USB port FORD FLEX 2019 User Guide

Action and Description
Message
Explore all supported digital media on your media device
connected to the USB port. You can only view media content
which is compatible with SYNC; other files saved are not
visible.
EXPLORE USB
1. Press the OK button.
2. Scroll to explore indexed media on your flash drive.
Play music similar to what is currently playing from the USB
port. The system uses the metadata information of each song
to compile a playlist for you. *
SIMILARMUSIC
1. Press the
OK button.
2. The system creates a new list of similar songs and begins
playing. This feature does not include tracks with incom-
plete metadata information. Press the
OK button.
Exit the current menu.
RETURN
* With certain playing devices, if your metadata tags are not populated, the tracks are not
available in voice recognition, play menu or similar music. However, if you place these
tracks onto your playing device in "Mass Storage Device Mode", they are available in voice
recognition, play menu browsing and similar music. The system places Unknown items
into any unpopulated metadata tag.
System Settings
System settings provide access to your
Bluetooth Devices and Advanced menu
features. Bluetooth Devices
The Bluetooth Devices menu allows you
to enable, disable, add, connect and delete
a Bluetooth device.
Press the
AUX button, then the Menu
button to enter the Media Menu.
You can then scroll to: Action and Description
Message
Press the
OK button.
SYS SETTINGS
Press the
OK button.
BT DEVICES
You can then select one of the following:
Pair more devices to the system. *
ADD DEVICE
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Flex (TP3) , enUSA, Edition date: 201803, Second-Printing SYNC™

You can then scroll to:
Action and Description
Message
Press the OK button.
SYS SETTINGS
Press the
OK button.
ADVANCED
You can then select one of the following:
Have SYNC guide you by asking questions, helpful hints or
ask you for a specific action.
PROMPTS
1.Press the OK button and scroll to toggle between on and
off.
2. Make a selection and press the
OK button. SYNC takes
you back to the Advanced menu.
Choose from the available languages. The displays and
prompts are in the selected language.
LANGUAGES
1. Press the
OK button and scroll through the available
languages.
2. Press the OK button when the desired language appears
in the display.
3. If you change the language setting, the display indicates that the system is updating. When complete, SYNC takes
you back to the Advanced menu.
Return to the factory default settings. This selection does
not erase your indexed information, for example phonebook,
call history, text messages and paired devices.
DEFAULTS
1. Press the
OK button.
2. Press the
OK button. When restore defaults appears in
the display, press the OK button again to confirm.
Completely erase all information stored on SYNC. All
phonebook, call history, text messages and all paired devices
will be deleted and the system will return to the factory
default settings.
MASTER RESET
Download available software applications through the USB
port.
INSTALL APP
Exit the current menu.
RETURN
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Flex (TP3) , enUSA, Edition date: 201803, Second-Printing SYNC™

USB and media issues
Possible solution(s)
Possible cause(s)
Issue
Try turning off the device,
resetting the device,
removing the device's
battery, then trying again.
This may be a possible
device malfunction.
I am having trouble
connecting my device.
Make sure you are using the
manufacturer's cable.
Make sure you insert the
USB cable correctly into the
device and the USB port.
Make sure that the device
does not have an auto-
install program or active
security settings.
Make sure you are not
leaving the device in your
vehicle during very hot or
cold temperatures.
This is a device limitation.
SYNC does not recognize
my device when I turn on the
car.
Review the device compatib-
ility chart on the SYNC
website to confirm your
phone supports the
Bluetooth audio streaming
function.
This is a phone-dependent
feature.
The device is not connected.
Bluetooth audio does not
stream.
Make sure you correctly
connect the device to SYNC,
and that you have pressed
play on your device.
Make sure that all song
details are populated.
Your music files may not
contain the correct artist,
song title, album or genre
information.
SYNC does not recognize
music that is on my device.
Some devices require you to
change the USB settings
from mass storage to MTP
class.
The file may be corrupted.
The song may have copy-
right protection, which does
not allow it to play.
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AppLink issues
Possible solution(s)
Possible cause(s)
Issue
SYNC in order to find
AppLink-capable apps on
your device. iPhone users
must also connect to
SYNC's USB port with an
Apple USB cable.
Ensure you have down-
loaded and installed the
latest version of the app
from your phone's app store.
Ensure the app is running on
your phone. Some apps
AppLink-enabled apps are
not installed and running on
your mobile device.
My phone is connected, but
I still cannot find any apps.
require you to register or
login on the app on the
phone before using them
with AppLink. Also, some
may have a "Ford SYNC"
setting, so check the app's
settings menu on the phone.
