So as promised I tested this on my 2018 Mazda just to see if it worked via USB using the built in Mazda infotainment System and my BraX3 phone - it did first time and easily.
I just connected the USB to my non-Android Auto USB Port (if you connect to the Android Auto enabled USB Port the Car Infotainment Media Player cannot talk to the phone’s storage because Android Auto overrides it - see note below at very bottom). I then selected this device and data transfer in the USB connection settings and viola, the Car Unit started scanning the storage for music and after 1-2 minutes it was all visible and playing directly on the car head unit via USB without any AA active.
So while a Ford with it’s Sync3 system may be different I highly suspect it’s largely the same. I also disabled Bluetooth in the car system (but not on the phone) while I tested this to eliminate any conflicts or confusion at the phone end from multiple connections.
Key Points (from successful connection to a Mazda):
- Do not connect via a USB port that has Android Auto enabled for the car’s system.
- Ensure once connected you have set the USB connection on your phone to “This Device” (i.e. the phone) and “Data Transfer”.
- Give your car time to read the phone storage (it likely will want to do this every time it’s connected).
If you have an Android Auto capable system in your vehicle with more than 1 USB port I would expect 1 port is specifically identified as the “Android Auto” connection port with a label/icon/symbol. If you have multiple ports and none are marked (so all identical) or you only have 1 port total, then I expect all are Android Auto enabled and it may never work. BUT I would make sure you try it with every available port (if you haven’t already) in case one of them is just a basic USB port for sticking a USB-stick or an older phone into…
Note 1: It’s likely the car media player reads the entire storage of the phone that’s not locked, so might be a minor security or privacy risk (e.g. I have contacts blocked on phone so the car can’t copy them via USB or Bluetooth, but leave phone and media accessible so I can use the basic in car system instead of AA in an emergency).
Note 2: My Mazda, as noted is 2018 model, on road in mid-2019, and this model series came with Car Play/Android Auto capability by default, but only the top end sport & exec models had it actually preinstalled. My model is a standard model that didn’t have it by default; when I purchased the vehicle when it was physically a year old, I then had Car Play/Android Auto installed by the dealer shortly after, ~January 2021. So my car had 3 standard USB Ports by default (2 in centre console storage between seats, and one in the dashboard) and then one of the two centre ones was converted to the CP/AA Input when that unit was installed for me. So I don’t know if the upmarket models with it preinstalled at factory only had 1 port, or if all 3 of their ports would have been CP/AA enabled?
Also posted at iodé community here:
EDIT: P.S. Regarding point 2 above - I wonder if uninstalling Android Auto on the phone (or not enabling it in a fresh default iodéOS build) might get around this…? There is no way to tell if it is the CP/AA unit in the vehicle controlling the USB ports is arbitrarily the cause, or the fact it detects AA on the phone handset connected to the port, that triggers it to take control (or try to)?