The Ultimate Guide to MyFord Touch

SYNC with MyFord Touch, sometimes called SYNC 2, is the second generation of Ford's SYNC infotainment system. It debuted in 2010 on the Ford Edge as the new premium infotainment option. The basic SYNC system was still available as a lower cost option.

MyFord Touch was revolutionary for the time. It replaced many traditional knobs and buttons with a resistive touchscreen. MyFord Touch also offered customizability on nearly everything. You could personalize the information shown, your ambient lighting, and your background image.

Unfortunately, the move to a touchscreen came before the technology was developed enough to support it. The glitches and problems MyFord Touch had at launch cut its generation short.

If your vehicle has a MyFord Touch system, there are some system updates that make it more usable. We made this guide to help you learn the features, and limitations, of the system.

MyFord Touch Features

MyFord Touch included way more features than the base SYNC system. SYNC simply offered a hands-free way to control your phone and media. But MyFord Touch turned your car into a futuristic comfort and entertainment pod.

Almost every aspect of the MyFord Touch system could be personalized. Two LCD screens in the gauge cluster could be customized to show the information most relevant to each driver.

But one of MyFord Touch’s weaknesses was that it offered too many features, and some of them didn’t make much sense. Keyboard support and an integrated web browser are neat features, in theory. But in reality who wants to browse the internet on their car’s infotainment system?

During the period MyFord Touch was available, Ford’s safety ratings suffered. Reviewers argued that it was too easy to get distracted by the infotainment system.

Other features, like an SD card slot, seem small until you see the potential. With the SD card slot, navigation updates were faster and easier than ever before.

Feature Highlights:

How to Pair Your Phone with MyFord Touch

Many of the features in MyFord Touch rely on your phone. To get the most out of the system, you’ll need to pair the two devices via Bluetooth so they can communicate with each other.

1. Turn your phone and vehicle on.
2. Make your phone’s Bluetooth feature discoverable. You’ll find this option in the settings menu.
3. On the SYNC menu, select “Add a Phone.”
4. In your phone’s Bluetooth menu search for devices and select SYNC.
5. Both SYNC and your phone will display a six-digit number. If the numbers match, touch “Pair” on your phone and “Yes” on your SYNC touchscreen.
6. If your phone doesn’t support this feature, then enter the pass-key into your phone manually. This should force the pairing.
7. You’ll see a message on the SYNC system saying that your phone has been connected successfully.

SYNC will then give you the options to set up automatic phonebook downloads and set your phone as a favorite. You can accept or reject these if you’d like. Keep in mind that you can only use one paired phone at a time.

MyFord Touch Controls

One of the things that makes the MyFord Touch system unique is its setup. Besides the touchscreen in the center console, you also have two LCD screens in the gauge cluster. These centrally located screens are 4.2” each, which is just as big as the MyFord screen from the SYNC generation. Between these three screens, you'll have a lot of information available to you at a glance.

Center Touchscreen

The largest of the three screens is the central touchscreen. This is a resistive touchscreen, which means it responds to pressure rather than to skin contact. That means you don’t need to take your gloves off to control the screen, but it can be a shock for people used to smartphones. It’s divided into four corners.

Center Touchscreen Options:

• The upper left is for your phone and is colored yellow.
• The upper right is for vehicle information and is colored green.
• The lower left is for entertainment and is colored red.
• The lower right is for climate and is colored blue.
• The house icon at the bottom takes you to the home screen.
• The gear icon at the bottom takes you to the settings menu.
• The "i" icon at the bottom takes you to the Sirius Travel Link subsciption features (only visible on MyFord Touch systems with built-in navigation).

When you select any of these quadrants you’ll be taken to a new screen. There, you’ll find your content in the center screen. Primary controls will be on the left, and secondary controls will be on the right. Any content-specific controls will go on the bottom.

If a button shows multiple light bars, that means there are more features available if you select that option. For example, in your entertainment section, you’ll notice that you can hit the FM button to show FM1 and FM2 options.

