Uconnect

[bryan28]

My trial with Uconnect will be expiring soon. What features will I be losing? I have the 8.4 with nav. I mainly use it for hands free talking and sometimes talk to text. I don't really think I need it for anything else. Will I lose those features? Also, anyone know how much to renew? Thanks

 

[crash68]

The UConnect is $150 for the year. Without it you lose the ability of what's on the UConnect app(remote start, door locks, vehicle location, etc. via the phone).
Your hands free calling and texting should still work, two different Android phones have worked for me.

 

[chrisbh17]

Hands free texting will be hindered a bit...you cant use a voice recognition reply, youd have to choose from the canned ones built into the system (which, IMHO, is less safe than have NO way to reply at all)

My trial will be ending soon too....the remote start was semi-handy when it was really cold out and I was leaving work. The remote locks I used once just to try it. Vehicle locator I couldnt care less about (my truck wasnt stolen, though) Yelp app? Sorry, I know where Im going before I get in my truck to go somewhere.

Literally the only thing I care about is the voice recognition reply, but I refuse to pay 150/yr for it. I already gave RAM an earful about it, Id pay 5/month for that single feature, but they seemed like they couldnt really care less about what a customer suggests.

 

[bryan28]

Thanks. Looks like I'll let it expire. I have a remote start fob and never used the phone for anything other than hands free talk and text anyway.

 

[crash68]

Hands free texting will be hindered a bit...you cant use a voice recognition reply, youd have to choose from the canned ones built into the system

It must be something with your phone, I've carried on entire conversations via hands free texting while driving(not one "canned" response used)

 

[chrisbh17]

It must be something with your phone, I've carried on entire conversations via hands free texting while driving(not one "canned" response used)

Do you have an iPhone? Apparently it works for iPhones but not Android.

Something about Siri eyes mode or something.

 

[crash68]

Do you have an iPhone? Apparently it works for iPhones but not Android.

no iPhone here. Both of my phones I've used with my truck are Motorola. They have been Android versions 6,7, & now 8.
The hands free texting worked even before the Siri hands-free update for the UConnect radios and even now with the latest OTA update.

 

[chrisbh17]

no iPhone here. Both of my phones I've used with my truck are Motorola. They have been Android versions 6,7, & now 8.
The hands free texting worked even before the Siri hands-free update for the UConnect radios and even now with the latest OTA update.

So if your phone is connected to the head unit by Bluetooth, and you receive a text, you'll get a prompt on the radio screen to read, ignore, etc. Once it reads it out, it will give you the chance to reply (you can use the voice activation to activate "send reply"), then you can either speak your reply or choose from pre-defined.

My understanding is that, without a UConnect subscription, the option to speak your reply will disappear. And I proved this by not activating my free sub right away....first day I had the truck it worked fine because the dealer had it activated for the day I picked up my truck. Second day I had my truck, no more spoken reply option.

 

[crash68]

So if your phone is connected to the head unit by Bluetooth, and you receive a text, you'll get a prompt on the radio screen to read, ignore, etc. Once it reads it out, it will give you the chance to reply (you can use the voice activation to activate "send reply"), then you can either speak your reply or choose from pre-defined.

When I get a text, it will interrupt the radio/SD media and tell me who the text is from and asks if I want the message read. Once it reads the text it will ask if want to reply. Don't have to touch the phone or radio.
With Android 8 it has started to pop up on the radio screen also, I have to hit the X to close that window.

 

[chrisbh17]

Ahh OK, I think thats Google Assistant or Google Drive mode (or something) doing it for you.

There is an actual messaging setup built into the 8.4 head unit, which is separate from Google Assistant (or Drive mode, or whatever Android is using).

I havent setup my phone to work that way yet, I will give it a try because it seems to work fine and take place of the uConnect setup.