Uconnect fees

[Rayzaa]

And Google Assistant and Google Maps on my Android phone is about as useful as mammary glands on a boar hog. It's seldom right, it never has up-to-date maps so it thinks I'm driving cross-country half the time, plus Google Asst listens in on conversations and makes remarks about things or answers questions that haven't been asked when it hasn't been called on. I'll stick with my Garmin. Free lifetime map updates so it's almost never wrong, and it actually has a screen big enough for me to see without taking my eyes off the road for more than a second. And I can keep my Google Asst disabled.

Huh,....I think I'd get another phone. Ive never had those issues and I been using Android phones exclusively for 12 years. Not sure which one you have. Ive had Samsungs and Google Pixel phones. Currently a Pixel 8

 

[Tulecreeper]

Huh,....I think I'd get another phone. Ive never had those issues and I been using Android phones exclusively for 12 years. Not sure which one you have. Ive had Samsungs and Google Pixel phones. Currently a Pixel 8

Kyocera DuraForce - It was the only bulletproof phone I could find that would take the abuse I give it and was reasonably priced. I have since dropped in off my deck and out of my truck on several occasions where it bounced along the concrete. I dropped it out of my pocket into 12 feet of water while launching my boat, where it had to stay for a haf hour until other boats launched and got out of the way and I could dive for it. Among other jolts and abuse it's taken. Nothing Apple had could come close to the MilSpec this one has.

I send and receive maybe 20 texts a month, mostly to my wife, and I can't recall when the last time was I made or received an actual phone call - not counting Spam calls. If it weren't for the fact I hunt and fish a lot, alone, and my wife wants me to be able to call for help if I bust a knee, or something, I probably wouldn't even have a phone.

 

[Marshall]

I find it very odd that uconnect charges a $600 one time activation fee so I can use their navigation app. Especially since I can use Google maps or a Garmin for the same purpose. Other than them having full control over this - is their anything special about their navigation app. Also are the any fees for registering and using wifi hotspot

I have a 2014 with the big radio, nav, etc, It was active when I bought the truck new, with sirus, and while I have sometimes paid for the sat radio, if they get the price down where I can stand it.
I have never updated the nav, or paid for it.
It has blank spots on it , new roads, etc. but I don't ever get lost so its fine.
I don't get out much.
anytime I have tried to enter a address, most of the time I find the nav is in the wrong city or country, So I just wing it.
I don't really use the phone stuff, but the kids use their phones with maps all the time.
I phone, the only reason I updated was for the blue tooth hearing aids, Flip phone don't do it.

 

[Billet Bee]

Those of you who bought new in 2020 and have recently updated your maps, has it been worth it and what's different?

 

[RamDiver]

Those of you who bought new in 2020 and have recently updated your maps, has it been worth it and what's different?

I suspect if you spend any amount of time on this site or others reviewing the satisfaction levels of the Nav, you won't likely hear very many positive reviews. I didn't see any positive remarks in this thread.

My truck was a '21, new in 'January '22. I wouldn't pay $50 for that POS Nav. It literally chooses all the wrong routes, takes longer, and always chooses tiny side roads, or busy streets that will eat far more gas.

I live in the country and periodically visit Ottawa, 40 minutes away, for supplies. There aren't too many ways to travel North East but guaranteed the Uconnect Nav will completely mess it up every last time.

I use it as a trip timer for going to Costco or other locations where I know the best route to follow.
It shows me the arrival time, directs me to turn here and there and immediately after I go straight, where it had directed me to turn, the destination time is reduced.

If it knew that going straight was faster, then why did it direct me to turn? I would be surprised if anyone actually has very much positive to say about it.

Good luck and cross your fingers that the update doesn't brick your Uconnect.

.

 

[markabby]

Is Sirius Radio part of Uconnect? It seems like they go hand in hand, so i thought they were like partners. I don't use Sirius, just wondered if they were linked together.

Pandora is my choice for music

 

[Marshall]

I don't think there is a connection, other then kickbacks?
you can have Sirius on stuff that are not u connect, house radios, phones and such
but not really up on it . Know idea what Pandora is ,thou I have heard the name.
Most of the time ,if I use Navigation, it's just the map I use and it shows the roads/ streets and what the next cross road is.

 

[Randy Grant]

Actually, I like the big screen nav and it works great for me when we RV in the winter. Never had a problem with it.

 

[RamDiver]

Actually, I like the big screen nav and it works great for me when we RV in the winter. Never had a problem with it.

I have to wonder if the US maps are superior to the Canadian ones. I often see roads that were changed 10 or more years ago and yet the Uconnect still isn't up to date.

