Sync 3 Mods

General

To be able to install any Sync 3 Mods, your Sync 3 system has to be jailbroken first! To do this, download and apply the following basic Mods in the following order:

There is a guide on fmods.net with additional info on how to jailbreak your Sync 3 unit. Basically: download a mod, unzip it to the root of an exFAT formatted USB stick and put it in the USB port in your car. A special script will notice that the Mod is offered and it wil execute it. There is also a guide how to install mods.

Mod (short for Modification)

A mod is essentially a customized alteration or improvement of a factory feature within the Sync 3 system. It requires direct modifications to the original OEM Sync 3 files to function correctly. Here are the key points to remember:

Mods build upon existing Sync 3 features, enhancing or tweaking them to suit specific needs.
They often rely on modifying proprietary OEM files, which may require expertise in reverse engineering or understanding the inner workings of the system.
In most cases, mods are applied using patches to avoid infringing on FoMoCo copyrights. This can lead to some challenges: - Mod authors may need to update their patches with each new Ford Sync 3 system update, which can be cumbersome. - Cross-mod compatibility can be tricky to navigate, especially if multiple mods modify the same files.

Mods are divided into several categories in the fmods.net database:

Just browse the categories and install the mods of your choice! Sometimes people make custom mods that are not suitable for the fmods.net database. They might be shared in the fmods.net forum or shared through the fmods.net Telegram channel.

How are Mods structured and ... made?

Mods are shared in the fmods.net database using the .zip format. Once again: unzip them to the root of an exFAT formatted USB stick to run them in your car by putting the stick in (one of) the USB port(s). Inside the .zip of the mod you will find a structure which can/will contain several files and folders:

README.txt or README.md: this is a text file which gives some basic info about the Mod. Always read it as it can help you install and use the mod.
DONTINDX.msa: this is a file which tells SYNC3 not to index the USB stick but to apply it.
SyncMyMod folder: this folder contains the contents of the mod.
autoinstall.sh: this is a bash/shell file which contains the commands that are executed. It can be read using any texteditor. Only make changes if you know what you are doing! Most Mod authors use more advanced texteditors like NotePad++ or (even better) free Microsoft Visual Studio Code which has nice and free QML code helpers. Good to know: sh is a shorthand for "bash", which is the standard shell command language used by Unix (and also for Sync 3).
files: a folder containing several subfolders with specific filetypes:
bin: this subfolder of files contains binary files, like used for the Video Player or Rear View Camera Mods.
other: this subfolder of files can contain backup files/folders and new files/folders. Like qml files, images in the .png, .jpg or .gif filetype or other files.
patch: this subfolder of files contains the master.patch file(s). Basically, this file is used to patch and change existing .qml-files on Sync 3. To generate a master.patch file, you will need to compare the original file with the modified one. A good tool to compare files and generate a master.patch is Winmerge. Ask for help in the FMods.net Telegram channel, if you want to make your own mod and need addional info to get started on this matter.
shell: this subfolder of files contains other bash/shell files (.sh filetype). They can be added to the end of the Sync 3 startup_gf.sh file or called in another way (e.g. we made .sh files to delete Apps).

In general, a Mod is made by an author that knows a bit of bash/shell (to be able to change the autoinstall.sh file) and also has a good knowledge about the language that is used to show the Sync 3 screens to us. That language is: Qt QML.

QML or Qt Modelling Language is a user interface markup language designed for touch screens (like HTML is a markup language for websites). Ford has made some own libraries that can be used/called inside the qml-pages (usually they are imported in the top of the qml file). Typically qml files do not have 1.000 lines of codes each, but they call other qml files, so Sync 3 has a modular system. If you want to understand a bit of QML, there is a good online YouTube Tutorial by KDAB. Also good to know: the Sync 3 compressed Apps.img file contains over 36.000 files!

Mods authors generally use Unix, Linux or something like a virtual Ubuntu system (e.g. inside a free Oracle Virtual Box) to mount the Sync 3 Apps.img file, unpack it and copy the contents back to their primary operating system. Some authors just code on a computer and test in their cars, others have a special bench station which speeds up development. Of course there is a guide how to unpack Sync 3 files.

Special Mod: CANbus Box

It is possible to add a so called CANbus Box to a duplicated OBD / GWM (Gateway Module) port of your vehicle to show additional technical information on Sync 3, like TPMS (tire pressure) and all kinds of other values. This piece of hardware can be made yourself. More info is in the canbus box guide. Good to know: a Controller Area Network (CAN) is a vehicle bus standard designed to enable efficient communication primarily between electronic control units (ECUs).

Different Sync 3 for default ford-MY20, Lincoln and 10 inch Portrait and Landscape screens

Although the Sync3 system has a combined Apps.img package, you might notice that (once unpacked) there are different subfolders. Sync 3 knows 4 different screen setup types:

The default folder contains (qml-)files for the ford-MY20 8 inch screen Theme. 8 inch means a resolution of 800x480 pixels)
The +lincoln-MY20 subfolder contains (qml-)files for cars with a Lincoln 8 inch screen Theme (also 800x480 pixels).
The +10inchP subfolder contains (qml-)files for cars with a 10 inch Portrait screen Theme (ford-10P-MY20, 800x1.280 pixels)).
The +10inchL subfolder contains (qml-)files for cars with a 10 inch landscape screen Theme (lincoln-10L-MY20, 1.280x800 pixels). Example: a Lincoln Aviator.

Most mods are just made for the default 8 inch Sync 3 screens. But some are ported too for Lincoln, or the 10 inch screens. Generally, they are not offered through the Fmods.net Mods database, but through the FMods.net Forum or the FMods Telegram channel.