Talking And Texting Through SYNC With MyFord Touch
SYNC with MyFord Touch supports Bluetooth-based hands-free kits, phone book transfer with contact photos, and audible text messaging. So, you can technically talk and text as you drive around, though there are still notable safety concerns about trying to multitask in the car. Laws against distracted driving are quickly limiting the scope of activities you can undertake behind the wheel, and this seems like it could be the next target of law enforcement.
Setting up a phone for the first time is painless, and by far one of the easiest processes we’ve tackled. When you step into the car, there’s an “Add Phone” button on the LCD that brings up the device pairing screen. This puts the system in discovery mode so your phone can search for and find it. There are no sub-menus or complicated voice commands to fight. If you want to add a second phone, there's a single sub-menu that displays currently-paired devices and the same “Add Phone” button. You can also specify which phone receives priority if there are multiple paired devices in the car at the same time.
Once a phone is paired and connected, SYNC with MyFord Touch conveys your basic battery status, signal levels, and a dial pad. It also provides shortcuts to your phone book, call history, and text messages.
The initial phone book transfer takes a second. But once that completes, you have complete access to your contacts, including e-mail addresses and a contact photo. Unfortunately, the photo ID feature is only supported by select Android phones with the HTC Sense or MotoBlur user interfaces, along with a couple of Windows Phone-based devices. The Galaxy Nexus and iPhone aren't supported, so we can't share our beloved editor-in-chief’s mug.
SYNC with MyFord Touch can receive and display text messages on the LCD screen. It can also read them aloud as you’re driving along (at least in theory; the phone has to explicitly support this feature). There aren't many devices currently able to push text messages to the SYNC display, though if you own a BlackBerry or MotoBlur-equipped phone, the feature does work. Otherwise, you're stuck texting the old fashioned way. And hopefully that means not until you reach your destination.
Ford does include a couple of generic preset messages for quick responses to received texts. The message list is user-editable, so you can add LOL or LMFAO if you so desire. Fortunately, more phones can send texts through SYNC than receive. We had no troubles sending messages through our Galaxy Nexus.