The issue I find so annoying is that it constantly directs me through tiny residential side roads with numerous stop signs instead of continuing down the highway a few blocks and then directly to my destination. This is mainly when visiting the city for supplies but it still happens in the rural area I live too.

I keep thinking there must be a setting somewhere for the most direct route, regardless of the time to travel. And, I keep looking and can't find that setting anywhere. LOL

My stand-alone TomTom GPS has those options to choose from.
Fastest route time-wise or shortest route for distance, regardless of the time required.

.

 

[Randy Grant]

I have to wonder if the US maps are superior to the Canadian ones. I often see roads that were changed 10 or more years ago and yet the Uconnect still isn't up to date.

The issue I find so annoying is that it constantly directs me through tiny residential side roads with numerous stop signs instead of continuing down the highway a few blocks and then directly to my destination. This is mainly when visiting the city for supplies but it still happens in the rural area I live too.

I keep thinking there must be a setting somewhere for the most direct route, regardless of the time to travel. And, I keep looking and can't find that setting anywhere. LOL

My stand-alone TomTom GPS has those options to choose from.
Fastest route time-wise or shortest route for distance, regardless of the time required.

.

Nav settings, preferences

 

[jejb]

Huh,....I think I'd get another phone. Ive never had those issues and I been using Android phones exclusively for 12 years. Not sure which one you have. Ive had Samsungs and Google Pixel phones. Currently a Pixel 8

Agreed. Never had those issues with my Samsung phones. Google Maps works great. I live in a rapidly growing area, Google Maps has the new roads and businesses incorporated almost instantly, instead of having to wait for a yearly updae.

And I always turn Google Assistant off when I first setup the phone.

 

[RamDiver]

Nav settings, preferences

I've toured the Nav settings many times and found no irregularities.

.

 

[Tulecreeper]

I have to wonder if the US maps are superior to the Canadian ones. I often see roads that were changed 10 or more years ago and yet the Uconnect still isn't up to date.

The issue I find so annoying is that it constantly directs me through tiny residential side roads with numerous stop signs instead of continuing down the highway a few blocks and then directly to my destination. This is mainly when visiting the city for supplies but it still happens in the rural area I live too.

I keep thinking there must be a setting somewhere for the most direct route, regardless of the time to travel. And, I keep looking and can't find that setting anywhere. LOL

My stand-alone TomTom GPS has those options to choose from.
Fastest route time-wise or shortest route for distance, regardless of the time required.

.

If it's like my Garmin, there are two options for Navigation: 1) Shortest time, or, ) Shortest route. I have my Garmin set for Shortest Time. I tried Shortest Route once, and instead of it keeping me on the freeway and making a half circle of about 10 miles (which would have taken about 10 minutes), it dropped me off the freeway and took me across the middle on every country road in the area. It was about 4 miles shorter going that way, but it took 30 minutes because I had to drive 30 MPH and stop every half mile.

 

[runamuck]

I always get nav when buying new and I like having the big screen. my son has identical truck with nav but prefers to cast maps to the big screen from his android phone.

 

[Treburkulosis]

I always get nav when buying new and I like having the big screen. my son has identical truck with nav but prefers to cast maps to the big screen from his android phone.

Wife has the navigation on her Jeep. I do like it sometimes. We had it in the Durango R/T we had and when we went to Lubbock for her sisters graduation from Tech, it was the only thing that worked. We ran out of cell service between Witchita Falls and Lubbock. Most of the time we just cast it and run Waze. Ill just run Waze on my iPad in the truck and I have a aftermarket apple car play screen in the flex that I cast.

 

[Randy Grant]

I've toured the Nav settings many times and found no irregularities.

.

Wasn't talking about irregularities. That is where you can set preferences for shortest distance, or shortest time.

 

[RamDiver]

Wasn't talking about irregularities. That is where you can set preferences for shortest distance, or shortest time.

I found no irregularities with the settings, meaning, the Nav is configured for shortest time. LOL

.

 

[Jim113]

I have navigation on my 2020 Longhorn and it works fine ... Never heard of a $600 activation fee and I do not use the Uconnect app ... If my Nav system stops working I always have my iPhone for backup ...

 

[Frisk]

Purchase a new head unit that offers Bluetooth connection for Android Auto and Apple Car Play.
Use your phone to connect and use either Waze or Google maps... much better, and you also dump the issues inherent with Uconnect head units.

You'll spend less than $600 on this upgrade, and have a better head unit, too!

What unit did you buy

 

[truck2569]

I find it very odd that uconnect charges a $600 one time activation fee so I can use their navigation app. Especially since I can use Google maps or a Garmin for the same purpose. Other than them having full control over this - is their anything special about their navigation app. Also are the any fees for registering and using wifi hotspot

They used to charge me14.00 a month till I stopped using there service.