Tue 23 June 2020:
Apple announced an upgrade to its iPhone operating system on Monday that will allow drivers to use their iPhones as digital car keys to unlock and start their vehicles.
The new system, which also lets users share digital car keys with friends and family embers via the company’s iMessage system, will work with BMW 5 Series vehicles that will ship next month, Apple said in a virtual keynote filmed at its Cupertino, California, headquarters.
To get started, a driver would have to pair their iPhone (or Apple Watch) with a car that supports the new feature, dubbed CarKey. That would entail holding their device up to the car’s near field communications reader, usually in or around a car’s door handle.
Users of Apple’s new CarKey will also be able to share digital keys with a family member or other trusted contact, via an iMessage, with or without restrictions. For example, a vehicle owner can limit the time that the recipient of a shared key has access to the car.
If a driver’s phone goes missing, they can turn off the digital car keys using iCloud.
BMW, as expected, is the first to offer Apple CarKey. The feature will be available to drivers of the 2021 BMW 5-series starting in July this year.
Apple said it is working with industry groups to bring its digital key capabilities to more cars and to establish an industry standard using its U1, or ultra-wideband chip, by sometime next year. CarKey will be supported by Apple’s upcoming iOS 14 and the current version, iOS 13.
Apple also updated its mapping application with information about electric vehicle charging stations, working with BMW and Ford Motor Co to show stations compatible with the user’s vehicle.
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