• by Tanya Gazdik , Yesterday

Ford is learning from the reaction to General Motors’ decision to eliminate Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. 

Speaking at the 2025 Barclays Global Auto and Mobility Tech Conference, Ford Chief Financial Officer Sherry House said that the automaker doesn't want to limit customers to a single type of interface.

“We think it’s very important to give customers choice and give them access to technology. So that’s going to be a key part of what we are doing on a go-forward basis,” House says. “I would say that if I want to just continue on in this theme a little bit, because it is something […] I’m passionate about, we’re going to also continue to give the customers choice as it relates to Apple CarPlay.”

A recent study revealed that over half of drivers surveyed viewed the loss of Apple CarPlay as a deal-breaker, making General Motors’ decision to eventually abandon the system look like a big mistake, according to Autoblog. 

The decision was actually made some time back and Ford has stuck to it, notes Ford Authority. 

CEO Jim Farley said in 2023 that Apple and Android smartphone integration “will always be super important because it’s a safety-critical device, and then there’s going to be a lot more going on inside the car than your phone. So the interior has to be really well done. But in terms of content, we kind of lost that battle 10 years ago.”

However, keeping CarPlay does not mean Ford is ignoring its own software development. 

“House revealed that the company is simultaneously investing heavily in native applications to deepen its connection with drivers,” according to Appleosophy. “Early results are promising, with engagement levels for these new native features having increased compared to the previous SYNC 4 system. Looking ahead, Ford’s technology roadmap is becoming even more diverse with the addition of Google’s Gemini AI.”

House announced that Ford intends to integrate Gemini in 2026, as soon as it becomes available for automotive applications.

“Ford is also pushing harder on native apps inside its vehicles,” according to the Mac Observer. “According to House, newer Ford apps have already seen engagement rise by about 20 points compared to earlier versions of SYNC 4. She described this approach as ‘bringing the best from the outside’ and combining it with what Ford knows about its customer base.”