Anyone using Alexa in their Mach-E?

[JoelOclock]

Absolutely hilarious. Everyone hating on Amazon when it’s your precious auto manufacturer who is the one who has ‘taken away your choice’.
I use the phrase mockingly since you can all search for another car. But good luck with it being something new. Every car has an assistant, whether it’s google/siri/Alexa/Ford and they are all recording data (although not to the hilarious extent that some of you spout)

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[mjs020294]

Amazon/Alexa does not listen to random conversations. They have a small team that litsens to recording from a tiny percentage of users; and they use that information to analyze the accuracy of the voice recognition.

Alexa is only active when it lights up after saying the key word.

 

[MooSting]

I just want to remove the icon from the top.

 

[IMDIDOC]

I have the Ford Pass skill on my Echo device. I can say "Alexa, tell Ford Pass to start my car" it replies "What's your pin?" then "sending start command to your car". Works great. I don't have to take my phone out and launch Ford Pass and press/hold the start button. It will do other stuff too..

I've not tried it in the car other than the Alexa app on the phone.

Even if the Echo was listening, they would be bored to death. Google maps sends me a report on all the places I've visited. Who cares? By golly he goes grocery shopping!

We live in an era of data availability. Your FastPass tracks your interstate travels, your credit card tracks what you buy and where, your loyalty cards where you shop and what you buy. I don't really think you can avoid it completely. Even your ATM card tracks what machine you use. I get surveys about how was your experience at our ATM located at ....

Browsing on the internet may necessitate a VPN to stay incognito.

We have no trust in anything. Big companies, government, scientist, the CDC, the media, social media. Be alert and mindful rather than paranoid and scared.

 

[JerryL]

If Alexa is spying on me, she’s wasting her time. I love my Amazon music and I will use it once (if) my car finally gets delivered.

 

[H.Bergeron]

So funny - 3 pages of replies and nobody has really taken the time to answer the OP question as to how Alexa works in the Mach-E. ?

Let me take a stab at it. It's weird; I have a Galaxy Flip 3 5g, my wife has an iPhone and we now have the choice of Siri, Google, Ford Assistant, and Alexa. Sort of a bot "overload" but all are good with different things.

The best way I can describe using Alexa in the car is this...at home, we have numerous appliances that have Alexa integration and we have set those up in our Alexa app. For example, we have Hue lights, Nest Thermostats, Tidal music, Kevo locks, Liftmaster MyQ garage doors, etc. You get the idea.

Having Alexa in the car is just like having another Echo device at home, but it's in your car. I can be 30 miles from home and "announce" that I'm 30 mins away to my family at home. I can just say, Alexa, play the album Spirit of Eden by Talk Talk on Tidal and boom...it's playing in the car. I can turn on the lights at home just as I'm arriving, or I can set the home to "guard mode" as I'm leaving. Basically, all of the things you can do at home are extended to you while out and about...and I love it. It's not that I'm a huge fanboy of Alexa (for what it's worth), but admittedly, it works extremely well.

If I'm on the freeway listening to loud music in the cabin and say Alexa in a normal voice, the music pauses and Alexa waits for a command...the mic in the car is very sensitive and it works well. Also, Alexa will allow you to do in car things as well as "navigate to 123 Main St" (which uses built in Nav), or set temperature to 72 degrees", etc. but that said, I feel like I struggle a bit more to get those commands to work as well as Ford Assistant or Siri.

All that said, if I want to do anything with Carplay or Android Auto, I'm long pressing the mic button and using Siri or Google to work the apps within their ecosystems. If I'm doing in car stuff, I tend to just hit the mic button quickly and have Ford Assistant help out as it seems more responsive for in car commands for the built in Nav or Mach-E functionality. Again, not that Alexa CAN'T do it, but I just find it easier.

Still, if I want to play a song or podcast from Tidal instantly, or if I want to control something at home, or get a flash news briefing, or get the weather or even play a quick game, Alexa is pretty flawless and a big thumbs up to a very clean integration.

Hope that helps...

Robb

P.S. One last note...that Tidal streaming doesn't come off my phone...it's using a 30 day trial of in car data services that are normally $10 a month and use the built in cell services of the Mach-E. I might just continue to subscribe but undecided right now...$10 isn't too big a deal but the streaming music from Tidal seems to sound a bit more compressed to me than if I'm streaming direct from my phone in Android Auto. I need to "A/B" this a bit more...not 100% sure yet.

V


This was very helpful. Thanks!

 

[H.Bergeron]

I have the Ford Pass skill on my Echo device. I can say "Alexa, tell Ford Pass to start my car" it replies "What's your pin?" then "sending start command to your car". Works great. I don't have to take my phone out and launch Ford Pass and press/hold the start button. It will do other stuff too..

Very cool!

 

[phil2kx]

What about the integration of Amazon Music? Can you control it on the Sync screen or only via voice commands? Can you select a playlist or a song on the screen? Is the music streaming using the car‘s modem?

