Similar to how Apple Wallet makes it easier to leave the house without a physical credit card, Apple Car Key could theoretically make it possible to leave the house without a car key. The feature first rolled out in 2020, but adoption has been slow, to say the least. Here's a quick overview of how it works and how to set it up.
How to use Apple Car Key
Apple Car Key works with iPhone and Apple Watch. To set it up, you'll first need to make sure your car supports the feature (there's a list at the bottom of this article). Unfortunately, even in 2024, only a select few manufacturers will start supporting Apple Car Key, so the list is limited. You'll also need an iPhone XS or later, iPhone SE (2nd generation or later), or Apple Watch Series 5 or later with the latest operating system.
The specific instructions you need to follow will vary depending on the car you have, but you basically need to contact the manufacturer and make sure your account is associated with your car. You can then use your car's display or the manufacturer's app to set up the key and add it to the Apple Wallet app. Then, you just hold your iPhone or Apple Watch close to the card reader, just like you would with Apple Pay.
By default, your Apple Car Key should be added to any Apple Watch synced to your iPhone. If not, you can add it by navigating to Wallet & Apple Pay > Add in the Apple Watch app on your phone.
Once you add the key to Apple Wallet, you can take advantage of both passive and proximity entry methods. Passive entry is the more automated option: It allows your device to unlock or lock your car when it crosses a certain distance threshold, and you can start the engine as long as you leave your iPhone in the car. Proximity mode works similarly to keyless entry, where it detects your iPhone when you hold it close to the car door and then unlocks the car. You then need to hold your iPhone or Apple Watch close to the car's card reader to actually start the car. With Apple Car Key, you can also easily share your car keys with others, which is useful for things like extended families sharing a vehicle or providing temporary access to someone who is looking after your home.
Another convenient feature offered by the Apple Car Key is that even if your iPhone needs charging, it can still be used as a car key. This feature requires you to use Express Mode, which doesn't require TouchID or other biometric/security measures to unlock access to the key. It's a bit unsafe considering anyone can snatch your phone and access your keys, but Apple says it will work as long as you enable it five hours in advance. When your iPhone needs to be charged by pressing the power button, you can see which cards and keys are available.
But what happens when all power reserves are exhausted? Well, according to an interview with The Verge , your phone should always act as your car key. It can be unreliable, meaning you may need to lift it up to the handle a few times, but it should always work. This is because when reserves are low enough, it switches to NFC to establish these connections. NFC chips don't require any kind of power supply, so technically they should work even if the phone is out of battery. However, if you turn off your phone, Apple says the car key won't work at all.
Which cars support Apple Car Key?
As I pointed out above, there are still some cars that actually support Apple Car Key. You'll need to contact the manufacturer to verify if your car supports this feature. However, some users have managed to put together a list of all the cars currently known to support Apple Car Key:
2021 – 2023 BMW 1 Series
2021 – 2023 BMW 2 Series
2021 – 2023 BMW 3 Series
2021 – 2023 BMW 4 Series
2021 – 2023 BMW 5 Series
2021 – 2023 BMW 6 Series
2021 – 2023 BMW 8 Series
2021 – 2023 BMW X5
2021 – 2023 BMW X6
2021 – 2023 BMW X7
2021 – 2023 BMW X5 M
2021 – 2023 BMW X6 M
2021 – 2023 BMW Z4
2022 – 2023 BMW i4
2022 – 2023 BMW iX
2022 – 2023 BMW iX1
2022 – 2023 BMW iX3
2023 BMW i3
2023 BMW i7
2024 BMW i5
2022 – 2023 BYD Han
2023 Genesis GV60
2023 Genesis G90
2023 Hyundai Palisade
2023 Hyundai IONIQ 6
2024 Hyundai Kona Electric Car
2023 Kia Telluride
2023 Kia Niro
2024 Kia Seltos
2024 Kia EV9
Lotus Emeya EV
2024 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
Why is there so little support?
It seems odd that Apple Car Key technology is four years old and there are still fewer than 150 car models that support it. Well, there's a good reason for that. While having a car key on your iPhone sounds great, there are many factors that must be considered, such as digital security.
The problem here is that, in theory, hackers can access any digital content. Sure, we have different levels of encryption, and Apple offers the strongest encryption on smartphones, but at the end of the day, none of our cybersecurity systems are completely foolproof, and bad actors are always looking for new encryption techniques. Therefore, even if a system is designed to be secure, a hacker may find a way into the system and gain access to your car keys. Even some of the most notorious automakers to launch digital keys, such as Tesla, have chosen to offer physical key fobs simply because they are less vulnerable to hackers, sometimes including apps that power mobile key systems that just don't Always works fine. Of course, someone could still steal your physical keys, but that would require physical interaction rather than remotely hacking your phone and accessing your keys.
There's also the fact that Apple and other companies trying to push these digital keys have yet to come up with any standardization. Depending on the manufacturer, different technologies are used inside the car, which means you have to create a system that is both secure and capable of running many different types of hardware and software configurations, or have every manufacturer in the world be able to support a single technology Settings are agreed upon. It's a tall order, and considering how much trouble we've had getting smartphone manufacturers around the world to agree on a standards baseline, it's unlikely that carmakers (of which there are far more of them) will be very Achieve this goal quickly. of). That's not to say it's impossible, it just will take longer to happen, just like it took EV manufacturers a long time to agree on standard charging setups.
Ultimately, from both a technology and consumer perspective, the world isn't ready to overcome all the hurdles that Apple Car Key and digital keys pose, which is why we haven't seen all automakers fully embrace them. Concerns about cybersecurity and technical barriers remain at the forefront of the technology. In another four years, there could be more cars under the Apple Car Key umbrella, or we could see manufacturers abandon digital keys altogether and look for other methods (unlikely, but that's unlikely if technology has stalled) Possibly, because Apple and others think the technology is "growing"). For now, though, Apple's car key system will have to adapt to the much smaller number of vehicles it supports. At least for a while longer.