Left Display

The left display is where you’ll find information related to your vehicle, like your fuel economy, oil life, or trip information. This screen is colored blue.

You can use the settings menu to customize your lighting, chimes, and displays. You can also set your vehicle’s top speed and audio volume limits through this menu.

To cycle through the menu options, use the five-way buttons on the left-hand side of the steering wheel.

Left Display Options:

• Driver Assist: Traction control, cruise control, front and rear parking assist.
• Vehicle Information: Lighting, fuel, wipers.
• Display: Trip display, language selection, and gauge display with tachometer, fuel level, and coolant temp.
• Vehicle Vitals: Oil life, wiper fluid, and brake condition.
• Fuel Economy: Current miles per gallon, and miles per gallon over time.
• Trip Info: Trip odometer, trip timer, distance-to-empty.
• MyKey (if equipped): Create a MyKey, max. speed, speed warning, volume limiter, clear MyKeys, and system reset.

Right Display

The right display is where you’ll find information related to your infotainment. This menu’s options mostly duplicate the center console’s.

Using the five-way buttons on your steering wheel’s right side, you can access the most-used functions of your SYNC system. That way you can keep your eyes on the road and your hands on the steering wheel while navigating which entertainment input you’d like to listen to.

Right Display Options:

• Entertainment
• Phone
• Navigation (if equipped)
• Surplus (shows surplus energy for electric vehicles)

Touchscreen Care Tips

There are some settings and menu options that can only be accessed from the center screen, so it’s important to keep it in working order. Here are some maintenance and use tips to keep your MyFord Touch screen in good shape.

• Keep your hands dry when operating the touchscreen.
• Only touch buttons once and wait to see how the system responds. Repeated button mashing can cause errors.
• Regularly clean the screen with a soft cloth. Use a tiny amount of rubbing alcohol if necessary.

Hands-Free Calling and Texting

One of the most used features of MyFord Touch is the ability to make and receive calls without reaching for your phone. Hands-free calling and texting makes you a little safer in your vehicle.

How to Transfer Your Contacts

To use some of the voice commands, you’ll want to have your contacts loaded into MyFord Touch. Once your phone is paired, this is very easy to do.

1. Go to the “Phone” quadrant on the center touchscreen.
2. Select “Settings.”
3. Choose “Manage Phonebook Options.”
4. Select “Phonebook Download” and wait for the download to complete.

You’ll get a “Phonebook Download Complete” message and your contacts will be saved to your MyFord Touch system.

How to Turn on Automatic Contact Downloads

An easy way to keep your contact list up-to-date is to set up automatic contact downloads. If you turn this setting on, MyFord Touch will automatically update your contacts list as you add or delete them in the future. The system can store 2,000 contacts. For most people, that’s plenty of storage space.

1. Open the “Settings” menu.
2. Select “Settings” again.
3. Select the “Phone” option.
4. Choose “Settings” again.
5. Once you’re in the Phone Settings menu, go to “Manage Phonebook.”
6. Select “Auto Phonebook Download.”
7. Make sure “Auto Download” is set to “On.”

How to Listen and Reply to Text Messages

When you get a text message on your paired phone, MyFord Touch will play a soft tone. Here’s how to listen and respond to the text:

1. Press the “Voice” button and say “Listen to text message” when you hear the tone. SYNC will then read the message out loud.
2. Hit the voice button and say “Reply to text message” to respond.
3. Choose a response from a list of 15 preset messages on your center touchscreen.
4. Confirm your selection to send the text.

Don’t panic if you hit the wrong response the first time. You can cancel it and try again.

Responding to Texts with Siri Eyes Free

If you have an iPhone, then your text replies will be handled by Siri. Here’s how it works:

1. Activate Siri by holding the voice button on your steering wheel.
2. When you hear the tone, tell Siri who you want to text and what you want to say.
3. Siri will read your text back to you.
4. Confirm the message to send it once you’re satisfied.

