DBH Posted May 15, 2022 Report Share Posted May 15, 2022 I have an AT&T hotspot setup on my F150. It works well as I can access it with my mobile devices. My question is this.....Why do I still have to have a USB connection to my phone in order to bring up and play any Android Auto apps? Thx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbf2530 Posted May 16, 2022 Report Share Posted May 16, 2022 (edited) 3 hours ago, DBH said: I have an AT&T hotspot setup on my F150. It works well as I can access it with my mobile devices. My question is this.....Why do I still have to have a USB connection to my phone in order to bring up and play any Android Auto apps? Thx Hi DBH and welcome to the Ford SYNC Forum. The answer is pretty simple. SYNC 3 does not support wireless Android Auto and/or wireless Apple CarPlay. You must connect via USB cable for both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The AT&T hotspot has nothing to do with Android Auto connectivity, and/or Apple CarPlay connectivity. And even if you did not have the AT&T hotspot enabled, you would still be able to connect to your vehicle via the Ford app on your phone. On a somewhat related note, SYNC 4 does support wireless Android Auto/Apple CarPlay. Good luck. Edited May 16, 2022 by bbf2530 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
punch-card Posted May 16, 2022 Report Share Posted May 16, 2022 Check out the Motorola MA1, it works fine on my MKX 2016 with latest Sync 3.0 update. You need to make sure your phone is compatible also. Don't have AT&T, I use Google FI but I think the dongle is just using wifi to pass display information, not connection since AA is running on your phone not Sync. It initially connect via bluetooth then enable the wifi on your phone back to the dongle, just like you plugged your phone into your vehicle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DBH Posted May 16, 2022 Author Report Share Posted May 16, 2022 OK, I got the hotspot to obviate the necessity of having to plug in my phone every time to run any apps. The only advantage I see now is the ability to use my tablet to run apps like the maps/waze type on the bigger screen. I rarely have any other users in the truck, so I will kiss the hotspot and 20 bucks a month goodbye. Thx for feedback. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbf2530 Posted May 16, 2022 Report Share Posted May 16, 2022 37 minutes ago, DBH said: OK, I got the hotspot to obviate the necessity of having to plug in my phone every time to run any apps. The only advantage I see now is the ability to use my tablet to run apps like the maps/waze type on the bigger screen. I rarely have any other users in the truck, so I will kiss the hotspot and 20 bucks a month goodbye. Thx for feedback. Hi DBH. You are very welcome. Yes, if you only signed up for the AT&T hotspot service thinking it would let you use wireless Android Auto, it won't work. Cancel and save the $20 monthly fee. As punch-card mentioned above, you can use a wireless USB dongle to enable wireless Android Auto (and/or Apple CarPlay). There are some drawbacks and issues with some of these, so if you do decide to purchase one, try to do some research and purchase a good quality one. Let us know how you make out and good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
punch-card Posted May 16, 2022 Report Share Posted May 16, 2022 I've had the MA1 since Feb, it has worked well, only a couple of time have I needed to restart the dongle. I like leaving my phone in my pants pocket and AA starts up every time I get in the car, and goes right into last app used . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Multitask Posted May 18, 2022 Report Share Posted May 18, 2022 The ATT Wireless is for you to use to connect any other device to Wireless, provided you have an ATT signal.... moot if you do not... So technically you should use it to update your phones OS... but sadly it does not work internally for Sync 3 updates... etc.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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