Closing and restarting apps
may help SYNC find the
application if you cannot
discover it inside the vehicle.
On an Android device, if
apps have an "Exit" or "Quit"
Sometime apps do not
properly close and re-open
their connection to SYNC,
over ignition cycles, for
example.
My phone is connected, my
app(s) are running, but I still
cannot find any apps.
option, select that then
restart the app. If the app
does not have that option,
you can also manually
"Force Close" the app by
going to the phone's settings
menu, selecting "Apps."
then finding the particular
app and choosing "Force
stop." Don't forget to restart
the app afterwards, then
select "Find New Apps" on
SYNC.
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AppLink issues
Possible solution(s)
Possible cause(s)
Issue
Unplug the USB cable from
the phone, wait a moment,
and plug the USB cable
back in to the phone. After a
few seconds, the app should
appear in SYNC's Mobile
Apps Menu. If not, "Force
Close" the application and
restart it.
The USB connection to
SYNC may need to be reset.
My iPhone phone is
connected, my app is
running, I restarted the app
but I still cannot find it on
SYNC.
Try increasing the Bluetooth
volume of the device by
using the device's volume
control buttons which are
most often found on the
side of the device.
The bluetooth volume on
the phone may be low.
I have an Android phone. I
found and started my media
app on SYNC, but there is no
sound or the sound is very
low.
Force close or uninstall the
apps you do not want SYNC
to find. If the app has a "Ford
SYNC" setting, disable that
setting in the app's settings
menu on the phone.
Some Android devices have
a limited number of
bluetooth ports apps can
use to connect. If you have
more AppLink apps on your
phone than the number of
availble Bluetooth ports, you
will not see all of your apps
listed in SYNC's mobile apps
menu.
I can only see some of the
AppLink apps running on my
phone listed in SYNC's
Mobile Apps Menu.
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Updating Your System
You can choose to download the update
onto a USB drive or use Wi-Fi to deliver
automatic updates.
USB Updates
To use the USB update you need to log
into your owner account and visit the SYNC
software update page.
Website
www.owner.ford.com
www.syncmyride.ca
www.syncmaroute.ca
The website notifies you if an update is
available. You can then select to download
the update.
You will need an empty USB drive. Please
check the website for minimum
requirements. Once you have inserted the
USB drive into your computer, choose to
start the download. Follow the instructions
provided to download the files to the USB
drive.
The installation of most files occurs in the
background, and does not interrupt your
use of the system. Navigation updates
cannot be installed in the background,
because the files are too large.
To install the update in your vehicle,
remove anything that is plugged in the USB
ports on the media hub and plug in the
USB drive containing the update. When
the USB drive is plugged in, the installation
should begin immediately. After a
successful installation, the update is
available the next time the vehicle is
started.
Please reference the website for any
further actions. Updating Over Wi-Fi
To update your System over Wi-Fi your
vehicle must be connected to a Wi-Fi
access point. Data rates may apply.
To connect your system to Wi-Fi,
select:
Menu Item
Settings
Wi-Fi You can then select your
Wi-Fi network. You may
have to enter the security
code if the network is
secured. The system
confirms when it has
connected to the network.
Available
Wi-Fi
Networks
You must also give the system permission
to update automatically. Upon vehicle
delivery, the System asks you if you would
like to use the automatic update feature.
If you agree to automatic updates, you can
press OK to confirm. If this selection does
not appear upon vehicle delivery you can
access it through the General Settings. See
Settings (page 411). You can also perform
a master reset. See SYNC™ 3
Troubleshooting (page 424).
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Flex (TP3) , enUSA, Edition date: 201803, Second-Printing SYNC™ 3

Function
Button
Playlists
Artist
Albums
Songs
Genres
Podcasts
Audio books
Composers
This button allows you to choose a specific
letter to view within the category you are
browsing.
A-Z Jump
If available, this allows you to browse the
folders and files on your USB device.
Explore Device
USB Ports The USB ports are in the center console or
behind a small access door in the
instrument panel.
This feature allows you to plug in USB
media devices, memory sticks, flash drives
or thumb drives, and charge devices if they
support this feature. Select this option to play audio from your
USB device.
Apps
The system supports the use of certain
audio apps such as iHeartRadio through a
USB or Bluetooth enabled device.
Each app gives you different on-screen
options depending on the app's content.
See Apps (page 408).
Supported Media Players, Formats
and Metadata Information
The system is capable of hosting nearly
any digital media player, including iPod,
iPhone, and most USB drives.