Although MyFord Touch doesn’t have email support, Siri Eyes Free does. That means you can follow the same steps to ask Siri to read your email and compose them for you.

How to Use Your Phone with Voice Commands

Voice commands with MyFord Touch are easier to use than the previous SYNC generation. You no longer need to pause between each word. For example, instead of “Call *pause* Paul,” you can simply say “Call Paul,” and the system should pick it up.

You’ll still need to touch the voice button on the steering wheel first before saying the command.

How to Enable 911 Assist

911 Assist will call an ambulance if your airbags deploy in an accident. This is a great emergency feature, but you do need to activate it (the default state is off).

1. Go to the settings option on your touchscreen.
2. Select “Help.”
3. Find the “911 Assist” option.
4. Turn 911 Assist on.

911 Assist needs to use your phone to place the call, so a phone must be paired to the SYNC system. If the primary phone is disconnected, then SYNC will search for other paired phones to place the call.

When SYNC places the call, it will include the number of safety belts in use and provide details about the crash. This helps 911 send the correct amount and type of help.

If 911 Assist is activated but you don’t need help, you’ll get a 10 second window to cancel the call.

Adding Emergency Contacts to 911 Assist

One new feature for MyFord Touch is the ability to add emergency contacts to your 911 Assist options. After a 911 Assist call, these will be the numbers your system displays, allowing you to call with a single touch. You can save up to two emergency contacts.

To add these, just go to your “Phone menu” and select “911 Assist.” Then, touch ‘Edit” to add your two desired contacts.

How to Play Music and Other Audio/Video with MyFord Touch

MyFord Touch expanded on the entertainment options offered by the original SYNC system. It also added some passenger-focused conveniences, like an AV input option and WiFi hotspot capabilities. Here’s a list of the entertainment inputs you can select from with MyFord Touch:

Ford worked with Gracenote for their media entertainment. This meant there was album cover art to go along with music (a good use of the color screen) but also improved voice commands. With Gracenote, you should be able to ask for artists with challenging names (whether that’s Tchaikovsky or Depeche Mode).

AV Input

One of the unique features of the MyFord Touch system is the ability to play audio and video from whatever’s plugged into the AV jacks. This means you can review footage from a video camera or play something on a video game console. In order for video to play, the car has to be in park.

MyFord Touch Entertainment Voice Commands

You can use the “entertainment” quadrant of your touchscreen or the right LCD screen to change your entertainment input/source. All of these can be controlled via the voice commands or the manual ones.

How to Create a WiFi Hotspot with MyFord Touch

Using the MyFord Touch system and your smartphone’s data plan, you can offer WiFi to your passengers. This is a great feature for carpooling commuters as well as families. While your passengers are online, you’ll still be able to use your phone for normal SYNC functions.

1. Go to the “Settings” menu.
2. Select “Wireless and Internet.”
3. Touch “WiFi Settings.”
4. Set your “Gateway Access Point” mode to “On.”
5. Touch “Settings.”
6. Select one of the security types: WEP, WPA or WPA2. If your devices support it, you’ll want to select WPA2. This offers the best security.

SYNC will display a security passcode. Select SYNC from your available networks on your phone and enter the passcode to join.

MyFord Touch Navigation

Navigation was an optional feature for MyFord Touch, so not every system has it. If your vehicle has navigation, then you’ll see it in the top right corner of your center touchscreen. If you don’t have navigation, then that part of the screen will show other information instead.

Getting Directions

Put an address into your navigation system to get turn-by-turn directions. You can also use voice commands to operate the navigation system while driving.

SiriusXM Traffic and SiriusXM Travel Link also offer turn-by-turn directions in addition to local traffic information, fuel prices, weather, etc. Both of these programs come with a six-month free trial. They only work if you have the navigation system installed, though.

