Apple’s new software for iPhones will soon allow you to text your car key to a friend or spouse.
How?
By making car keys digital.
The new digital car key works with CarPlay, Apple’s software for in-car digital experiences, and iOS 14, the companies’ upcoming mobile operating system. And it plays on the fact that, thanks to wireless remotes and security fobs, most car keys are “big, bulky, and ripe for re-imaging,” as Apple senior VP Craig Federighi said today.
“We’re really excited for the next step in how we’re transforming your relationship with your car by rethinking car keys,” he added.
The technology uses NFC, near-field communication, to digitally unlock and start your car.
When you’re using it yourself, you can tap to unlock your car, then place your phone on the charging page and hit your car’s Start button. You can also share a digital key to a friend via iMessage, Apple’s mobile app for sending texts. When you share a key, you can also define driving profiles. So your teen, for instance, might get a very conservative driving profile, but your spouse might have all possible privileges.
You can also remove that access digitally.
Or, if your phone is stolen, you can disable the entire car-starting functionality via iCloud.
Of course, this only works on select vehicles. While Apple says CarPlay is available on 97% of new cars in the U.S. and 80% of new cars globally right now, there are some additional requirements to enable digital car keys. Currently, only the 2021 BMW 5 series will support the technology. But Apple does say it’s working on technology to enable CarPlay — and presumably digital keys — for any car.
We’ve seen digital keys for homes, and manufacturers like Bosch have been working on this for some time already in the automotive space. Apple, however, has the market clout and premium customers to entice car manufacturers to move faster on this technology.
And the faster it comes, the better.
Current key fobs are way too large — and expensive. When I bought a used vehicle a few years back, it only came with one key. I spent $400 to get a new key from Volkswagen, and vowed never to visit that dealership again. (And I haven’t!)
Digital keys would eliminate that ripoff potential.
Now if someone would just text me a key to my own 2021 BMW 5 series and never revoke it …
