Ford may be taking its time to equip its vehicles with CarPlay, but the manufacturer has good news for owners of older Fords: it has today announced a software update to add Siri Eyes Free support to more than five million vehicles dating back to 2011. The update is for vehicles equipped with Ford’s own infotainment system, SYNC.

Ford today is releasing a new software update for more than 5 million SYNC-equipped vehicles dating back to the 2011 model year, adding more convenience for Apple iPhone users with Siri Eyes-Free capability. Ford Electronics director Sherif Marakby said: “Siri Eyes-Free is another great voice-activated feature that not only adds convenience but helps our customers keep their eyes on the road and hands on the wheel.”

While Siri Eyes Free has been rather eclipsed by CarPlay, it’s still a useful halfway house …

It allows drivers to use a button on the steering wheel to activate Siri and carry out a limited number of functions, while the iPhone screen remains off to avoid the temptation to look at it whilst driving.

Siri Eyes Free allows drivers to call people in their Contacts, dictate and listen to text messages, check & add calendar appointments, check the weather, set reminders and of course play music, all via voice.

Via Engadget

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