How do I reverse pair a phone with SYNC?
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How do I reverse pair a phone with SYNC?

Reverse pairing is an alternate method of connecting your device to your SYNC®* system.  

Please use the standard method of pairing first.  If you are unable to establish a connection using the standard method, you may attempt the reverse-pairing method. 

Reverse Pairing Your Phone With SYNC

Important: Your vehicle must be parked and running, and in an open location (e.g., free of overhead foliage, ceilings, etc.). 

Before reverse pairing your phone, make sure you have:

  • Turned on your phone's Bluetooth®.
  • Put your phone in discoverable mode. This is normally a timed function, so you will want to work quickly to complete the pairing from this point.

The pairing process can be different on each phone. Watching your phone and the SYNC system for any messages is the best way to pair the phone successfully.

Select your SYNC generation from the drop-down options below to learn how to reverse pair your phone. If you need assistance determining the generation of your SYNC system, select the first drop-down option. 

Identifying Your SYNC Generation

Select a resource in the table below to help you identify your vehicle's SYNC generation.

ResourceInstructions
SYNC and Navigation Updates page

Either:

Your SYNC generation will appear on the right side of the page under the SYNC Current Version heading.

SYNC Visual Reference GuideView example images of SYNC generations that Ford has offered.

SYNC 4A

  1. Tap Settings or the Home icon on your vehicle's SYNC screen.
  2. Press Phone.
  3. Choose Phone List.
  4. Tap Add Phone.
  5. Using the phone: 
    1. Go to the Bluetooth settings.
    2. Select SYNC.

    3. Confirm the 6-digit Personal Identification Number (PIN) displayed matches the PIN on your SYNC screen.

      Note: Your phone may require you to enter the PIN.

  6. Watch both the device and SYNC and answer any additional prompts or questions that either device asks. The phone's prompts will vary greatly by phone. (e.g., downloading the phonebook, allowing access to the contact list, text messages, etc.).

Once all additional prompts or questions have been selected, you should receive a message that the pairing was successful on your SYNC screen. 

SYNC 4

  1. Tap Settings on your vehicle's SYNC screen.
  2. Press Phone.
  3. Choose Phone List.
  4. Tap Add Phone.
  5. Go to the Bluetooth Settings on your phone.
  6. Select SYNC.
  7. Confirm the 6-digit Personal Identification Number (PIN) displayed matches the PIN on your SYNC screen.

    Note: The phone may require you to enter the PIN.
     
  8. Watch both the device and SYNC and answer any additional prompts or questions that either device asks. The phone's prompts will vary greatly by phone. (e.g., downloading the phonebook, allowing access to the contact list, text messages, etc.).

Once all additional prompts or questions have been selected, you should receive a message that the pairing was successful on your SYNC screen. 

SYNC 3

  1. Press Settings.
  2. Select Phone.
  3. Tap Add Bluetooth Device. 
  4. Press Discover Other Bluetooth Devices and then select your device name from the list.
  5. Go to the Bluetooth settings on your phone and press SYNC.

    Note: Depending on your software version, your phone may prompt you to enter the 6-digit Personal Identification Number (PIN), or it may display the PIN automatically. Confirm that the PIN matches.

The device should pair, and you should receive a message that the pairing was successful.

SYNC with MyFord®Touch

  1. Press the Phone button to enter the Phone menu.
  2. Scroll repeatedly until System Settings appears in the radio display. You may have to select Return up to two times to find it. If you see Add Bluetooth Device, you can select that and proceed to step 7.
  3. Press OK to confirm and enter the System Settings menu.
  4. Scroll repeatedly until BT Devices/Bluetooth Devices appears in the radio display.
  5. Press OK to confirm.
  6. Scroll repeatedly until Add Device/Add Bluetooth Device appears on the display. 
  7. Press OK to confirm. The vehicle will search for nearby discoverable Bluetooth devices. Once SYNC is finished searching, it will display the devices it has found. 
  8. Scroll through until the device you wish to pair is displayed. Press OK. The vehicle will ask you to provide a PIN. We recommend verbally saying, "0000." 
  9. Press OK or verbally say, "enter" when the PIN is confirmed back. Your phone should prompt you with a message that SYNC wants to pair to it. The phone will likely ask you to enter the PIN that you choose in step 8. 
  10. Enter that PIN and select the OK or Enter button on your phone.
  11. Listen and watch for any prompts on the SYNC and/or phone screen. Make sure to answer any questions that either device asks.

