As Ford Authority reported last week, The Blue Oval recently acquired its joint-venture with security company ADT, Canopy, after the two originally created that outfit back in 2022. That company aimed to combine FoMoCo’s AI-driven camera technology with the ADT’s security monitoring services to provide improved vehicle security. Canopy’s very first product – the Pickup Cam – became available to pre-order back in late July 2023, and officially begun shipping to customers a few months later. That same Ford Pickup Cam has since been discontinued, but it will be replaced by a new one, it seems.
On its official website, Canopy announced that the existing Ford Pickup Cam has been discontinued and is no longer on sale, nor will it be operable moving forward. However, the company also stated that “the next iteration of Canopy is being planned for Ford vehicles,” adding “ff you are interested in participating in Canopy’s beta testing to help develop the next iteration of the Pickup Cam, please email [email protected] for more information. With Ford’s commitment to advancing vehicle safety and security, they plan to leverage Canopy’s resources and expertise to bolster security solutions for pickup truck owners. Collaboratively, our focus has shifted towards developing the next iteration of the Pickup Cam.”
Canopy is now part of Ford Security, which just launched this past February for select 2024 and 2025 Ford F-150 and Super Duty models. It includes both theft and tampering notifications in the FordPass app that can prevent the truck from being stolen – even if the thief has the key – along with a 24/7 hotline staffed by agents that work with police to recover a stolen vehicle, as well as insurance deductible reimbursements up to $2,500.
As for existing Pickup Cam customers, well, as of this September, the Canopy hardware and app will no longer be operational, and the company notes that it’s “taking proactive steps to offer a full refund for the hardware cost for all active subscribers. All refunds will be processed no later than September. Your Canopy device will be unpaired from your vehicle; therefore, you will be unable to connect to the app which means your canopy device will become inoperable.”
Comments
I’m on their beta test for a bed camera right now and it’s not been a good experience. The unit is basically dead and after a lot of back & forth emailing I still have not responses about replacing it or further troubleshooting instructions. The unit is correctly connected, cables have been triple verified, and it was charged several times. But they continue to ask me to verify all those things. I don’t think the right people are answering my emails and texts. It feels like they are just ‘go-betweens’ and my issues are letting lost in translation to the tech/development group.
Honestly, when it did work, I didn’t really see much of a benefit. In fact, when I installed the unit (with 3 of their people present) I commented that it would make more sense to place it low on the window which is already covered by the seat back. Placed as instructed, I lose some rearward visibility. Plus, on sliding windows, the amount of cable they provide is insufficient to reach the ‘black box’. My window slides to the right which is opposite the OBD II port that the unit is ultimately connected to. This requires allowing slack in the cable which will hang down in your view. If mounted lower, the slack can hang and be covered by the seat back.
This is just one of many observations made. I feel the product is not well thought out. I would not spend my $$ on this product.
Lets be honest, Ford has a disastrous record with cameras. Just look at the Rear View Camera recall that took 14 months to resolve only to be recalled a second time because the software is bad. Then look back at My Ford Touch multimedia disaster and the fact that Ford now holds the title as most recalled OEM ever. two years ago Ford was supposed to allow F150 owners access to their cameras through the Fordpass App and thats never happened. I recommend running away from anything Ford related. Buy an aftermarket camera from people who do it for a living and have flawless results. Check out Mangoal or FitcamX