How To Reset The Touch Screen On A Ford F-150?
The touch screen on the new Ford F-150 is the central feature of the truck. You can use the navigation system, access music and radio, make calls, etc.
Sometimes, though, you need to reset your screen.
To perform a system reset, hold the “Seek Up” button while also pressing and holding the “Radio Power” button. Hold these for five seconds and wait for the screen to go black. The system will take one to two minutes to completely reset.
How to Reset the Touch Screen on a Ford F-150
The touch screen in your F-150 is one of the most important features of the truck. It’s where you adjust the radio, connect your phone, navigate, and more.
Why Would You Want to Reset Your Touch Screen?
Problems can arise when using your touch screen, but most are easily solved.
For example, you may not be able to connect your devices via Bluetooth or have connectivity issues where you make a call but can’t hear the other person.
The system can perform functions using voice commands, and glitches can cause it to malfunction.
A full system reset is the best way to restore functionality to the touch screen, but you can also find other fixes here.
Steps to Reset the Touch Screen
To reset the touch screen, do the following:
- Press and hold the “Seek Up” button and the “Radio Power” button simultaneously.
- Hold these two buttons down for around five seconds.
- The screen should go black. Then you can release the buttons.
- The system will take one to two minutes to reset.
- Once reset, it will power itself back on, and you can use it as normal.
How to Reset the Touch Screen if the Screen is Blank
If you’ve got a black screen, it can be hard to tell if you’re resetting it properly.
Your first option should be to visit Ford’s website and ensure you have the latest version of SYNC for your vehicle.
The next option is to do a key cycle to turn it off and on again.
These steps will ensure you do a proper reset:
- Turn the truck off. Ensure the engine isn’t running, the vehicle isn’t in accessory mode, and the radio is off.
- Open the driver’s side door and lock the vehicle.
- Close the driver’s door and wait outside the vehicle for at least two minutes.
- Restart the vehicle to see if the black screen issue has been fixed.
Finally, you can still perform the reset function while the screen is black. Push the “Power” and “Seek Up” buttons and hold them for five seconds.
In this case, the screen should indicate that it is resetting before going black again to reset itself.
If all else fails, contact your dealer to have them determine the problem.
Will Resetting the Touch Screen Delete My Data?
Your touch screen will eventually have a lot of data stored on it.
From contact lists to recognizable devices to text messages and call histories, you don’t want your data deleted because one function stopped working.
Luckily, resetting the screen does not delete any of your data from the system, and you won’t have to add your devices again.
The reset only resets the functions for the screen, and you can think of it like restarting your computer.
How To Fix a Frozen Touch Screen in a Ford F-150
It’s also possible that your screen could freeze, even if it continues performing functions behind the scenes.
All you need to do is hold down the “Power” and “Forward Skip” buttons. The screen will go black, and the system will reboot itself a couple of minutes later.
How To Change the Startup Screen on a Ford F-150
Every Ford vehicle model has a different startup screen when you turn the vehicle on.
If you aren’t a fan of the default display and want to customize it to your taste, you can select a new startup screen for your F-150.
To start, put the screen into diagnostic mode by holding the “Skip Forward” or “Right Arrow” buttons on the steering wheel and dash.
Just know that opening diagnostic mode will likely begin a speaker test. Skip this test to get to the next screen.
It should display multiple diagnostic options for you to press and initiate. Ignore them all, except for test settings.
Press “Testing Settings” and then look for the “Theme” row.
A drop-down menu should be next to “Theme” with a list of all the programmed screen displays available for your vehicle.
These can include the themes for sports vehicles like the Ford GT, Raptor, and even Lincoln models.
Select the one you like to change your startup screens and the theme of your touch screen.
Conclusion
Resetting the screen on an F-150 is a very simple process. Hold the “Seek Up” and “Power” buttons for around five seconds.
The screen will go black and restart itself one to two minutes later.
This kind of soft reset is an easy way to fix various functionality problems with your touch screen.