SYNC Services also provided directions and information. In your owner’s manual, you may see information or commands for SYNC services, but it was discontinued in 2018.

Adjusting the Navigation Volume

There are three ways to adjust the volume of your MyFord Touch navigation system.

Method 1: Wait for the navigation voice and then adjust the volume with your volume knob or steering wheel buttons.

Method 2: Touch the voice button on your steering wheel and say “Navigation Louder” or “Navigation Softer.”

Method 3: Mute the navigation voice by going to your Navigation menu and selecting “Settings.” There you’ll see an option for Navigation Preferences. From there, choose the option to mute your navigation system.

How to Get MyFord Touch Map Updates

MyFord Touch uses an SD card-based navigation system, which makes updates convenient. The updates are sold on an SD card. As of 2021, the new maps cost about $160.

Here’s how to get the latest map updates:

1. Visit the Ford Navigation store.
2. Enter your vehicle year and model information.
3. Select the correct SD card update and complete the order process.
4. When your new SD card arrives, simply remove the old one and insert the new one into the SD card slot.
5. Turn on your vehicle and make sure you see the navigation options in the upper corner of your screen.
6. If for some reason your vehicle isn’t reading the SD card correctly, a message will pop up telling you to insert the navigation SD card.

As long as the card is read correctly, your maps will be updated.

Navigation Voice Commands

Some of the voice commands require you to follow some extra steps to select your destination. Those commands include a note to *Follow Prompts* in the table below.

MyFord Touch Personalization Settings

One of the major selling points of MyFord Touch is its customization settings. There are a lot of options for personalization that still aren’t common. Here are some ways MyFord Touch can make your vehicle feel more custom-tailored to you.

How to Change Your MyFord Touch Wallpaper

The 8” screen in the center console comes with a plain background. You can keep that background, select one of Ford’s default photos, or add a personal image.

To add a personal image, you’ll need to select a picture that’s compatible with the system. Wallpaper image files need to be:

• In a JPEG, PNG, or Bitmap format
• 800 x 384 pixels
• No larger than 1.5 MB

Once you’ve selected an image, move it onto a USB drive.

1. Press the “Settings” option from the homescreen.
2. Find and select the “Display” option.
3. Locate the and select option for editing your wallpaper.
4. Insert your USB drive and choose the “Add” option.
5. Pick USB drive, and then choose the picture you’d like to use.
6. Save your wallpaper once you’re happy with how it looks.

How to Change Your Vehicle’s Ambient Lighting

Another neat way to personalize the inside of your vehicle is to change the color of the ambient lighting. You can access this option through the settings menu, which is located at the bottom of your touchscreen.

1. In the “Settings” menu, press the vehicle icon.
2. Select the ambient lighting bar.
3. You’ll be taken to a screen that shows several colored bubbles. Select the color you want, and then decrease or increase the intensity using the slider at the top of the screen.

You can select from green, purple, red, blue, orange, or teal lighting.

How to Set and Adjust the Climate Controls

In the climate quadrant of your center console, you can adjust the temperature and fan speed. You can also use voice commands, your right LCD screen, or your climate control buttons to adjust these.

There are a few climate features that can only be adjusted via the touchscreen, though, like heated or cooled seats. It’s also where you can change the climate control to “Dual.” This mode allows the passenger and driver to enjoy different climate settings at the same time. The touchscreen is also where you’ll set up your MyTemp.

Personalizing Climate Settings with MyTemp

MyTemp allows you to store your favorite climate settings so they can be recalled later. Here’s how to set it up from the center console’s touchscreen:

1. Adjust the temperature in the climate menu to your liking.
2. Hold the MyTemp icon until the “MyTemp stored” message appears.

Once you set up MyTemp, it will be the default setting when climate control is set to “Auto” from then on. Hitting the MyTemp button will also recall your temp if you change it. Or, you can use the voice command “Climate” followed by “MyTemp” to recall it.

