Ford partners with what3words to offer drivers precise navigation

Find out more on how to use what3words in Ford vehicles here

Millions of Ford drivers can now use what3words to enter precise destinations by voice easier, faster and with fewer errors than ever before. It also enables them to navigate to destinations without a street address at all.

Whether it’s meeting friends for a tailgate party at a particular parking place, finding the perfect scenic viewpoint, dropping the kids off at the right side of the football pitch, or making a delivery to the specific entrance on an industrial complex, Ford drivers will now be able to navigate accurately by saying three simple words to their car.

The initial rollout will enable Ford drivers to simply connect the free what3words app – on an iOS device – to their vehicle via their SYNC 3 infotainment platform. They can then input a 3 word address by voice or text, in any of 6 languages, and navigate to that precise 3m x 3m square. Drivers can look up the 3 word addresses for their destinations on website contact pages, in guidebooks and on business cards, or they may be given by friends and family – just like a regular street address.

“From commercial vehicle drivers working from a mobile office to those driving for leisure, on‑the‑go connectivity is now more important than ever,” said Don Butler, Executive Director, Connected Vehicle Platform and Product, Ford. “With the addition of what3words to the AppLink and wider SmartDeviceLink ecosystem, Ford is providing an important new tool to help get the job done, enabling drivers to navigate to their destinations – wherever they may be – quickly, confidently and accurately.”

How to use what3words voice navigation with Ford SYNC 3

1. Download the free what3words app to your iOS phone and open it
2. Go to ‘Settings’ in the what3words app side menu and enable AppLink
3. Connect your phone to your car via USB cable
4. If you’re asked to enable Apple Carplay, select ‘no’. If one of these options is already enabled, disconnect your phone, use ‘Settings’ in the menu to disable, then reconnect.
5. Select ‘Apps’ and ‘what3words’
6. Grant permissions when instructed on screen
7. Tap ‘Voice entry’ and wait until you see the instruction to speak
8. Say the three words, without any dots or slashes, e.g., ‘filled count soap’ then wait a few seconds for the screen to return your results
9. You’ll see three options appear. Tap the correct 3 word address, then tap ‘Start’ to begin navigation.

*what3words is available for text and voice input from now in the following markets for Ford drivers: U.K. & Ireland (in English), Germany (in German), Spain (in Spanish), U.S. (in English & Spanish), Mexico (in Spanish) with more languages and markets to follow later in the year. Available free for iOS. Requires an embedded navigation system and any version of SYNC 3 software.