Apple Car Key Is Finally Expanding to More Vehicles
Credit: Apple
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Things have been pretty quiet for Apple’s digital Car Key feature, but it looks set to expand to four more brands of vehicles in the coming months.
Apple launched Car Key with iOS 13.6 in the summer of 2020, allowing users to store digital car keys in Apple Wallet and unlock and start their vehicles with an iPhone or Apple Watch. However, it didn’t arrive with the widespread support many hoped for. For nearly two years, it was exclusive to BMW vehicles.
On top of that, the first implementation was limited to Near Field Communications (NFC), which meant you had to take your iPhone out of your pocket, tap it against your car door to unlock it, and then put your iPhone in a specific spot on the console to start your vehicle. Even though Car Key was far more secure, it was more cumbersome than the key fobs most people already have in their pockets.
That might have been why other carmakers weren’t enthusiastic about getting on board. Apple and BMW improved this in early 2021 with Digital Key Plus, adding Ultra Wideband (UWB) support to the mix for a truly hands-free unlocking experience. However, that turned out to be a very slow rollout; only the all-electric BMW iX got the UWB upgrade that year.
It wasn’t until early 2022 that we heard news of Hyundai adding Car Key support, with plans to begin offering it on Genesis and Kia vehicles. The first of these was the 2023 Genesis GV60, followed by the 2023 Kia Telluride and Niro and Hyundai Palisade and IONIQ 6.
For its 2024 year models, Kia added the Seltos and EV9, and Mercedes jumped in with the E-Class. On the ultra-premium side came Lotus, which added it to the 2024 Eletre and Emeya.
There are reasonable indications that four new brands will add Car Key support to some of their 2025 models. An update on Apple’s CarPlay page lists the 2025 RAM 1500 as having Car Key support, while the folks at MacRumors have found code in the iPhone Wallet app that reveals Polestar, Volvo, and Audi will be next up.
None of those brands have any Car Key models listed on Apple’s CarPlay page yet, but it’s also worth noting that, unlike RAM, they don’t have any 2025 models on the list right now. This makes it hard to say which of these automakers’ vehicles will include Car Key support, but if past trends are any indication, we can expect it to be limited to higher-end models and trims.
It’s also unclear whether these will all support the more sophisticated UWB version of Car Key. However, it seems likely since the Digital Key 3.0 specification lists it as a standard, if not mandatory, aspect.
The more significant question is whether these vehicles will support both UWB and NFC, as some existing models are UWB-only. That rules out support for older iPhone and Apple Watch models that don’t have a U1 chip, limiting Car Key support for the iPhone 11 and later (but not the iPhone SE) and the Apple Watch Series 6 and later models (but not the Apple Watch SE). As awkward as they are, NFC Car Keys can be used from an iPhone XS or later, iPhone SE (2020 or later), or an Apple Watch Series 5 or SE and later models.
Having support for as many iPhone models as possible is helpful since one of the best features of Car Key compared to a traditional fob is how easy it is to share it with other family members. A Car Key can be shared via iMessage, Mail, AirDrop, or even WhatsApp, and with some vehicles, it’s possible to attach restrictions to a shared Car Key, making it a handy way for parents to maintain some control over their teen’s vehicle use.
