Ford Launches Cool Off-Road App Only for Its Owners

by Matthew Guy

Published: May 2nd, 2023

ford launches cool off road app for themselves

Like a petulant child who won’t share their toys, Ford has released a handy smartphone app filled with crowd-sourced and professionally curated tools such as trail maps for off-road journeys – but the only ones who can use it are Bronco owners.

Talk about walling off your garden. Or off-road trail, in this case

Look, we’re not being salty because we don’t hold the keys to a new Bronco. Rather, your author would like to point out there are other apps of this type which are open to everyone. Take the Polaris RideCommand app, for instance. One needn’t have their name on the ownership papers of a Sportsman ATV or RZR side-by-side to use that app’s tools. Simply downloading the app onto one’s device permits the use of trail maps, waypoint system, or navigation kit. Connecting with other riding buddies to form a group ride or simply for security purposes is no trouble at all – even if some users are on a Can-Am or Kawasaki.

If you think the app is all part of Polaris’ marketing efforts, you’re exactly right. This writer can speak of at least two customers who traded in competing products on a new Polaris after using the app for a spell; maybe not because of the app specifically – but you can bet it helped. Ingraining a brand into the psyche of a customer, being top of mind and all that faff, is Marketing 101. I guess Ford thinks differently, which is a shame because the Bronco Trail App actually looks good, offering up the likes of curated trail maps, points of interest, satellite imagery, and adventure tracking. Yes, yes – concerns about privacy and OEMs harvesting your data; tinfoil hats are available in the cupboard over the fridge, okay?

Surely the techies at Ford could open up those general tools to non-Bronco owners, leaving gear like tire pressure monitoring, speed, and pitch/roll readouts as exclusive content for those wheeling a Bronco. There’s nothing wrong with placing some of the tools behind a paywall, giving users an incentive to swap their Rubicon for a Sasquatch. Seems like basic marketing to us, but perhaps that’s why we write about cars instead of running the companies.

In the interest of science, we did try downloading this new app onto a device, even going so far as to adding a Bronco to our account using a VIN grabbed from a dealer listing. No dice. Until the app is actually paired with the rig, it seems yer outta luck.

The Bronco Trail App is available in both the Apple App Store and Google Play. Just swing by a Ford dealer and finance a new 4x4 first, alright?

[Images: Ford, Author]

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Matthew Guy

Matthew buys, sells, fixes, & races cars. As a human index of auto & auction knowledge, he is fond of making money and offering loud opinions.

More by Matthew Guy

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2 of 14 comments

Lou_BC on May 03, 2023

There's "All Trails". I'm cynical about map apps. I've encountered too many flaws/errors in electronic maps for my part of the world.

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3SpeedAutomatic on May 04, 2023

Realize that Ford may be monitoring your driving habits both on and off the road.
As an example , I was required to load an auto insurance app on my phone to obtain a discount. One evening while heading home, I zigged zagged thru my neighborhood looking for my lost cat as opposed to my normal route. No sooner had I walked thru my door, I got a text requesting that I confirm the path with a corresponding map. Same thing happen while I was on a trip to Europe. I put the phone in airplane mode to avoid overseas charges while using WhatsApp to communicate with the folks back home. As I stood in line at Customs in Houston, I got a text message informing me I had been off line for several days.…please confirm.
Should you make a warranty claim or participate in a class action against Ford, they have a data history of your driving habits and could use it in their defense. 🚗🚗🚗

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