Thanks for your answers!

 

[snowy_91]

What about the integration of Amazon Music? Can you control it on the Sync screen or only via voice commands? Can you select a playlist or a song on the screen? Is the music streaming using the car‘s modem?

Thanks for your answers!

Yes, you can select a playlist or song on the screen.

 

[phil2kx]

Yes, you can select a playlist or song on the screen.

Thank you!

That sounds great. Could you possibly take a photo of that screen? That would be really great.

Do you know if Dolby Atmos works?

Thanks again and have a great day.

 

[scoopman]

Sorry if I missed this in the 8+ of pages of this thread (clearly Alexa provokes lots of opinions!) but can I just turn the wakeword for Alexa off so my kids cannot invoke her? Did Ford at least add a setting for this, as they have for their own wakeword? Alexa isn't my ecosystem of choice.

So funny - 3 pages of replies and nobody has really taken the time to answer the OP question as to how Alexa works in the Mach-E. ?

Let me take a stab at it. It's weird; I have a Galaxy Flip 3 5g, my wife has an iPhone and we now have the choice of Siri, Google, Ford Assistant, and Alexa. Sort of a bot "overload" but all are good with different things.

The best way I can describe using Alexa in the car is this...at home, we have numerous appliances that have Alexa integration and we have set those up in our Alexa app. For example, we have Hue lights, Nest Thermostats, Tidal music, Kevo locks, Liftmaster MyQ garage doors, etc. You get the idea.

Having Alexa in the car is just like having another Echo device at home, but it's in your car. I can be 30 miles from home and "announce" that I'm 30 mins away to my family at home. I can just say, Alexa, play the album Spirit of Eden by Talk Talk on Tidal and boom...it's playing in the car. I can turn on the lights at home just as I'm arriving, or I can set the home to "guard mode" as I'm leaving. Basically, all of the things you can do at home are extended to you while out and about...and I love it. It's not that I'm a huge fanboy of Alexa (for what it's worth), but admittedly, it works extremely well.

If I'm on the freeway listening to loud music in the cabin and say Alexa in a normal voice, the music pauses and Alexa waits for a command...the mic in the car is very sensitive and it works well. Also, Alexa will allow you to do in car things as well as "navigate to 123 Main St" (which uses built in Nav), or set temperature to 72 degrees", etc. but that said, I feel like I struggle a bit more to get those commands to work as well as Ford Assistant or Siri.

All that said, if I want to do anything with Carplay or Android Auto, I'm long pressing the mic button and using Siri or Google to work the apps within their ecosystems. If I'm doing in car stuff, I tend to just hit the mic button quickly and have Ford Assistant help out as it seems more responsive for in car commands for the built in Nav or Mach-E functionality. Again, not that Alexa CAN'T do it, but I just find it easier.

Still, if I want to play a song or podcast from Tidal instantly, or if I want to control something at home, or get a flash news briefing, or get the weather or even play a quick game, Alexa is pretty flawless and a big thumbs up to a very clean integration.

Hope that helps...

Robb

P.S. One last note...that Tidal streaming doesn't come off my phone...it's using a 30 day trial of in car data services that are normally $10 a month and use the built in cell services of the Mach-E. I might just continue to subscribe but undecided right now...$10 isn't too big a deal but the streaming music from Tidal seems to sound a bit more compressed to me than if I'm streaming direct from my phone in Android Auto. I need to "A/B" this a bit more...not 100% sure yet.

 

[alockbox]

Oh interesting, didn’t realize it was out in some cars!
And bummed to hear they don’t let you remove the shortcut icon.

They must be getting paid. I can't see a reason why ALEXA would get prominent placement on the screen and not TRUNK FRUNK. If anything is missing from the top of the main screen, it's those two buttons. Also, AUTO ac button needs to cycle 3-2-1-OFF-3... etc. These are relatively simple tweaks to what already exists.

 

[jwhamlin244]

I wouldn't mind having alexa in my car but HOLY CRAP NO I do not want this giant bright blue blob in my title bar. How did this design get approved?!

Is that how you activate it? does it DO anything?
That needs to be more subtle jeez

 

[alockbox]

I wouldn't mind having alexa in my car but HOLY CRAP NO I do not want this giant bright blue blob in my title bar. How did this design get approved?!

Is that how you activate it? does it DO anything?
That needs to be more subtle jeez

Totally agree, I would be PISSED if that giant blue crap appeared on my interface, lopsided.

If they want to go that route, give me TRUNK FRUNK on the left and ALEXA SIRI on the right.

 

[Stang68]

They must be getting paid. I can't see a reason why ALEXA would get prominent placement on the screen and not TRUNK FRUNK. If anything is missing from the top of the main screen, it's those two buttons. Also, AUTO ac button needs to cycle 3-2-1-OFF-3... etc. These are relatively simple tweaks to what already exists.

Also, a camera shortcut button!

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