SYNC with MyFord

  1. Press the Phone button to enter the Phone menu.
  2. Scroll repeatedly until System Settings appears in the radio display. You may have to select Return up to two times to find it. If you see "Add Bluetooth Device," you can select that and proceed to step 7.
  3. Press OK to confirm and enter the System Settings menu.
  4. Scroll repeatedly until BT Devices/Bluetooth Devices appears in the radio display.
  5. Press OK to confirm.
  6. Scroll repeatedly until Add Device/Add Bluetooth Device appears in the display. 
  7. Press OK to confirm.
  8. Scroll repeatedly until Find BT Devices/Find Bluetooth Devices appears in the display. 
  9. Press OK to confirm. The vehicle will search for nearby discoverable Bluetooth devices. Once SYNC is finished searching, it will display the devices it has found.
  10. Scroll through until the device you wish to pair is displayed. 
  11. Press OK. The vehicle will ask you to provide a PIN. We recommend verbally saying, "0000." 
  12. Press OK or verbally say, "enter" when the PIN is confirmed back. Your phone should prompt you with a message that SYNC wants to pair to it. The phone will likely ask you to enter the PIN that you choose in step 11. 
  13. Enter that PIN and select the OK or Enter button on your phone.
  14. Listen and watch for any prompts on the SYNC and/or phone screen. Make sure to answer any questions that either device asks.

SYNC with Voice-Activated Navigation

  1. Press the Phone hard button on the system. The screen may read No Phone Connected.
  2. Press the Settings tab on the touchscreen.
  3. Press Add. A 6-digit Personal Identification Number (PIN) will appear on the radio display. 
  4. Press Find Other Devices. The vehicle will search for nearby discoverable Bluetooth devices. Once SYNC is finished searching, it will display the devices it has found.  
  5. Select the device you wish to pair. The vehicle will ask you to provide a PIN. We recommend entering "0000" and selecting Enter. Your phone should prompt you with a message that SYNC wants to pair to it. The phone will likely ask you to enter the PIN that you choose in step 5. 
  6. Enter that PIN and select the Ok or Enter button on your phone.
  7. Listen and watch for any prompts on the SYNC and/or phone screen. Make sure to answer any questions that either device asks.

SYNC Generation (Gen) 1.1

Reverse pairing is not available on SYNC Gen 1.1. systems. Pair your device using standard pairing.

SYNC Gen 1

  1. Press the Phone button to enter the Phone menu.
  2. Scroll repeatedly until System Settings appears in the radio display. You may have to select Return up to two times to find it. If you see Add Bluetooth Device, you can select that and proceed to step 7.
  3. Press OK to confirm and enter the System Settings menu.
  4. Scroll repeatedly until BT Devices/Bluetooth Devices appears in the radio display.
  5. Press OK to confirm and enter the BT Devices/Bluetooth Devices menu.
  6. Scroll repeatedly until Add Device/Add Bluetooth Device appears in the display. Press OK to confirm.
  7. Scroll repeatedly until Find BT Devices/Find BT Devices appears in the display. Press OK to confirm. The vehicle will search for nearby discoverable Bluetooth devices. Once SYNC is finished searching, it will display the devices it has found. 
  8. Scroll through until the device you wish to pair is displayed. 
  9. Press OK. The vehicle will ask you to provide a Personal Identification Number (PIN). We recommend verbally saying, "0000." 
  10. Press OK or verbally say, "enter" when the PIN is confirmed. Your phone should prompt you with a message that SYNC wants to pair to it. The phone will likely ask you to enter the PIN that you choose in step 9. 
  11. Enter that PIN and select the OK or Enter button on your phone.
  12. Listen and watch for any prompts on the SYNC and/or phone screen. Make sure to answer any questions that either device asks.

If you are still experiencing issues, follow the troubleshooting steps listed here.

*Don’t drive while distracted. Use voice-operated systems when possible; don’t use handheld devices while driving. Some features may be locked out while the vehicle is in gear. Not all features are compatible with all phones. 

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