BMW has announced its support for Digital Key for iPhone, which will enable customers to use their iPhone as a digital car key to lock, unlock, drive and share with their friends.
The announcement, made during an Apple Worldwide Developer Conference, means that customers need only tap to unlock their phone and place it in the vehicle’s smartphone tray before pushing the start button. Setup can be done through the BMW Smartphone App.
“The car owner can also share access with up to five friends including a configurable car access option for young drivers which restricts top speed, horse power, maximum radio volume and more,” said the OEM in a news release. “Management of access can be done from inside the car as well as through Apple Wallet.”
Other features of Digital Key include Apple Watch compatibility and Power reserve for iPhone, which means car keys can still function for up to five hours if the iPhone shuts-down due to low battery power.
BMW Digital Key for iPhone is available in 45 countries on a range of models — vehicles built from July 2020 or later. Some of these include the BMW 1-6 and 8, among others.
Compatible iPhone models include the iPhone XR, XS or newer, and Apple Watch Series 5 or newer.
“Standardizing the Digital Key contributes to user experience, security and availability in smartphone models all of which were key to the BMW Group strategy for the Digital Key right from the start,” said the OEM.
