Apple iPhone users running iOS 16.1 can now share car keys in their wallet with non-iPhone users, starting with Google Pixel devices. In the future, this capability will expand to other Android 12+ devices, Apple says.
Apple says it is working with the Internet Engineering Task Force and other industry players to establish a standard for sharing digital keys between platforms. You can share keys via email, text messages and WhatsApp.
When Apple first introduced digital car keys in 2020, iPhone users could share their keys via iMessage, Apple’s instant messaging service.
Of course, key sharing only works on cars that are compatible with digital car keys. Apple did not share a list of compatible cars and instead urged users to contact their car manufacturer or dealer for an answer. As far as we know, there are several 2021 and 2022 BMW models that can be unlocked and used via digital car keys on iPhone, Google Pixels, and Samsung Galaxy devices. Both Apple and Google digital car keys also recently arrived on the all-electric Kia Niro 2022, Genesis G90 2022, and Genesis GV60 2022.
Apple’s digital car keys can usually be added to an Apple Watch (Series 5 or later or Apple Watch SE) running the latest version of watchOS, according to an Apple announcement. It’s unclear if this cross-platform capability will still be available to Apple Watch users.
Apple’s digital car keys are one of the company’s many features that allow users to carry less stuff around. Perhaps one of the most popular examples of this company is Apple Pay, which syncs a user’s credit, debit or prepaid card to their phone. In addition, iPhone users in some states can now carry their driver’s license or state ID in their wallet, and at select Hyatt hotels, users can unlock their rooms with a digitally stored key.
rootdevices.com/2022/12/01/iphone-users-can-share-car-keys-in-wallet-with-non-iphone-users/