Connecting an iPad to a Ford Sync System: A Step-by-Step Guide

Hello and welcome back to my channel! Today, we're going to try connecting the iPad to the Ford Sync system in a 2009 Mercury Mariner. We have the navigation head unit here and we have a 3G iPad right here now.

There are two ways to connect to a Sync system: you can use a USB cable to connect directly to the device, which allows you to index all the songs and content on the iPad or iPhone/iPod, and this enables you to use the voice-activated system to call up a song by name, artist, album, genre, etc. The other option is to use Bluetooth streaming or A2DP, where all you need to do is pair this iPad to the Bluetooth in the car.

Unfortunately, the USB doesn't work with the iPad, and it appears to be an unsupported device at this time, at least in the firmware I'm using on this car. So, let's go ahead and connect it already. See that this accessory is not supported by iPad? Let's go to the head unit and try and select the USB option. I see Source USB and initializing on the screen.

After a period of time, it does come up with a message that says "unsupported device" and nothing happens. The only option I have in this car is to go to Bluetooth devices and add a device. Search for Sync on your device and enter the pass key provided by Sync. Sync's instructed me to go to my device and I'm going to go to General Bluetooth, make sure it's turned on, and it sees devices Sync not paired.

Let's go ahead and select Sync now. I have a number so let's go ahead and type that in. Okay, I see sync connected. For your safety, please stay alert to changing road conditions and use Sync's voice-activated features while your vehicle is in motion. Now, I see Michael's iPad 3G and the and the uh logo in the corner is an iPod.

Now that I have the iPad paired, all I have to do is call up Bluetooth audio. Please say a command, "Bluetooth audio" or "Bluetooth audio." Say a command, "play resume playing." Unfortunately, because Bluetooth audio on the iPad is restricted to just streaming audio, I can't control the device from the Bluetooth.

However, what I can do is control the iPod or any other audio device or any other app that uses audio and playback. Let's go to one of my playlists. Let's go to Mac break weekly about taking the exception out of play, the exception for getting a warrant. There we go, I think it applies but this might bolster John's argument that well there was a crime committed here.

So, the audio is very good quality, unfortunately, I do have to use the iPad to control it. Of course, if you're using Bluetooth audio, you don't have to use an iPod to get audio; you can do other things like Pandora. Let's bring up the Pandora app in fact you can even hear the typing on the stereo. So, you can have Pandora in your car through your iPad.

And if you have a 3G iPad like this is you can travel around connect it to Pandora of course this also works on things like the iPhone.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enhello YouTube It's Detroit Borg and today we're going to try connecting the iPad to the Ford sync system in a 2009 Mercury Mariner we have the navigation head unit here and we have a 3G iPad right here now there are two ways to connect to a sync system you can use a USB cable to connect directly to the device that way SN can index all the songs and content on the iPad or iPhone or or iPod and this allows you to use the voice activated system to call up a song by name artist album genre Etc the other option is to use Bluetooth streaming or a2dp and all you'll need to do is pair this iPad to the Bluetooth in the car unfortunately the USB doesn't work with the iPad and I'll show you what happens but it appears to be an unsupported device at this time at least in the firmware I'm using on this car so let's go ahead and connect it already see that this accessory is not supported by iPad so let's go to the head unit and try and select the USB option so I see Source USB and initializing on the screen so after a period of time it does come up with a message that says unsupported device and nothing happens so the only option I have in this car is to go to Bluetooth devices and add a device search for sync on your device and enter the pass key provided by Sync so sync's instructed me to go to my device and I'm going to go to General Bluetooth make sure it's turned on and it sees devices sync not paired so let's go ahead and select sync now I have a number so let's go ahead and type that in okay I see sync connected for your safety please stay alert to changing road conditions and use sync's voice activated features while your vehicle is in motion so now I see Michael's iPad 3G and the and the uh logo in the corner is an iPod so now that I have the iPad paired all I have to do is call up Bluetooth audio please say a command Bluetooth audio Bluetooth audio please say a command play resume playing now unfortunately because Bluetooth audio on the iPad is restricted to just streaming audio I can't control the device from the Bluetooth but what I can do is control the iPod or any other audio device or any other app that uses audio and Playback so let's go to one of my pck let's go to Mac break weekly about taking the exception out of play the exception for getting a warrant so there we go I think it applies but this might bolster John's argument that well there was a crime committed here so the audio so the audio is very good quality Char I do have to use the iPad to control it unfortunately so of course if you're using Bluetooth audio you don't have to use an iPod to get audio you can do other things like Pandora so let's bring up the Pandora app in fact you can even hear the typing on the stereo so you can have Pandora in your car through your iPad uh and if you have a 3G iPad like this is you can travel around connect it to Pandora of course this also works on things like the iPhone so once again this Detroit Borg showing you how to connect an iPad to a Ford sync system thanks for watchinghello YouTube It's Detroit Borg and today we're going to try connecting the iPad to the Ford sync system in a 2009 Mercury Mariner we have the navigation head unit here and we have a 3G iPad right here now there are two ways to connect to a sync system you can use a USB cable to connect directly to the device that way SN can index all the songs and content on the iPad or iPhone or or iPod and this allows you to use the voice activated system to call up a song by name artist album genre Etc the other option is to use Bluetooth streaming or a2dp and all you'll need to do is pair this iPad to the Bluetooth in the car unfortunately the USB doesn't work with the iPad and I'll show you what happens but it appears to be an unsupported device at this time at least in the firmware I'm using on this car so let's go ahead and connect it already see that this accessory is not supported by iPad so let's go to the head unit and try and select the USB option so I see Source USB and initializing on the screen so after a period of time it does come up with a message that says unsupported device and nothing happens so the only option I have in this car is to go to Bluetooth devices and add a device search for sync on your device and enter the pass key provided by Sync so sync's instructed me to go to my device and I'm going to go to General Bluetooth make sure it's turned on and it sees devices sync not paired so let's go ahead and select sync now I have a number so let's go ahead and type that in okay I see sync connected for your safety please stay alert to changing road conditions and use sync's voice activated features while your vehicle is in motion so now I see Michael's iPad 3G and the and the uh logo in the corner is an iPod so now that I have the iPad paired all I have to do is call up Bluetooth audio please say a command Bluetooth audio Bluetooth audio please say a command play resume playing now unfortunately because Bluetooth audio on the iPad is restricted to just streaming audio I can't control the device from the Bluetooth but what I can do is control the iPod or any other audio device or any other app that uses audio and Playback so let's go to one of my pck let's go to Mac break weekly about taking the exception out of play the exception for getting a warrant so there we go I think it applies but this might bolster John's argument that well there was a crime committed here so the audio so the audio is very good quality Char I do have to use the iPad to control it unfortunately so of course if you're using Bluetooth audio you don't have to use an iPod to get audio you can do other things like Pandora so let's bring up the Pandora app in fact you can even hear the typing on the stereo so you can have Pandora in your car through your iPad uh and if you have a 3G iPad like this is you can travel around connect it to Pandora of course this also works on things like the iPhone so once again this Detroit Borg showing you how to connect an iPad to a Ford sync system thanks for watching\n"