Can you imagine not having to use physical keys to open your vehicle? What’s more, can you imagine starting your vehicle completely wirelessly without the need for its physical keys to be found inside (as is currently the case with the Start & Stop system?
Although it is true that there is still a long way to go, some time ago Apple integrated a very useful functionality in this regard, by offering the possibility of using a digital key to open the car with the help of an iPhone , without having the keys on top.
It would only be enough to be equipped with a compatible iPhone and a car to be able to unlock, lock or even turn on our car completely and completely wirelessly .
But for this it is not only necessary to have a compatible iPhone, which means that it should have an iOS version of at least 13.6 or higher. It is also essential, of course, to have a car that specifically supports this function, which goes far beyond a mere update of the computer system of the same, since it is essential to link the on / off of the car and the locking / unlocking of doors with this system.
How to make sure your mobile phone supports this functionality
It was with the arrival of iOS 13.6 that Apple introduced the very interesting digital car key function (known as Apple Car Key ). Although not all iPhone can use it, which means that it is necessary to have at least one compatible device.
As reported by Apple itself, it will be enough to have an iPhone SE (2020), iPhone 11, 11 Pro or 11 Pro Max, iPhone XS, XR or XS Max, or the new iPhone 12 (all versions are compatible). Also, it is imperative that you use iOS 13.6 or later .
A simple option to make sure if our phone is compatible, in addition to looking at the type of iPhone we have, is to check the version of iOS that is installed on it. And, if it is lower, check if it is possible to update to a more recent version.
To do this, we must start the Settings application that we will find on the home screen, and then click on the General tab. On this new page we touch the Software update button, and right in this section the system will inform us about the version that we have installed in it.
If necessary, and possible, the new compatible version to install will appear at the bottom, which we can download and install immediately if we wish.
Next, the system uses the popular iPhone Wallet app to add the key to our car , directly accessing our vehicle with the help of the device.
What cars are compatible with the Apple Car Key of the iPhone?
But having a compatible mobile phone is not enough. In fact, given that we are facing a functionality that was launched last year (2020), there are still very few brands that have integrated this function into their vehicles .
In fact, currently BMW is the only manufacturer that has announced compatibility with this system in a dozen models, which have been manufactured during or after last summer 2020. This is the case of BMW Series 1, 2, 3, 4 , 5, 6, 8, M5, M8, X5, X6, X7, X5M, X6M and Z4.
As more new models will be supported as time goes on, it is best to check with your favorite brand dealer to find out if any new cars already have this functionality.
Starting to use our digital car keys on the iPhone
In addition to having a compatible mobile phone and Wallet, Car Key also needs an app provided by the manufacturer of our car, which we must previously install on the device. In the case of BMW, for example, it uses the BMW Connected app, which is also compatible with Android.
We should only start the application on our device and follow the instructions indicated by the manufacturer in order to configure the key. Next, the app will send us to the Wallet app, which will be the system used by the iPhone to be able to add our digital key in a totally safe and reliable way.
Then, the app will tell us that we will have to place our mobile phone near or on top of the vehicle’s key reader, and wait for both the phone and the car to be paired. From that moment on, we will be ready to start using our iPhone to control the car.
