Apple digital car key arrives with updated BMW Connected app
BMW on Thursday added Digital Key support to its BMW Connected app, a little over a week after Apple announced a digital car key feature set to debut with iOS 13.6.
Credit: BMW
The digital car keys feature will allow users to store "digital keys" within the Wallet app, allowing them to lock, unlock or start their vehicles with an iPhone or Apple Watch.
BMW was announced as the first adopter of the vehicular technology, and the automaker has updated its BMW Connected app to support the feature with what it calls BMW Digital Key.
"The BMW Digital Key for the iPhone will enable you to lock and unlock your car by holding iPhone up to the door handle and start it up by placing iPhone in the smartphone tray," BMW said of the update.
Digital Key users will also be able to share access with up to five of their friends or family members. The setup process is carried out within the BMW Connected app, while actual Digital Keys are stored in Wallet.
The feature will be available on the iPhone XR and iPhone XS and newer, as well as the Apple Watch Series 5 and newer.
While BMW has updated their app to support digital keys, Apple will introduce compatibility with the feature in the forthcoming iOS 13.6 and watchOS 6.2.8. The feature will also be present in iOS 14 and watchOS 7.
As the carmaker said on June 22, the BMW Digital Key feature will also be compatible with 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 8 series models, as well as the X5, X5M, X6, X6M, X7 and Z4.
Credit: BMW
The digital car keys feature will allow users to store "digital keys" within the Wallet app, allowing them to lock, unlock or start their vehicles with an iPhone or Apple Watch.
BMW was announced as the first adopter of the vehicular technology, and the automaker has updated its BMW Connected app to support the feature with what it calls BMW Digital Key.
"The BMW Digital Key for the iPhone will enable you to lock and unlock your car by holding iPhone up to the door handle and start it up by placing iPhone in the smartphone tray," BMW said of the update.
Digital Key users will also be able to share access with up to five of their friends or family members. The setup process is carried out within the BMW Connected app, while actual Digital Keys are stored in Wallet.
The feature will be available on the iPhone XR and iPhone XS and newer, as well as the Apple Watch Series 5 and newer.
While BMW has updated their app to support digital keys, Apple will introduce compatibility with the feature in the forthcoming iOS 13.6 and watchOS 6.2.8. The feature will also be present in iOS 14 and watchOS 7.
As the carmaker said on June 22, the BMW Digital Key feature will also be compatible with 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 8 series models, as well as the X5, X5M, X6, X6M, X7 and Z4.
Comments
I expect Jaguar, Mercedes and Audi will follow BMW soon.
Plz.....Its not like Tesla isn't without their issues and many of them. And your Tesla app can't unlock more than one vehicle if you happen to own more than one which many do in the US at least.
"The BMW Digital Key for the iPhone will enable you to lock and unlock your car by holding iPhone up to the door handle and start it up by placing iPhone in the smartphone tray"
Seriously? A digital key has a lot of advantages, especially if you can send it to a friend or limit someone's access such as a valet mode, etc. But it's only marginally faster and possible more convenient than a traditional key, as far as convenience goes. Setting the phone in a tray – does that start the car or allow an button to be pushed to start? Probably the latter, also not much of a convenience/time save.
Given that a lot of people might be on their phone anyway as they approach, it would seem to be a logical step.
Now if your Watch allowed the same functionality that would be notable, especially if it functioned like a fob via proximity and not 'touch'.. The Watch already unlocks my Macs. I'd still want to carry a real key though. Still, I'm happy to see this much for Apple and car manufacturers. I'd happily take that over not having a choice.
etc...
As always those who watched Apple's presentation could believe Apple was here the driver or the pioneer.
As a rule: whenever you believe that Apple does something first, go and google for an existing Samsung implementation.
2. I have nothing do with Tesla except that I own one, and as I said before, I'm a long time Apple user and BMW owner