Apple iOS 14 To Get New Key Feature To Unlock And Start Your Car

This shareable digital key will be available on Apple phones and smartwatches

• iPhone and Apple Watch with new iOS 14 and watchOS 7, respectively, can act as a digital car key with NFC contactless tech.

• The ‘Car Key’ feature will allow users to unlock and drive the paired car.

• The new digital car keys can be shared between friends and family on iOS 14 devices using iMessage.

• It will also get a second setting for restricted driving to limit vehicle aspects like top speed and acceleration. 

• Other carmakers offer digital keys via their specific apps. 

The latest generation of Apple’s operating system for handheld devices, the iOS 14, will get a variety of new features. The most exciting among them is ‘Car Keys’ which allows the iPhone or the Apple Watch to act as a digital key for your car using NFC contactless technology.

Once the Apple device is paired to a compatible vehicle, it can be unlocked by tapping on the door handle. The first car to support Apple Car Key will be the facelifted BMW 5 Series. The user will be asked to authenticate it by using biometrics like Face ID or Touch ID (fingerprint sensor). Apple is not the first to offer a digital key for a car. A few carmakers already offer this feature via dedicated applications, but Apple has now integrated it directly into its operating system. Like BMW, more automakers are expected to add Apple Car Key support soon.

According to iOS 14 details, the Car Keys function can also be used to start the engine using a wireless reader in the car. It will also allow iOS users to share the digital car keys with friends and family via iMessage by adding it to the Apple Wallet on your iPhone. The Car Key function will feature two settings: unlock and drive as well as restricted driving to add limiters for acceleration, top speed, traction control and even speaker volume. This will be useful when sharing the vehicle with others, especially teen drivers. 

Apple is reportedly working on an industry-wide standard to use its ultra wideband chip for wireless functions instead of relying solely on NFC. Currently, cars like the Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos and MG Hector feature connected car technology with dedicated smartphone apps for features like door unlock and remote engine start. However, these connected services are restricted to the cars of the same make and don’t act as shareable digital keys, unlike Apple Car Keys.