Ford Connectivity

[MTNestr]

I have Ford Premium Connectivity along with Amazon Alexa in my 2025 Mach-E. Ford Premium Connectivity says you can stream audio and video. Should I be able to stream music from iHeart without using my phone (Apple)? How?

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[cyeung]

The connectivity package enables your Mach-E’s built-in hotspot. You need to connect your iPhone to the hotspot and stream music that way.

Remember: You must use wired CarPlay if you are using the in-vehicle hotspot.

 

[MTNestr]

But I‘m trying to stream music without the use of a phone.

Here’s what Ford says:

In summary, to stream audio in your Ford without using your phone, you would likely need a Ford Connectivity package (including a subscription) and utilize compatible built-in apps that leverage the vehicle's internet connection.

But how do I do this??

When I tell Ford Alexa to play something on iHeart - Alexa says I can’t do that right now. It’s like Alexa is looking for an iHeart App that is installed within Ford i.e. a built-in app.

 

[AZBill]

I do not have the Premium connected services, but according to the Ford web site you have to go to the Google playstore and download the apps you want. That is how it works in my GM vehicle.

https://www.ford.com/technology/connected-services/ford-premium-connectivity/


Not sure where the Playstore shows up in the Mach E UI. Ask Alexa to open the Google Playstore.

 

[E90alex]

But I‘m trying to stream music without the use of a phone.

Here’s what Ford says:

In summary, to stream audio in your Ford without using your phone, you would likely need a Ford Connectivity package (including a subscription) and utilize compatible built-in apps that leverage the vehicle's internet connection.

But how do I do this??

When I tell Ford Alexa to play something on iHeart - Alexa says I can’t do that right now. It’s like Alexa is looking for an iHeart App that is installed within Ford i.e. a built-in app.

Yes, the app you want to use would need to be something built into the Sync system.

Unfortunately Sync doesn’t have an App Store so whatever is on there is all you’re going to get until Ford decides to add something else in an OTA update.

 

[cyeung]

I have an iPhone and turned off Alexa. I just spent a few minutes in my car; and I can't figure it out. :-/

 

[ChrisO]

But I‘m trying to stream music without the use of a phone.

Here’s what Ford says:

In summary, to stream audio in your Ford without using your phone, you would likely need a Ford Connectivity package (including a subscription) and utilize compatible built-in apps that leverage the vehicle's internet connection.

But how do I do this??

When I tell Ford Alexa to play something on iHeart - Alexa says I can’t do that right now. It’s like Alexa is looking for an iHeart App that is installed within Ford i.e. a built-in app.

To use iHeart through Alexa go into the iHeart app on your phone and find the "Link to Alexa" and enable that. Note I'm on Android, but it should be similar on the iPhone.

Once I did that the Alexa error that it could connect to iHeart went away.

Also, a bit about the apps on the Mach-E. There are the Ford Apps that come from Ford, you can't change the apps on that page.

The there are the apps that will show up when you connect with either CarPlay or Android auto. Again, just tried this on Android auto but it should be similar on CarPlay. When you install an app on your phone that is compatible with CarPlay/Android Auto when you next connect to the Mach-E that app will show up in the apps section of CarPlay/Android Auto.

This happened for me, but I did find that I was having problems with using it in Android Auto, your mileage may vary.

 

[MTNestr]

Thanks everyone. You’ve given several things to try.

Whenever I listen to the music in my car I do it via iHeart on Apple Car Play because iHeart seems to have the best quality. My understanding is that I’m streaming this using my iPhone’s cellular connection which in my case is Verizon. Verizon has very bad service in my area and I can not listen to music until I’m a mile or so away from home. I was hoping that since Ford Connect uses AT&T that I would be able to listen to iHeart music as soon as I get in the car.

Am I wrong with the way it works?

 

[mdwinther35]

If iheart has a "download music for offline use" or something similar that might be another option to bridge the gap when you are in a poor reception area.

It seems like the Ford connectivity subscription will be more useful with Ford's new digital experience (https://www.ford.com/technology/ford-digital-experience/), that looks like a whole new hardware/software stack that allows app downloads. Will be interesting to see if that comes to the mache in future model years.

 

[ChrisO]

Thanks everyone. You’ve given several things to try.

Whenever I listen to the music in my car I do it via iHeart on Apple Car Play because iHeart seems to have the best quality. My understanding is that I’m streaming this using my iPhone’s cellular connection which in my case is Verizon. Verizon has very bad service in my area and I can not listen to music until I’m a mile or so away from home. I was hoping that since Ford Connect uses AT&T that I would be able to listen to iHeart music as soon as I get in the car.

Am I wrong with the way it works?

Yes, if you are thinking that you can use the CarPlay app, no if you are willing to use Alexa.

When using CarPlay (or Android Auto) what is happening is that the Mach-E is acting as the GUI for your phone, the actual processing/cell communication is happening on your phone. There is no way to direct the communication through the Mach-E's cell communications.

Let's start here:

This is the Mach-E Apps which can't be changed. You will notice that there is CarPlay, Android Auto and Alexa.

As I said, for CarPlay it is only really using the speakers, display, microphone, and touch.

But what about Alexa? Well, it is a Mach-E App which works without your phone so clearly it gets its cell connection from the Mach-E.

I think the documentation for all of this is a bit misleading. it sort of implies that the Ford connection service can somehow do all this streaming on its own. But if that was true it would need some kind of way just to access those services like an app. But there isn't any app like that in the Mach-E's apps, with the exception of Alexa, which can do that.

And look at this help:

So, what you really have here is the Mach-E uses the "Ford Connectivity" to connect to Alexa and expects Alexa to provide all those promised services.

And what services would that be? Well, anyone connected to your Alexa account of course. Like I have Amazon Prime so I can ask Alexa to play music from the Amazon Music store. You can link Alexa to iHeart and have Alexa connect to that service (through the Amazon servers).

 

[E90alex]

Anything running through CarPlay is running through your phone.

In order to use the cars internet connection for CarPlay, you need to disable wireless CarPlay, plug in your phone via cable to use wired CarPlay, and turn on the cars wifi hotspot and connect to that on your phone.

 

[ChrisO]

Anything running through CarPlay is running through your phone.

In order to use the cars internet connection for CarPlay, you need to disable wireless CarPlay, plug in your phone via cable to use wired CarPlay, and turn on the cars wifi hotspot and connect to that on your phone.

Please note that to get the WiFi hotspot you must have the AT&T service plan. This isn't the "Ford Connectivity" service, which includes Alexa access.

EDIT: I hope this isn't too confusing. These are two different ways to tackle the same problem. One uses phone to AT&T's hotspot service, and the other uses the Ford Connectivity service which in turn uses Alexa to do the streaming.

When I leased my car, I got the AT&T service on trial basis for a limited amount of data and didn't sign up for the AT&T cell service/hotspot when I ran of that data. And then the Ford Connectivity service for 3 years. So, I have no Mach-E hotspot, but I do have Alexa.

 

[E90alex]

2025 gets a new connectivity package with 1 free year, which includes wifi hotspot

 

[ChrisO]

2025 gets a new connectivity package with 1 free year, which includes wifi hotspot

Good to know. Thanks. Mine is a 2024.

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