Does Ford WiFi Work When Vehicle is Off? – Top Facts!

Are you wondering, does Ford WiFi work when vehicle is off? We have the answers you’re looking for.

Ford’s WiFi hotspot is an excellent way to get your internet fixed while on the road. You can watch content and even do a good amount of work while traveling.

We got to the bottom of their WiFi to know exactly if you can continue to use it even when your car is turned off.

Here’s how!

So, does Ford WiFi work when your car is off? Absolutely. It’s the perfect solution for anyone who wants to use their smartphone when traveling and camping. But, there are a few factors you need to keep in mind, such as car battery power.

Before we discuss how you can use Ford WiFi when your car is off, there are a few things you to understand about the feature.

Does Ford WiFi Work When Car is Off

The short answer is YES, Ford WiFi work even when your car is off.

As long as the key is in the car, the WiFi hotspot will work for 30 minutes after you turn off the ignition.

After that, the WiFi hotspot will only work with the ignition turned on.

What You Need to Know About Ford’s In-Car WiFi

If you’re like most people, you rely on WiFi for just about everything.

From keeping up with social media to getting directions, a network connection is essential to your daily life.

So, here are a few things about Ford’s in-car WiFi that you need to know.

1. Uses Cellular Data

Aside from the built-in modem, Ford WiFi also uses an antenna to connect to nearby cell towers. As long as there’s a good signal in your area, you can get online in your car.

2. Appropriate Data Plan

Because the system uses cellular data, you need a data plan that can handle your usage.

Enabling the hotspot will use up data from your phone plan, so make sure you have enough.

3. Needs Good Coverage to Work

Cellular data connections rely on signals from cell towers. Ford’s antenna amplifies the signal so that you can enjoy a fast and reliable connection on the go.

4. Works Whether the Car is On or Off

You can use Ford WiFi while driving and 30 minutes after you turn it off.

Once connected, you can send and receive emails, stream music and videos, browse the Internet, and many more!

5. Device and Power Limitations

If you use Ford WiFi while your car is off, the battery life will likely decrease.

But, it’s worth noting that the connection will automatically shut off after 2 hours of inactive use to conserve power.

Now that you know the essential things about Ford’s in-car WiFi let us proceed to the step-by-step guide on how to use it.

Using Your Ford WiFi to Connect to the Internet

If you have FordPass Connect with WiFi hotspot, you can turn your entire car into a moving WiFi hotspot.

You’ll be able to connect different devices like your smartphones and laptops and connect to the internet.

The WiFi hotspot feature should come online as soon as your turn on your car.

It will allow you to enjoy video and audio streaming services while you’re traveling.

Since it runs on AT&T’s wireless network, you should be able just about anything as long as you have coverage.

How to Use Your Ford WiFi When the Vehicle is Off

Does Ford WiFi work when vehicle is off? Absolutely!

There’s no problem with your Ford WiFi’s operation and capabilities while you’re on the road and the engine is running.

However, you might think that when you turn off the engine, everything powers down with it.

In the case of Ford’s in-car WiFi service, it doesn’t automatically turn off once you shut down your engine. It can run on battery power, and it does for around 30 minutes.

So, you don’t need to idle your engine if you’re planning a stop and want to use your car’s WiFi.

Using your Ford’s WiFi when your car is off is pretty simple.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Connect your devices to your car’s WiFi network.
2. Park properly and set your vehicle to Park Mode.
3. Turn off your car.
4. Check if your WiFi connections are still active.
5. They should be active for 30 more minutes.

Note: If you’re planning to stop for more than 30 minutes, you can turn on your car’s engine and idle it for a couple of minutes to activate your Ford’s WiFi.

How to Turn On Ford WiFi

You know that there is an issue when you can’t connect to your in-car WiFi, even when the engine is running.

If your devices can’t detect your Ford’s WiFi, it’s not a connectivity issue with AT&T.

It can simply be that your car’s WiFi is disabled. It could be a software update or a minor glitch that switched it off.

If you run into this issue, the first thing you need to look at is to check your car’s settings and make sure that the WiFi is turned on.

Here’s how to turn on your Ford WiFi:

1. From your car’s infotainment home screen, go to Settings.
2. Swipe the touchscreen to the left and tap on WiFi and Hotspot.
3. Select Vehicle Hotspot.
4. Switch the WiFi Hotspot toggle to the ON position.

Note: To get internet access, check the top right of your screen for your signal with AT&T.

Connecting Your Devices to Your Car’s WiFi

To continue using your car’s WiFi, even if it’s off, you want to make sure that your devices are connected to the hotspot.

Connecting to it is actually quite simple. It’s just like connecting to your home router, except that it’s your car.

The challenge here is to have the necessary information, like the security key or password, so that you can connect successfully.

You can see all that on your Ford’s touchscreen to connect multiple devices and use the internet while you’re on the road.

Here’s how to connect your phone or laptop to your car’s WiFi:

Knowing your Ford’s hotspot settings:

1. Go to your Ford’s touchscreen, then select Settings.
2. Locate the WiFi and Hotspot menu item, then tap on it.
3. Choose Vehicle Hotspot, then Settings.
4. Check your vehicle’s hotspot settings.

Connecting to your car’s hotspot on your phone:

1. Go to your phone’s Settings.
2. Select WiFi.
3. Wait for your phone to scan available WiFi networks.
4. Choose your car’s network from the step above.
5. Enter the password from the step above.

Pro Tip: You can choose to remove the password for your car’s WiFi to make it easier for you to connect your devices.

How Does Your Ford WiFi Connect to the Internet

Ford’s WiFi system connects to AT&T’s 4G LTE signal just like your smartphone.

The primary difference is that the hotspot can connect up to 10 devices at the same time.

The system also takes advantage of your car’s antenna and amplifies the signal giving you better speeds and a more reliable connection than on your phone.

Since you’re going to be on the road and the coverage conditions can change quickly, your Ford’s WiFi is definitely an upgrade over your phone’s LTE connection.

The only downside is if you’re going through a stretch of road that doesn’t have cell service, you’re also not going to access the internet through your car’s WiFi.

What Can You Do with Your Ford WiFi

As long as you have reliable coverage, you can do a lot of things with your Ford WiFi.

It can keep the kids entertained throughout the trip as they can watch their favorite shows on their phones.

You can also use it to connect to your entertainment, like listening to podcasts while driving.

If you’re going out for a long drive, you can check the weather conditions at your destination so you’ll know what to expect when you arrive.

There are definitely a lot of things you can do while connected to your Ford’s WiFi.

Here are some of them:

1. Video streaming on YouTube, Netflix, and other platforms.
2. Listen to podcasts and internet radio like Sirius XM.
3. Check and send important work emails.
4. Web browsing and other online activities.

Note: You can explore unlimited data plans so you can continue to have excellent in-car entertainment service wherever you go.

We hope this answers your question about your Ford’s WiFi.

As long as your car is compatible with this particular feature, you’ll be able to turn it into a powerful WiFi hotspot for all your internet needs.

You can contact Ford customer support to know more about this service and check if your car is capable of the in-car WiFi system.

Read Next: Ford WiFi Hotspot Not Working? – Fixed!

Bottom Line

Does Ford WiFi work when vehicle is off? Yes! You’ll be able to enjoy your in-car WiFi system even when the engine and ignition are set to off.

It will use up battery power and give you 30 more minutes of WiFi hotspot runtime. You can always turn your engine on if it cuts off to enable it again.