Android app added widgets and shortcuts

[jeevez]

Android Fordpass updated today with the following notes:
5.21.0
• Access key vehicle data instantly via widgets on your home screen.
• Get one tap commands on your home screen with App Shortcuts
• Charging away from home is easier with a map that auto-displays stations as you search, has better dark mode visibility, and clearer steps to stall selection before activating a charge in-app.

Widgets and shortcuts look nice. Can make one click access to shortcuts by dragging and dropping as a standalone icon.

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[kens]

I'm only seeing the first widget, with the car status, but not the lock/unlock/start stuff.

 

[jeevez]

I'm only seeing the first widget, with the car status, but not the lock/unlock/start stuff.

Those are shortcuts from the main app icon. If you long press on the Fordpass icon, you'll see the shortcuts like my second screenshot. Then you can long press and drag those sub shortcuts direct to your home screen or any folder.

 

[EasyPass]

Those are shortcuts from the main app icon. If you long press on the Fordpass icon, you'll see the shortcuts like my second screenshot. Then you can long press and drag those sub shortcuts direct to your home screen or any folder.

They appear to be nothing more than another shortcut to the Fordpass app, generally. They provide no other specific functionality beyond the normal Fordpass invocation to whatever page the app was last sitting open on. No direct function action is enabled.

Otherwise, adding widget capability is a step in the right direction. However, I'll be mostly unimpressed without some truly useful other info like 12v SOC or realtime charge rate and %.

 

[MetalCord]

I'm not seeing the extra shortcuts either but I'm also on version 5.20 of the app. Not seeing an available update yet.

 

[MetalCord]

Updated the app and the buttons appeared. It would have been more useful if I could have a widget for each vehicle. I also agree that it would be more useful if it didn't simply open the app anyway. The time it takes to hold the icon and select "start climate" isnt any faster (if it is at all) then opening the app and just tapping the giant climate button.

 

[kodiakng]

*pulls out sad trombone* still no "Open Frunk" button. ?

also, such a big widget for such little information or added functionality.

 

[macchiaz-o]

They appear to be nothing more than another shortcut to the Fordpass app, generally. They provide no other specific functionality beyond the normal Fordpass invocation to whatever page the app was last sitting open on. No direct function action is enabled.

Otherwise, adding widget capability is a step in the right direction. However, I'll be mostly unimpressed without some truly useful other info like 12v SOC or realtime charge rate and %.

Updated the app and the buttons appeared. It would have been more useful if I could have a widget for each vehicle. I also agree that it would be more useful if it didn't simply open the app anyway. The time it takes to hold the icon and select "start climate" isnt any faster (if it is at all) then opening the app and just tapping the giant climate button.

The shortcuts truly are shortcuts. One tap from your launcher/home screen and the vehicle will be locked, unlocked, or started.

@MetalCord, you may be missing a setup step... After you hold on the FordPass icon you see the list of shortcuts. Yes, you can then launch them from there. But you could ALSO choose to slide a shortcut out of that menu and onto your home page. This makes it a one-tap shortcut for future use.

I'm very disappointed with the new widget, though. Yeah it looks neat, aesthetically... But it takes up a lot of screen space and worst of all, it's not dynamically updating! It only refreshes when I open the FordPass app. So it's not useful info at a glance, since it's out of date.

 

[MetalCord]

The shortcuts truly are shortcuts. One tap from your launcher/home screen and the vehicle will be locked, unlocked, or started.

@MetalCord, you may be missing a setup step... After you hold on the FordPass icon you see the list of shortcuts. Yes, you can then launch them from there. But you could ALSO choose to slide a shortcut out of that menu and onto your home page. This makes it a one-tap shortcut for future use.

I'm very disappointed with the new widget, though. Yeah it looks neat, aesthetically... But it takes up a lot of screen space and worst of all, it's not dynamically updating! It only refreshes when I open the FordPass app. So it's not useful info at a glance, since it's out of date.

I was indeed missing that step! Thank you for that clarification. I concur with your assessment. Without the widget updating on it's own and without the ability to have that info for multiple vehicles, it really misses the mark on being useful. Hopefully they'll keep developing it. They break so much so frequently with simple updates, it makes sense to me that they would roll out new features slowly... too slowly though.

 

[Naren]

How long ford will take show whether its locked ? or not , controls on widget and cabin temperature etc.

 

[PedroDaGr8]

My widget definitely has issues. Also dislike that it's a single fixed size.

 

[MacherAWD]

My widget definitely has issues. Also dislike that it's a single fixed size.

Android? Mine can be re-sized. I have 5.22

 

[PedroDaGr8]

Android? Mine can be re-sized. I have 5.22

Interesting, in Android, 5.21 can't be resized. 5.23 hasn't been pushed to me yet (just checked play store)

 

[MacherAWD]

Interesting, in Android, 5.21 can't be resized. 5.23 hasn't been pushed to me yet (just checked play store)

I am in their beta, but yeah, it defaults to 3x2, but I just made it 2x2 and it gets rid of dead space, and fit the spot on my home screen. I should check if the app did anything else.

 

[MetalCord]

My widget definitely has issues. Also dislike that it's a single fixed size.

Is the text being squished because of font settings you have on the phone? I shrunk my widget down really small and the text never cut off like that. Could it be the resolution of your screen? What phone do you have?

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