The key fob for your car can be replaced with an iPhone, Google Pixel, or Samsung Galaxy smartphone that is compatible. To lock and open the door, just hold it against the driver-side handle. To start the engine, simply place your device in the wireless charging tray.
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Here’s How the BMW Digital Key Functions in a Video
Some individuals were glad to find that they could finally use their smartphone to lock and unlock their car when BMW announced the new Digital Key. It’s a risky but yet important move ahead because we frequently find ourselves carrying around many sets of keys, which may be a hassle. Carrying house keys, car keys, and workplace keys all the time can be a bit much, as the video below demonstrates. So why not utilize your phone to replace at least one of them?
You may use the BMW Digital Key to convert your smartphone into a car key. With the key, you won’t need a physical key to lock or unlock your BMW or even start the engine. The BMW Connected App will securely store your digital key. You can share it with up to 5 other people if you choose the “Digital Key for 5” option. A key card with the same features as the one on your phone will be given to you.
Although it can appear simple at first, there are a few steps involved in activating the Digital Key. To use any of these functions, your automobile must first be equipped with the Comfort Access option. Additionally, a ConnectedDrive account and the app are required. The only way to activate the Digital Key is to visit a nearby dealer, where you’ll need to show identification from a government agency and that you are the legal owner of the vehicle you want to use the Digital Key to access.
Following your confirmation, you will be prompted to create a four-digit number for your digital key, which you can use to share your key with additional drivers if you so want. You can then use the key once it has been installed on your ConnectedDrive app. You must match your phone with the car key in order to start your car using it. You’ll need to put your smartphone on the wireless charging pad in the car to accomplish that. The on-board systems of the automobile will then identify the Digital Key, giving you the choice of using your phone as a car key.
Smart technology, but BMW’s iPhone Digital Key Isn’t Really a Fob Replacement
You can use your iPhone or Apple Watch as a key thanks to CR-tested technology created by BMW and Apple.
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Today’s new cars typically come with a keyless fob that you may use to start your vehicle and unlock the doors without ever taking the fob out of your pocket. However, they can be heavy, they add to your load, and you run the risk of losing them. BMW has joined a small but increasing group of businesses that are providing a digital key that enables a motorist to use a smartphone to unlock the doors and start the car in order to address those difficulties.
The Comfort Access option, which is standard on some models and available as part of a costly options package on others, is a requirement for the BMW digital key. As long as the fob is present, users can start the engine inside the car and unlock doors when approaching it with it and an iPhone or Apple Watch. Despite the fact that the key functions, it takes some getting accustomed to, and this innovative addition doesn’t completely replace the fob.
According to Alex Knizek, an engineer at CR’s Auto Test Center, “there is an advantage to just being able to hop in your car when all you have is your smartphone, but the app doesn’t accomplish everything the fob does.” It’s convenient to have the option of using a phone, but he notes that the fob was easier to set up and use.
Masque
Whether card-based or phone-based, the digital key is a lifesaver while visiting the gym. The i4 key is an unnecessary step backward from the i3 key and is too large. Any additional keys make it pointless. The phone and card are great for going on errands, rides, or gym days. Additionally, for those occasions when you walk out to your car only to find you forgot your keys.
Except to begin it, they are not required to sit in the tray. requires 0.5 seconds. It actually is really useful.
What is a BMW digital key capable of?
BMW DIGITAL KEY PLUS and BMW DIGITAL KEY. The key fob for your car can be replaced with an iPhone, Google Pixel, or Samsung Galaxy smartphone that is compatible. To lock and unlock, simply touch it to the driver-side door handle. To start the engine, place your device in the wireless charging tray.
What BMW models support a digital key?
Use the My BMW app [App Store link] from the German automaker to program a digital car key for your BMW. You can simply cancel access to digital car keys and distribute them with others. For up to five hours after the battery on your iPhone dies, you can still open your car with a digital car key thanks to Apple’s power reserve mode.
Digital keys are also supported by further BMW models, such as the 2022 i4 and 2022 iX. To get a list of all the automakers that support digital vehicle keys, go to Apple’s CarPlay microsite. The first vehicle to use the most recent Digital Key 3.0 standard is BMW’s iX. The big mobile wallets from companies like Apple, Google, Samsung, and others that have access to the device’s embedded security element can use these digital car keys.
Read Apple’s support article on using your iPhone or Apple Watch as a car key for further information on using digital car keys.
Can you use a digital key to operate a BMW?
