Want to control your car from your phone? There's an app for that

It’s hard to imagine now, but when the Apple App Store launched in 2008, there were just 500 apps available for download. Today, the number is uncountable and exponential, with 204 billion apps downloaded in 2019 alone, and more addedevery day.

It really is fair to say that, almost no matter the question, the answer will be “there’s an app for that”, and one of the latest trends is apps that connect you to, and allow you to remotely control, your car.

The FordPass App, for example, can be downloaded, free, on any Apple or Android device, and will then connect to the FordPass Connect embedded modem found in any Ford Connected Vehicles. Yes, now the “third place” in your life, after home and office, has a modem as well.

The FordPass App allows you to do some previously unthinkable yet hugely clever things, like remotely starting your car while it’s parked outside your house, using your phone, so that the cabin will cool or heat itself to its previous setting so that it’s ready to go when you jump in. No more unpleasant summer meltdowns, or icy mornings, ever again.

You can also plan ahead, by checking things like your fuel level before you get to the vehicle, so you know if you need to make time for a servo stop.

Another fantastic feature is the ability to lock or unlock your Ford remotely, so you won’t need to make that annoying dash back outside when you can’t quite remember whether you clicked the key or not.

Speaking of remembering, an absolutely highlight is the Vehicle Locator, which can find your car for you when you’ve forgotten where you left it, or if someone else borrowed it and forgot to mention where they parked it. The app brings up a map on your phone to show you where your vehicle is.

Other highlights include Live Traffic Updates, to find you the fastest way home, and Vehicle Health Alerts, with the FordPass app able to pre-empt your service and general maintenance needs such as low washer fluid.

So when it comes to your new Ford Connected Vehicle, there really is an app for that, too.