As promised, Google-owned Waze has been updated with support for Ford’s SYNC 3 protocol.
Apple users can now pair their copy of Waze for iPhone through AppLink with any Ford vehicle using SYNC, the auto maker’s hands-free entertainment and vehicle information system.
“Driving a Ford or Lincoln? Plug in your phone and drive with Waze on your in-car display (SYNC 3 version 3.0 required),” according to release notes accompanying Waze for iOS’s 4.38.1 version. To learn more about the SYNC protocol and Waze integration, visit the Ford website.
Waze supports all of the popular features provided by the SYNC software, including the Speedometer, HOV route support and “Talk to Waze” voice control.
This integration is currently available on iOS.
Calling all @Ford SYNC 3 AppLink* Wazers! đź“Ł We're excited to share you can now connect your phone to enjoy cruising with Waze on your car's big screen (currently available on iOS). pic.twitter.com/aBhpLfzpFd
— waze (@waze) May 17, 2018
iOS 11.3 or newer is required for Waze integration with Ford SYNC.
Keep in mind that Waze won’t work on SYNC 3 unless you manually switch off CarPlay. In other words, you can have either CarPlay or SYNC 3 apps, but not both at the same time.
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The crowdsourced navigation app supports 2018 vehicles with Ford’s newest infotainment systems. Older vehicles will get support for Waze through a firmware update that the owner will need to install manually over USB.
Unfortunately, Apple currently does not allow third-party mapping applications to use CarPlay, which means if you prefer Waze, Google Maps or others, you are basically out of luck.