Compatible iPhone and Android Devices with the BMW Digital Key Numerous iPhones can be used with the BMW Digital Key as of this writing, but Android devices are not yet supported.
If my BMW has a digital key, how do I know?
Digital Key for iPhone is compatible with any BMW model equipped with Comfort Access (S322A), an automatic transmission, and iDrive 7.0 or higher. Additionally, practically all new BMW models will be compatible with this technology, including the following lineup of models created after July 2020:
- Series 1
- Series 2
- Series 3
- Series 4
- Series 5,
- Series 6
- Series 8
- X5
- X6
- X7
- M5
- M8
- X5 M
- X6 M
- Z4
Do you want to confirm that your car is compatible? If you notice a section called “Digital Key” with a checked box, it signifies your car is compatible. To join your vehicle to your account, log into the BMW Connected App or My BMW App with your BMW ID. Get in touch with your local BMW dealer if you want to confirm it in another way.
How do I make my BMW digital key functional?
you use to make your primary key. Choose the “Digital Key” tile from the My BMW App’s menu. Choose “Set Up Digital Key” from the list of options at the bottom of the “Welcome to Digital Key” screen. Inside your BMW, turn both car keys to the “Continue” position.
How does the BMW card function?
You will receive four points for every dollar you spend at BMW retailers, three points for every dollar you spend at gas stations or locations that charge electric cars, two points for every dollar you spend at restaurants, one point for every dollar you spend at restaurants.
How trustworthy is the BMW digital key?
How dependable is this feature, I wondered? What would happen if you left your keys at home for whatever reason, leaving you stranded?
When I was too lazy to walk back inside and get my key, I used my phone to drive about and do other things. The worst part was having to use the outdated bmw app to unlock the car. The new one is slightly quicker.
I only had my automobile for three days, but I made myself use my phone or watch as a key to test its dependability. So far, 100%. The only complaint is that it occasionally takes 5-7 seconds to unlock.
One thing I’ve observed is that even though my driver profile is linked to my digital key, I had to go back and accept the terms again in order to re-enable the drive recorder app and remote 3D view. Worth checking to make sure everything is working properly before trying to wow people with your 3D vision.
After using mine for a few months, I’ve discovered that the watch unlocks more quickly than the phone. It takes longer for the phone to reach its intended location.
If you use your watch to unlock, however, the guest profile is assigned. The phone will be on guest even after you plug it in and turn it on. The watch is really just another key. It’s okay if you set up your guest profile the same way you put up your primary key. Or if you change your profile before you go. I was initially unaware that the watch does not function as a key extender for the phone.
I did discover a significant problem, though, which makes me hesitant to use it to travel far from home. I won’t get into all the specifics because I already wrote a topic about it, but I have encountered problems using remote services. I eventually received an email informing me that my digital key had been erased, followed shortly after by another email inviting me to set up a digital key. I would have needed my wife to bring me a key if I had been away from home and had only my phone in order to unlock and restart the car.
What does it signify when a BMW digital key is deleted?
Connected Drive by BMW. There, you can erase certain BMW Digital Keys or all of them. After that, using a deleted BMW Digital Key to unlock or lock your BMW or to start the engine is no longer possible.
How many digital keys is a BMW capable of having?
The 2023 X1 and a whole new electric SUV called the iX1 are two new vehicles that BMW introduced this week that would utilize its Digital Key Plus technology.
Without a physical key, eligible BMW automobiles can now be locked, unlocked, or started using an iPhone or Apple Watch thanks to Digital Key Plus. However, Digital Key Plus makes use of Ultra Wideband technology to detect when you are near the vehicle, allowing you to keep your iPhone in your pocket. The regular NFC version of the function requires the iPhone or Apple Watch to be held near the driver-side door in order to open the vehicle.
Additionally, Digital Key Plus enhances security by preventing relay attacks, in which a third party jams or intercepts the radio signal between the iPhone and the vehicle, thanks to Ultra Wideband’s precise location awareness.
With the digital keys stored in Apple’s built-in Wallet app, Digital Key Plus requires an iPhone 11 or newer, or an Apple Watch Series 6 or newer. More BMW vehicles are gradually receiving the function, including the 2022 iX and the present 2023 X1 and iX1. A complete list of BMW vehicles that use the standard NFC-based Digital Key function is accessible on Apple’s website for models manufactured in 2021 and later.
The My BMW app can be used to set up Digital Key Plus, and up to five additional users may share digital keys. The functionality continues to function for up to five hours even if your iPhone’s battery goes out thanks to a Power Reserve mode.