How to Set Radio Presets

If there’s a radio station you enjoy listening to, then you should add it to your presets. MyFord Touch has a few ways to save radio stations for easy access.

Automatically

If you’re in a new area, or just don’t have six favorite radio stations, then you can do an auto preset. Your MyFord Touch system finds the six strongest radio signals and saves them for you.

1. Touch the entertainment corner of the touchscreen.
2. Select “FM.”
3. Choose “Options.”
4. Select “Auto Presets.”

Manually

If you already know what stations to save, then you’ll want to manually set up your presets.

1. Select the entertainment corner of your touchscreen.
2. Choose “FM.”
3. Use the “Direct Tune” option to enter your desired station and hit enter.
4. Touch and hold one of the memory preset buttons to save.

You’ll know the station is saved when you hear a brief silence followed by the radio station broadcast.

Installing SYNC Updates to MyFord Touch

Ford has issued software updates to fix some of MyFord Touch’s issues. Some of those fixes have helped declutter displays, increase font sizes, and improve response times. One study found the response times to be almost twice as fast post-update.

To see these benefits, you’ll need to make sure that your Sync system is up to date.

How to Check for Software Updates

The old SYNC updates website, syncmyride.com, is no longer active. Instead, follow these steps to see if your SYNC system needs an update:

1. Go to Ford’s SYNC update page.
2. Enter your vehicle’s VIN number.
3. Read the message below your VIN number. It will either tell you your system is up-to-date, or that an update is available.
4. Alternatively, if you have a Ford Owner account, you can check your Vehicle Dashboard to see if you have the latest version of SYNC software.
5. If your software is outdated, there will be an option to “Prepare SYNC Download” or “Download SYNC Update.”
6. Download the update file to your computer.
7. Extract or unzip the downloaded file.
8. Copy the update files onto a USB drive. Ford recommends a USB drive with at least 2GB of space. (On the website you’ll see that it needs 8GB, but that’s for SYNC 3 systems).
9. Eject the USB drive from your computer.

Once you have your software update on your USB, you’ll be ready to install it on your MyFord Touch system in the vehicle.

How to Install a MyFord Touch Software Update

One unusual feature of the MyFord Touch system is that some models came with an Intelligent Access with Push Button Start feature. To install a software update, you’ll first need to disable Automatic Engine Idle Shutdown.

To do this, use your steering wheel controls to select the “Settings” option on your left hand gauge cluster display. Then, select vehicle, find the auto engine off option, and turn it off. Now you’re ready to install your software update.

1. Make sure no other USB devices are plugged into your vehicle.
2. Start the vehicle and leave it running throughout the update. You can drive it during the update process as well.
3. Insert the USB drive and the installation should begin automatically. You’ll hear a message from the SYNC system letting you know it’s about to start.
4. Press the “OK” button on the screen to confirm and start the update. The system will reboot and you’ll see an installation progress bar.
5. Wait for the update to install. This part can take around 20 minutes or more, and the car has to stay on the entire time.
6. Wait for the system to restart. A message will let you know when this stage begins. Afterwards, the screen will turn black. It can stay black for as long as two minutes.
7. Wait for the service pack to install. You’ll see a message when this stage of the update begins. It usually takes around ten minutes. Afterwards, you’ll see another black screen for two minutes, followed by the homescreen and another progress bar.
8. Press “Okay” once the “Installation Complete” button appears on the screen.
9. Remove the USB drive from your vehicle.
10. Plug the USB drive back into your computer.
11. Go to Ford’s SYNC USB update page and scroll down to "Step Three: Confirm Update."
12. Click the “Browse for log file” button.
13. Select the XML log from your USB drive to report the successful update to Ford.

Troubleshooting Your MyFord Touch System

If you start to have trouble with MyFord Touch, the first thing you should do is check for a software update. Assuming your software is up-to-date and your phone and car are working, here are some troubleshooting steps that might fix the problem.