Supported audio formats include MP3,
WMA, WAV, AAC, and FLAC.
Supported audio file extensions include
MP3, WMA, WAV, M4A, M4B, AAC, and
FLAC.
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Supported USB file systems include: FAT,
exFAT, and NTFS.
SYNC 3 is also able to organize the media
from your USB device by metadata tags.
Metadata tags, which are descriptive
software identifiers embedded in the
media files, provide information about the
file.
If your indexed media files contain no
information embedded in these metadata
tags, SYNC 3 may classify the empty
metadata tags as unknown.
SYNC 3 is capable of indexing up to
50,000 songs per USB device, for up to 10
devices.
CLIMATE
Touch the climate button on the
touchscreen to access your climate control
features. Depending on your vehicle line
and option package, your climate screen
may look different from one of the screens
shown below. Your screen may not contain
all of the features shown.
Note:
You can switch temperature units
between Fahrenheit and Celsius. See
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Item
Immediately end a
phone call. You can
also press the
button on the
steering wheel.
End Call
Press this to access
the phone keypad.
Keypad
You can switch the
microphone off so
the caller does not
hear you.
Mute Item
Privacy Transfer the call to
the cell phone or
back to SYNC 3.
Text Messaging
Note: Downloading and sending text
messages using Bluetooth are cell
phone-dependent features.
Note: Certain features in text messaging
are speed-dependent and not available
when your vehicle is traveling at speeds over
3 mph (5 km/h).
Receiving a Text Message
When a new message arrives, an audible tone sounds and the screen displays a
pop-up with the sender name and ID, if supported by your cell phone. You can
select: Action and Description
Menu Item
Have SYNC 3 read the message to you.
Hear It
View the text on the touchscreen.
View
To call the sender.
Call
You can select from 15 preset messages. Press the message
that you would like to use and confirm to send the message.
SYNC 3 confirms when the message is sent successfully.
Reply
To exit the screen.
Close
Smartphone Connectivity (If Equipped)
SYNC 3 allows you to use Apple CarPlay
and Android Auto to access your phone.
When you use Apple CarPlay or Android
Auto, you can:
• Make calls.
• Send and receive messages.
• Listen to music.
• Use your phone's voice assistant. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto disable
some SYNC 3 features.
Most Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
features use mobile data.
Apple CarPlay
Apple CarPlay requires an iPhone 5 or
newer with iOS 7.1 or newer. Updating to
the latest iOS version is recommended.
1. Plug your phone into a USB port. See
USB Port
(page 323).
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2. Follow the prompts on the
touchscreen.
3. Follow the prompts that appear on your phone to allow access to Apple
CarPlay.
After completing the setup, your phone
connects to CarPlay automatically when
plugged into a USB port.
To disable this feature from the
Settings screen, select: Menu Item
Apple CarPlay Preferences
Your device is listed if SYNC detects
Apple CarPlay. Select the name of your
device and set the Apple CarPlay switch
to off.
To return to SYNC 3, go to the Apple
CarPlay home screen and select the SYNC
app.
Note: Contact Apple for Apple CarPlay
support.
Android Auto
Android Auto is compatible with most
devices with Android 5.0 or newer.
1. Download the Android Auto app to your device from Google Play to
prepare your device (this may require
mobile data usage).
Note: The Android Auto App may not be
available within your current market.
2. Plug your device into a USB port. See USB Port (page 323).
3. Follow the prompt on the touchscreen.
4. Follow the prompts that appear on your device.
Note: You may be prompted to update
additional apps on your device (this may
require mobile data usage). To disable this feature from the
Settings screen, select: Menu Item
Android Auto Preferences
Your device is listed if SYNC detects
Android Auto. Select the name of your
device and set the Android Auto switch
to off.
Note: You may need to slide your Settings
screen to the left to select
Apple CarPlay
Preferences or Android Auto Preferences.
To return to SYNC 3, select the
speedometer icon in the Android Auto
menu bar at the bottom of the
touchscreen, and then touch the option to
return to SYNC.
Note: Contact Google for Android Auto
support.
NAVIGATION
(If Equipped)
Your navigation system is comprised of
two main features, destination mode and
map mode.
Map Mode
Map mode shows advanced viewing
comprised of 2D city maps, 3D landmarks
and 3D city models (when available). 2D
city maps show detailed outlines of
buildings, visible land use, landscape
features, and detailed railroad
infrastructure for the most essential cities
around the globe.
3D landmarks appear as clear, visible
objects that are typically recognizable and
have a certain tourism value.
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