Fordpass Android widget - Can't Ford do better than this?

[B177y]

I have Fordpass 5.20.0 from Google Play Store, not a beta tester or anything like that. A couple of days ago I was looking through my Android widgets menu and saw one for Fordpass. Back in my Mach-e days I had a third party widget created by a Mach-e forum member that had lots of information and the ability to interact with the car just like Fordpass. Unfortunately Ford shut down their API and that app is now dead so I was curious to see what the official Fordpass widget looked like.

Ready for the big reveal?

Yup, that's it. No start, climate, lock/unlock, widow control or climate control....Nothing. When you touch the widget, it doesn't even open Fordpass. From what I have been able to tell, it doesn't even update itself, you have to open Fordpass from your apps and then when you go back to the home screen the widget will be updated.

Lame.

C'mon Ford, you're better than this....

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[GDN]

5.21 on iOS is improving and giving more control. You should have it available "soon" - see what they've added for Android.

 

[B177y]

Looks like the double post gremlin is back

Yup, I sent a DM to @TaxmanHog when I saw it. I can't seem to delete the double post.

 

[Altivec]

The look is similar to iOS, ie. it just provided status and info, however, if I touch it, it quickly opens up Fordpass. Hopefully they fix that on Android asap. Other than that, I am not sure what your complaint is. I don't think any of the OS guidelines recommend putting live buttons on widgets. You don't want to be accidentally unlocking your doors while using your phone. On iOS there is a separate 'control' section where you can add individual live buttons if you wish. Pretty sure android has a section to add controls too. I for one prefer waiting a millisecond to have ford pass open and would be opposed to live action buttons on the widget.

 

[B177y]

The look is similar to iOS, ie. it just provided status and info, however, if I touch it, it quickly opens up Fordpass. Hopefully they fix that on Android asap. Other than that, I am not sure what your complaint is. I don't think any of the OS guidelines recommend putting live buttons on widgets. You don't want to be accidentally unlocking your doors while using your phone. On iOS there is a separate 'control' section where you can add individual live buttons if you wish. Pretty sure android has a section to add controls too. I for one prefer waiting a millisecond to have ford pass open and would be opposed to live action buttons on the widget.

This is what the 3rd party widget looked like which was based on early version of the iOS widget which did have interactive buttons on it:

"Ford Status Widget" automatically refreshed itself, would show current charging status on AC or DCFC, would show if the car was locked or unlocked, allowed you to configure the ability to open 3rd party apps, had the ability to start the car (both for EVs and ICE), etc... All useful features. In comparison the stock Fordpass widget has a fraction of the information, doesn't refresh to show current information, and doesn't even open it's own app. My "complaint" as you say is that Ford shut down the ability to use it's API and let developers develop useful apps and replaced it with something that is marginal at best. Ford is a large bureaucratic company that needs to inject some fresh agile computer development into it's ecosystem to stay competitive, or at least keep allowing outside developers to supplement current stale technology.

 

[rugedraw]

@kennelh may find this thread interesting.

 

[B177y]

@kennelh may find this thread interesting.

I didn't know that I could tag him from the Mach-e forum, thanks!

 

[kennelh]

I didn't know that I could tag him from the Mach-e forum, thanks!

He didn't; I have an account over here too.

I wish Ford would get off their ass and open the public API. I had the app working with what it provided last October, then they shut everything down.

 

[21st Century Truck]

He didn't; I have an account over here too.

I wish Ford would get off their ass and open the public API. I had the app working with what it provided last October, then they shut everything down.

I know and remember... I was a faithful daily user for both my old Mach E and then for my Lightning. Until...

 

[kennelh]

I know and remember... I was a faithful daily user for both my old Mach E and then for my Lightning. Until...

Every month I log in to see if anything had changed.
Every month I'm disappointed.