Re-Pair Your Phone and SYNC

One simple troubleshooting step is to unpair your phone and SYNC. Then, you can re-pair the two as a new connection. Often this fixes basic connectivity issues. To create a clean pairing, delete your phone from your MyFord Touch system.

1. Press the Phone button.
2. Scroll to “System Settings.”
3. Select the option to “Delete Device.”
4. Select your phone and delete it.
5. In your phone’s Bluetooth menu, delete SYNC from your devices list.
6. Pair your phone with MyFord Touch as though it’s a new connection.

Optimize Your Phonebook

If the main source of your SYNC problems are related to hands-free calling, then optimizing your phonebook may help. Voice recognition is helped by making phonebook entries as uniform as possible. Try the following to tips:

• Use full names whenever possible. It’s easier for voice recognition to figure out which number you want to call when there’s a first and last name.
• Streamline your contacts down to the numbers you use the most. You can combine home/work/and mobile numbers to eliminate duplicate entries as well.
• Remove special characters. It might be cute to store your best friend with a smiley face in their name, but it throws off the voice recognition.

How to Perform a Master Reset

If troubleshooting doesn’t work, then you may want to perform a Master Reset. This will take your MyFord Touch system back to its factory settings.

1. Touch Settings on your center console’s touchscreen.
2. Select the “System” option from the settings menu.
3. On the second page, find the option for “Master Reset.”
4. Select the Master Reset option and click “Yes.”
5. Wait for the system to reset. You’ll see a message saying SYNC is performing scheduled system maintenance, followed by the homescreen.
6. Pair your phone to MyFord Touch again once the reset is complete.

Class-Action Lawsuit

Unfortunately, for many users, troubleshooting can be a routine part of using the MyFord Touch system. For some, the system can be sluggish. And an overreliance on voice commands (which can be finicky) make navigating menus difficult. Other issues include the navigation system sometimes showing a scheduled maintenance message, leaving drivers without maps or directions.

Because of these and other issues, Ford lost a class action lawsuit over the MyFord Touch system. To qualify as part of the class action lawsuit, you’d need to have purchased your vehicle before August 1, 2013.

Discontinued or Unavailable SYNC Features

As technology has changed, so has Ford’s approach to SYNC. That means some programs that were offered alongside MyFord Touch have been discontinued. It also means that some features other versions of SYNC have aren’t available on MyFord Touch.

SYNC Services

This was a subscription service Ford offered with SYNC for many years. It provided turn-by-turn directions, live sports scores, and weather updates. But as smartphones became increasingly popular, its features became less useful. SYNC Services was discontinued in 2018.

Vehicle Health Reports

Ford introduced Vehicle Health Reports in 2008 and discontinued them a decade later in 2018. Vehicle health reports offered a quick analysis of some common vehicle upkeep items. This included things like mileage, engine status, and oil life.

Ford now encourages drivers to go to their Ford dealer for a Vehicle Health Report. Many dealers will also share your vehicle health report with you through the FordPass app.

SYNC AppLink on MyFord Touch

MyFord Touch is actually one of the few versions of SYNC that isn’t compatible with SYNC AppLink. This is a little confusing, since MyFord Touch was a premium system, and the basic SYNC at the time did have AppLink.

Is MyFord Touch a Good Infotainment System?

Though MyFord Touch was poorly received by critics, many users still love this infotainment system.

In terms of personalization, it was lightyears ahead of its time. For those with the patience to work through the menus, it offers a world class infotainment experience. Unfortunately, the vast settings and customization options that made it unique also hurt its success. For most drivers, the experience was too challenging to be convenient. If you’re looking at a used car that has the MyFord Touch system, you may want to consider a newer vehicle that’s equipped with the improved SYNC 3 system.

If you have a vehicle that has MyFord Touch, it’s worthwhile to experiment with the features before trying to upgrade it. Once you get to know the MyFord Touch system, it certainly offers a lot.

Source: SYNC with MYFord Touch, Ford