.1.0 - Nothing you'd notice
2.3.0 - Sync update, added games, update scheduling abilities, and full screen CarPlay
2.4.1 - BlueCruise prep - Driver assist feedback sounds changed (Early Access only)

For cars built after July 7, 2021:
BlueCruise Map update

Thanks for the summary. I received 3 messages in November that the 1.7.1 update for my 2/21 build MME was successful, “It’s OK, we’ll try again soon.” Nothing else since then. None of the 1.7.1 or later apps are visible. I called Ford in early January and late last week. All I could get both times was that new updates were “pending” for my car. Auto updates are on with an established time. Ideas? Is there anything I can do but continue to wait patiently? Is there a technical escalation process where I can reach a knowledgeable tech rather than a very cheerful call center rep that can only look up my VIN and report the status? I’m not confident they exist at the dealer. Thanks in advance.

 

[mpshizzle]

Thanks for the summary. I received 3 messages in November that the 1.7.1 update for my 2/21 build MME was successful, “It’s OK, we’ll try again soon.” Nothing else since then. None of the 1.7.1 or later apps are visible. I called Ford in early January and late last week. All I could get both times was that new updates were “pending” for my car. Auto updates are on with an established time. Ideas? Is there anything I can do but continue to wait patiently? Is there a technical escalation process where I can reach a knowledgeable tech rather than a very cheerful call center rep that can only look up my VIN and report the status? I’m not confident they exist at the dealer. Thanks in advance.

Unfortunately Ford botched that update and you among many others got stuck on 1.7.1 (there's a whole thread about it). As of now Ford has announced that there's a fix for it coming "February". But they haven't said anything yet. It's unclear if it'll be over the air, or if it requires a dealer visit. All we know is that it's a known problem and Ford is working on it ?‍

 

[PandaHandz]

Unfortunately Ford botched that update and you among many others got stuck on 1.7.1 (there's a whole thread about it). As of now Ford has announced that there's a fix for it coming "February". But they haven't said anything yet. It's unclear if it'll be over the air, or if it requires a dealer visit. All we know is that it's a known problem and Ford is working on it ?‍

Yes, exactly my situation since the attempted update in November... Please papa Ford, don't make me go to a dealer for a fix. ??

 

[AllenXS]

Why does bill not get his name capitalized?

An upcoming change is going to allow us to request a pending update, per several posts.

What does OTA stand for? Open Transmission Area? Opposing Transversal Appendix?

?

OTA - occasional technological advancement.

emphasis on the O.

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