 

[Altivec]

This is what the 3rd party widget looked like which was based on early version of the iOS widget which did have interactive buttons on it:

"Ford Status Widget" automatically refreshed itself, would show current charging status on AC or DCFC, would show if the car was locked or unlocked, allowed you to configure the ability to open 3rd party apps, had the ability to start the car (both for EVs and ICE), etc... All useful features. In comparison the stock Fordpass widget has a fraction of the information, doesn't refresh to show current information, and doesn't even open it's own app. My "complaint" as you say is that Ford shut down the ability to use it's API and let developers develop useful apps and replaced it with something that is marginal at best. Ford is a large bureaucratic company that needs to inject some fresh agile computer development into it's ecosystem to stay competitive, or at least keep allowing outside developers to supplement current stale technology.

Maybe its just me then... What you are showing in these examples are basically full blown apps. In my opinion that is not what widgets are intended to be from a UI stand point. Control centre is for quick single button interactions, Widgets are for quick glance info and the App is when you want full control . Again, not sure what's happening on the android side, or if it's just your phone, but the widget on iOS does refresh by itself and does immediately open up ford pass when pressed. If it's not doing that, then something is wrong.

When it comes to being angry at Ford about software. I agree with you completely. It's really the biggest thing holding them back and will be the root cause of their demise if they don't get their act together quickly. For me though, Not having all the app functions on the widget when that functionality is a millisecond away, is the least of my concerns.

 

[B177y]

Maybe its just me then... What you are showing in these examples are basically full blown apps. In my opinion that is not what widgets are intended to be from a UI stand point. Control centre is for quick single button interactions, Widgets are for quick glance info and the App is when you want full control . Again, not sure what's happening on the android side, or if it's just your phone, but the widget on iOS does refresh by itself and does immediately open up ford pass when pressed. If it's not doing that, then something is wrong.

When it comes to being angry at Ford about software. I agree with you completely. It's really the biggest thing holding them back and will be the root cause of their demise if they don't get their act together quickly. For me though, Not having all the app functions on the widget when that functionality is a millisecond away, is the least of my concerns.

Skimming recent this iOS thread, it shows a widget with remote start and other interactions.

Please understand that this isn't a life altering complaint, I have plenty other first-world problems that keep me way more occupied, like a bald eagle that has started to treat my backyard chicken coop as an all-you-can-eat buffet . It is mostly a gripe that Ford took away something that was pretty cool and had actual use and replaced it with something that literally shows that my truck is still parked and "charge completed" at 70% after I have driven it to work and back home and it really is now in my driveway at 45%. Pointless... Wait until there is something useful before releasing it.

 

[Altivec]

Skimming recent this iOS thread, it shows a widget with remote start and other interactions.

Please understand that this isn't a life altering complaint, I have plenty other first-world problems that keep me way more occupied, like a bald eagle that has started to treat my backyard chicken coop as an all-you-can-eat buffet . It is mostly a gripe that Ford took away something that was pretty cool and had actual use and replaced it with something that literally shows that my truck is still parked and "charge completed" at 70% after I have driven it to work and back home and it really is now in my driveway at 45%. Pointless... Wait until there is something useful before releasing it.

Yes... That thread shows what I mean about control centre. In iOS, you swipe down from the top right corner and an overlay with customized one touch buttons show up there. I thought android had something similar (maybe not). The widget you showed in your first post shows up where all our app icons are and just provides a simplified status and is the ford pass app launcher.

What I mean about it being the least of my concern is not that I'm saying it's a first world problem (which everything we talk about is, but that's no fun). I just think the widget is the least of the things I would want the software team to be working on. I want things like sports mode to stick, precondition on demand, propower with truck off, CarPlay that doesn't disconnect, etc... All first world problems too, but those are my frustrations.

I am not saying you are wrong, we all have different likes. But I like how they have it now in iOS. No buttons to accidentally press on my app pages, one swipe away from all my controls and one button press away to the full app. I would like to see more controls in the app though. (ie. zone lighting, propower, precondition button)

 

[I <3 My Lightning]

@B177y

https://www.f150lightningforum.com/forum/threads/fordpass-v5-21-0-ios-android.28430/post-531958

 

[B177y]

@B177y

https://www.f150lightningforum.com/forum/threads/fordpass-v5-21-0-ios-android.28430

I linked to that thread above. Are you suggesting that try an iPhone? Too expensive and closed ecosystem for my tastes.

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