If you've long dreamed of opening your car with your phone, Apple will make it possible with the release of the CarKey app, which will be compatible with both iOS 13 and the upcoming iOS 14.
Among the many announcements revealed last night by Apple during the WWDC conference, the American company came up with major news dedicated to car owners. Through an imminent iOS 13 update, but also from the fall with iOS 14, iPhone owners will be able to use their phones to open cars.
Predictably, the feature is titled CarKey and works via NFC technology to unlock and start a vehicle. The first car compatible with the upcoming option will be the BMW 5 Series, due to be launched next month, in July. The number of compatible cars will increase significantly in the coming months, but it is currently unclear whether models already on the market will also benefit from it through firmware updates.
With CarKey, a vehicle can be paired with an iPhone or Apple Watch and allows you to share the digital key remotely with family members or friends if you want to lend the car to someone close to you. The security part of the whole mechanism works through Apple Wallet, the virtual wallet where you can keep your credit cards, loyalty cards, plane tickets and more.
The actual process of unlocking your car is similar to what you do when you pair your phone with a Bluetooth speaker via NFC. You touch the phone to the car door, and an NFC reader makes it easy to open. After getting into the car and plugging your phone into the on-board Qi wireless charger, press the engine start button and you're ready to hit the road.
Prior to yesterday's announcement, CarKey was the subject of much speculation after a reference to the new feature was included in an iOS 13.4 beta. In the same conference, the American company also referred to a future iteration of CarKey, which will be available from 2021 and will allow you to unlock your car with your phone in your pocket or purse.