Ford Streaming trial expiring - What is Ford Streaming?

[Velkyrion]

I got an email today that my Ford Streaming service is expiring soon. When I clicked the email link to see what this even is, the description it gives me isn't 100% clear.

I thought it's just the Alexa crap I don't care about since I don't use Alexa, but below that there's a separate Alexa service that is not expiring for a couple of years.

So what really is Ford Streaming? How does it differ from Alexa Built-In? I tried googling it but apparently it's a newer thing and the posts I found reference Bluetooth. Surely they're not going to make us pay to use Bluetooth.

 

[speedracercjr]

Surely they're not going to make us pay to use Bluetooth.

Wouldn't put it past them.....

 

[trojandawg3]

I believe it's like cell phone service for your vehicle. I don't know why anyone would pay for it with everyone having virtually unlimited cell service to use now days.

 

[130 Ghost_Riders]

It looks like it was a 30 day trial to use Amazon auto streaming services and possibly other internet services. A slight difference from the built in Wi-Fi with ATT but probably not much.

 

[Velkyrion]

I believe it's like cell phone service for your vehicle. I don't know why anyone would pay for it with everyone having virtually unlimited cell service to use now days.

I could be wrong, but I believe what you're talking about is Hotspot, which is a separate service.

 

[130 Ghost_Riders]

https://www.ford.com/support/how-tos/sync/sync-4a/how-do-i-use-ford-streaming/

 

[Velkyrion]

https://www.ford.com/support/how-tos/sync/sync-4a/how-do-i-use-ford-streaming/

Thank you! So nothing I care about or don't already have via Android Auto.

 

[Orlando150]

Looks like it works without a smartphone which I guess is the only use case?

 

[Velkyrion]

Looks like it works without a smartphone which I guess is the only use case?

Seems like it. Basically don't have to use your phone to stream content via amazon and other apps and instead uses the vehicles cell service.

But I cant think of any realistic scenario where I am likely to be without my phone and wanting to stream. Certainly no situation happening frequent enough where it'd be worth it to me to pay a subscription service for this feature... And if I'm in a situation where my phone doesn't have cell service, it's unlikely the truck will either.

 

[trojandawg3]

So there is the wifi/hotspot/att/cell thing and this streaming thing? WTH? Both would seem fairly useless right?

 

[Orlando150]

Seems like it. Basically don't have to use your phone to stream content via amazon and other apps and instead uses the vehicles cell service.

But I cant think of any realistic scenario where I am likely to be without my phone and wanting to stream. Certainly no situation happening frequent enough where it'd be worth it to me to pay a subscription service for this feature... And if I'm in a situation where my phone doesn't have cell service, it's unlikely the truck will either.

It probably works for a customer who doesn't have a smart phone but does have an Alexa in their home they use to stream music and want the same in their new car.

 

[Velkyrion]

So there is the wifi/hotspot/att/cell thing and this streaming thing? WTH? Both would seem fairly useless right?

Well they’re pretty different features. The hotspot any device can connect to. So someone can use their laptop in their truck via the trucks cell service. I’m not sure how cost effective that is compared to an external hotspot service though…. I’m not the target audience for that so I haven’t looked into it. I plan on letting all these connected service subscriptions expire.

 

[ws6transam]

Wow, FOrd marketing is falling down on the job with this one - I went over an hour on the phone and they could never explain to me what this service really is. It's $10 / month to subscribe to it. The AT&T data streaming hotspot costs $200 / year and is a separate thing. I actually used it for servicing some seismic stations last week and it was useful to me. So I might keep the AT&T streaming but this other thing....Ford streaming; I can't figure it out, nor how to stream music with it. So I'll stick with my USB music stick and access Spotify through my smartphone and bluetooth.

 

[ws6transam]

My Ford STreaming is now officially expired. So far, the only side-effect seems to be my loss of Alexa services to ask where the nearest restaurants are located. I haven't been able to get the hang of this voice command thing anyway. The only thing I've been able to do hands-free so far is turn on and off the rear window defroster. Oh, and I asked Alexa for tomorrow's lotto numbers and she gave me Amazon headquarters telephone number as a snarky response. I can't see any value to Ford Streaming that was worth the $15 a month. In terms of streaming music, as advertised by Ford, I managed to get it to stream twice: Once, I asked to play some music by Roy Rogers, and it played one song. Then I asked to hear some music by the band Boston, and again, it played one song. I couldn't figure out how to get it to play a playlist by a band, or album. This was rather...not useful, if I had to ask for more music every three minutes.

I couldnt even figure out navigation without touching my nav-screen, or voice-dialing telephone calls with Alexa; So instead of hollering Alexa, I say Okay Google, and my telephone picks up. Of course, I have to look down and physically unlock my telephone by pushing buttons before that works , so it's still not hands-free. Does anyone know of any tutorials online about how to successfully maximize the hands-free voice operations in today's cars?

 

[Velkyrion]

My Ford STreaming is now officially expired. So far, the only side-effect seems to be my loss of Alexa services to ask where the nearest restaurants are located. I haven't been able to get the hang of this voice command thing anyway. The only thing I've been able to do hands-free so far is turn on and off the rear window defroster. Oh, and I asked Alexa for tomorrow's lotto numbers and she gave me Amazon headquarters telephone number as a snarky response. I can't see any value to Ford Streaming that was worth the $15 a month. In terms of streaming music, as advertised by Ford, I managed to get it to stream twice: Once, I asked to play some music by Roy Rogers, and it played one song. Then I asked to hear some music by the band Boston, and again, it played one song. I couldn't figure out how to get it to play a playlist by a band, or album. This was rather...not useful, if I had to ask for more music every three minutes.

I couldnt even figure out navigation without touching my nav-screen, or voice-dialing telephone calls with Alexa; So instead of hollering Alexa, I say Okay Google, and my telephone picks up. Of course, I have to look down and physically unlock my telephone by pushing buttons before that works , so it's still not hands-free. Does anyone know of any tutorials online about how to successfully maximize the hands-free voice operations in today's cars?

If you're using Android auto, you can press and hold the voice command button on the steering wheel to activate Google assistant via the car. One normal tap activated the built in sync voice control, while a longer hold activates your phones android auto or apple carplay voice control.