How To Enable Amazon Alexa In Your Ford Vehicle

If you are a driver who cares about their own safety and the safety of all the other drivers on the road, you likely always keep both hands on the steering wheel. For most of the time automobiles have been around, this has not been an issue, but nowadays, so many cars are packed with features that require you to press a lot of buttons that it can be easy to lose track of your focus while driving as you are trying to play a particular song or looking for directions on a digital map.

Thankfully, many of these pieces of technology are equipped with voice control abilities, whether through the vehicle itself or because your smartphone is connected to it. One of the most popular voice-activated systems is Amazon's Alexa. It's a name you can call out, and the service can help you with many different things. Amazon doesn't make a car, but that doesn't mean no car features Alexa.

Amazon has partnered with Ford to utilize Alexa in their vehicles, and depending on which model you have from the last several years, it can be accessed through the car itself or the Ford+Alexa app. If you just bought yourself a Ford and aren't sure how to get Alexa working, we've got the details for you.

Alexa being built into a Ford vehicle is a very new feature, with the earliest year being 2021 for the Bronco, Edge, F-150, and Mach-E. For 2022, they added the Expedition, F-150 Lightning, F-250, and Transit. Lastly, the Escape and Ranger got Alexa for 2023. Although it is built into the vehicle, the first step to activating it is downloading the FordPass app on your smartphone. From there, you will tap the Add Vehicle button and follow the instructions to connect your new Ford.

Move over to your dashboard screen and select the Settings button. From there, select the option Amazon Alexa, followed by Get Started. A QR code will show up on the screen, which you'll scan with your phone camera. The link will open, and you will have to sign in to your Amazon account unless you're already signed in with another Amazon app on your phone. If you don't want to scan the QR code, go to amazon.com/code and type in the six-digit code displayed above the QR code. On your phone, finish the activation process, and back on your dashboard screen, select Yes to turn on the wake word.

Now that you have Alexa enabled, you can either just say the word Alexa to activate it or press the voice activation button in the bottom-right corner of the left side of the steering wheel, though you'll still have to say Alexa for it to work.

Ford and Alexa's relationship started in 2017 and can be utilized with most vehicles the company makes from that model year. Instead of the FordPass app for these cars, you will download the Ford+Alexa app. Once you open the app, click Get Started. Next, it will prompt you to connect your phone to your vehicle through Bluetooth if it isn't already. After connecting your phone, hit the Next button, and it will ask you to disable Android Auto or Apple CarPlay. The app will then ask you to enable microphone access and location permissions, and then you will sign in to your Amazon account.

After signing in, you should be able to move to your vehicle's screen, select the apps icon, and see the Ford+Alexa app in the list. To use Alexa in your car, press the Alexa icon on your dashboard or simply say the word Alexa, as you would with any other Alexa-enabled device. Unlike the built-in models, your phone acts as the microphone for activation, not the car, so tapping the voice-activation button on your steering wheel will just activate the standard Ford system and not Alexa.