- U.S.-spec Volkswagen vehicles can now be controlled remotely from compatible smartwatches.
- This includes the ID.4 crossover and ID. Buzz minivan.
- Smartwatches running watchOS and Wear OS are compatible with the myVW+ service.
Volkswagen of America’s myVW smartphone app now supports smartwatch integration in the United States, which means owners can control some vehicle functions from their wrist.
Most 2020 model-year and newer cars can be controlled from a watchOS or Wear OS device, including the electric ID.4 crossover and ID. Buzz minivan. In the case of the two EVs, owners can use a compatible smartwatch to lock and unlock their cars, honk, flash the lights, check the vehicle status, check the charge status, precondition the cabin, and remotely control the charging session.
The smartwatch integration, which is called myVW+, works in conjunction with the automaker’s smartphone app, which is called myVW. In other words, you can’t leave your phone at home and expect to control the car through your smartwatch, even if it has an independent cellular connection.
Volkswagen said users must be logged into their account on the mobile app, and the smartwatch must be in close proximity to the phone to access the remote controls on the wrist-mounted smart device.
To use the newly added feature, owners have to download the smartphone app, accept the terms and conditions, add their vehicle to the virtual garage (if they haven’t done so already), accept the myVW+ terms and conditions, and then subscribe to the Remote Access and VW Vehicle Insights plans.
The Remote Access plan enables features like remote charging, remote honk and flash, and remote climate controls, while the VW Vehicle Insights plan enables owners to check the vehicle’s status, lock status and charge status, in the case of EVs.
Volkswagen is not the first automaker to enable smartwatch control of certain vehicle functions. Tesla has long offered this functionality on its EVs, but legacy automakers like Ford have also stepped up their game.
