How to tell if your car supports Apple car key

Key Takeaways

• Apple Wallet can store your car key, allowing you to lock and unlock your car remotely.
• Apple Car Key is designed to work like a key fob, using RFID for seamless car access.
• Check your car’s manual for Apple Car Key support — setup requires a compatible iPhone or Apple Watch.

Let’s be honest: You’ve misplaced your keys before. We all have. It’s not a big deal most of the time as they more often than not turn up, and you’re good to go. But sometimes, there’s the situation of frantically searching for your car keys because you’re running late and have to leave immediately. Not only is it time to think about attaching a tracker to them, but you should also consider putting your car keys in your wallet. We don’t mean your physical wallet, but Apple Wallet.

If you’re putting your Apple Wallet to good use, you’ll have a credit card or two in there for payments already. You may also use it to store boarding passes and, provided you live in a state that supports the feature, your driver’s license. However, your car may even allow you to store keys in Apple Wallet, which you can then use to lock and unlock it remotely.

You’ve probably heard of cars capable of being unlocked or locked with an app, but Apple Wallet is taking it to a more universal place with the invention of Apple Car Key. So, how do you know if your car offers Apple Car Key? What is the list of cars that support Apple Car Key? Read on to find out.

How does Apple Car Key work?

It’s an ingenious design

Apple Car Key is designed to eliminate the need for a physical key when entering, exiting, or starting your car. If you’ve used your iPhone to pay for a purchase, the principle is just like that — you hold your phone near your car to authenticate your identity and unlock it.

It’s similar to how a key fob can start or unlock a car without needing to use your actual key. Once you’ve set up Car Key in Apple Wallet, you can use it near the car and once you’re inside the car. It’s also similar to the technology needed to remote start your car from an app from your car’s manufacturer.

How do you know if your car works with Apple Car Key?

It isn’t available for every vehicle

Apple launched Car Key in 2020, and while there were discussions of the company releasing its own vehicle someday, this is about as integrated into vehicle technology as Apple has gotten. That’s not to say that Car Key isn’t impressive — the technology pairs with CarPlay in order to work within your car.

The easiest way to know if your car works with Apple Car Key is to read your owner’s manual — it will be clearly labeled within it. Seeing as this technology was released a few years ago, you can also assume that if your car is older than four years old, it will not work with Apple Car Key. There is one automaker that has supported it more than the rest as of now, and that’s BMW. The list of compatible cars so far is:

• BMW
  • 1 Series (2021-2024)
  • 2 Series (2021-2024)
  • 3 Series (2021-2024)
  • 4 Series (2021-2024)
  • 5 Series (2021-2024)
  • 6 Series (2021-2024)
  • 7 Series (2021-2024)
  • 8 Series (2021-2024)
  • X5 (2021-2024)
  • X6 (2021-2024)
  • X7 (2021-2024)
  • X5 M (2021-2024)
  • X6 M (2021-2024)
  • i4 (2022-2024)
  • iX (2022-2024)
  • iX1 (2022-2024)
  • iX3 (2022-2024)
  • Z4 (2021-2024)
  • i3 (2023)
  • i5 (2024)
  • i7 (2023)

• BYD
• Genesis
  • GV60 (2023-2024)
  • G90 (2023)
  • G70 (2024)
• Hyundai
  • Palisade (2023-2024)
  • IONIQ 6 (2023-2024)
• Kia
  • EV9 (2023-2024)
  • Telluride (2023-2024)
  • Niro (2023-2024)
  • Seltos (2024)
• Lotus
  • Eletre (2024)
  • Emeya (2024)
• Mercedes-Benz
• Ram

*Not available in the US or Canada

How to set up Apple Car Key

You need the right iPhone first

In order to have the option of using Apple Car Key, you need to make sure your iPhone is one that’s been released within the last few years. You must have an iPhone XS or later or an iPhone SE (2nd generation) with the latest version of iOS on it. You’re also able to use Apple Car Key with certain Apple Watches — it can be utilized on an Apple Watch Series 5 or later or an Apple Watch SE with the latest version of watchOS. A step-by-step guide is covered in this post here.

It does take some time to set up, but you can use it three different ways. But you’ll still have to go through the manufacturer’s app to set it up, and those kinds of apps include MyHyundai, MyBMW, and more. The need for a complex setup may be why Apple Car Key hasn’t become a steady part of how people use their cars. But with more compatibility, it’ll likely pick up.

What does the future of Apple Car Key look like?

How this technology can improve

The main way that Apple Car Key will continue to evolve is with more cars joining the bandwagon. As more manufacturers are offering this kind of technology and including card readers on the doors and inside the car, Apple Car Key will undoubtedly continue to become a consistently used way of operating your vehicle. With a limited number of manufacturers actually offering it now, it has been slow to pick up. But, with the rise of electric vehicles and the number of cars that do offer features like remote start, it will only become more prevalent.

You’re also able to unlock some cars by waving your hand in front of the door knob. As Apple Car Key advances, you might be able to have your iPhone or Apple Watch in your hand or on your wrist and be able to start the car from outside, though Apple hasn’t confirmed new updates for Apple Car Key in any kind of rollout coming soon. You probably won’t get away from a physical key fob, however. Phones are easy to hack and if you only had your car key on your phone, your car could be much easier to steal.