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Apple's Upcoming 'CarKey' Feature Will Let You Send Digital Keys Using Messages App

dontwalkhand said:
Mercedes already has an app for this as well. You can start the car, unlock the doors, flash lights etc from the app. So does my friend's Toyota. So does my friend's Tesla.
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You'd be hard pressed to find a major automaker that doesn't have an app that allows for various levels of remote access. I know it's trite to claim "this is nothing new", but this literally is nothing new. Here's an article from 2017 about OEM apps for iOS and Android.
cartelligent.com

Which car manufacturers offer connected smartphone apps? | Cartelligent

Our smartphones are taking over more and more of our everyday lives. It makes sense that they would be able to control some functions of our vehicles as well. From locking and unlocking the vehicle, to checking diagnostics, to seeing the vehicle's current location, there are a number of...
cartelligent.com cartelligent.com
The sharing addition seems like it may be a nice iteration of the tech. Be interesting to see where this goes.
 
swm said:
i love the idea, but i can't neglect the fact that hijacking one's iCloud account gets more and more lucrative for criminals...
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Sure, the hacker will break through iCloud to go to your house then steal your car.
Instead of simply... Stealing your car. Interesting.
 
69Mustang said:
You'd be hard pressed to find a major automaker that doesn't have an app that allows for various levels of remote access. I know it's trite to claim "this is nothing new", but this literally is nothing new. Here's an article from 2017 about OEM apps for iOS and Android.
cartelligent.com

Which car manufacturers offer connected smartphone apps? | Cartelligent

Our smartphones are taking over more and more of our everyday lives. It makes sense that they would be able to control some functions of our vehicles as well. From locking and unlocking the vehicle, to checking diagnostics, to seeing the vehicle's current location, there are a number of...
cartelligent.com cartelligent.com
The sharing addition seems like it may be a nice iteration of the tech. Be interesting to see where this goes.
Click to expand...
I guess the difference is that current iterations use Bluetooth (Tesla) or an entire cellular network (Mercedes, Toyota, others) to do these things. What Apple wants to do is have it use NFC, which is going to be more reliable than these methods.

Honestly we could have already had it, had it not been for Apple locking down the NFC chip. Tesla/Mercedes/etc had to improvise and use these other methods to not lock out all of us Apple users.

I know that Volvo has been making great strides in this whole sharing the key via an app thing. Lets see if they're in on this.
 
My car has a tiny key fob and I don't have to touch it to unlock the car (or drive it) - it can stay in my pocket - but this sounds really good and I'm sure it could be retrofitted to vehicles easily enough.

I like the idea of giving someone access (which can be revoked) temporarily without the need for a physical key. I suspect we'll see this sort of thing appear in brands like BMW before most others - they were one of the first with Wireless CarPlay too.
 
Rychiar said:
2021? Its usually 5 years before normal car manufacturers get with the program with new tech. look how old wireless CarPlay actually is versus the few high end cars its appearing in this year. Hell I remember buying a nice new car in 2007 and not having any way to play and iPod through it.. a device that had existed for 6 years by then and was mainstream
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Because tech like this already exists in some cars so it's just a matter of a firmware upgrade? I doubt this would be as complicated to integrate in modern cars that already have a lot of connected systems. And I didn't say every car company. Probably just a few models to start among a few brands. They're probably testing it now, hence the leaks and inclusion in the beta.
 
DeanLubaki said:
Sure, the hacker will break through iCloud to go to your house then steal your car.
Instead of simply... Stealing your car. Interesting.
Click to expand...

crime was a hands-on thing, as you said: you had to be there. now some things can be done remotely. imagine, you're not getting locked out from your computer but from your car, when you are away from home.
and again: stealing the car in a 'very legitimately looking' fashion - just like you'd do it with your phone. no crowbars, no smashed in windows, no wire hangers or taking the dashboard apart. believe me, the "crime industry" is also evolving and innovating: new opportunities will be exploited if they are worth the effort or the risk.
 
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dontwalkhand said:
I guess the difference is that current iterations use Bluetooth (Tesla) or an entire cellular network (Mercedes, Toyota, others) to do these things. What Apple wants to do is have it use NFC, which is going to be more reliable than these methods.
Click to expand...
Hyundai already uses NFC for their digital key app. They're either using version 1.0 or an early version 2.0 of the Digital Key standard from the CCC. https://owners.hyundaiusa.com/us/en/resources/multimedia-and-navigation/introducing-digital-key.html
I imagine Apple is going to implement a version of 2.0 sometime soon. Probably why we're seeing this article.
dontwalkhand said:
I know that Volvo has been making great strides in this whole sharing the key via an app thing. Lets see if they're in on this.
Click to expand...
Volvo is a member of the CCC so I imagine they will have something on offer soon. https://carconnectivity.org/members/#car-connectivity-consortium-officers

This may be a boon for rental/ride share companies in the future.
 
calzon65 said:
This is a feature I will defiantly try. Get rid of that huge key fob.
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My iPhone just about eliminated me carrying a wallet, eliminating keys too would be amazing. I’ve looked at keyless entry door locks for the house, but haven’t seen anything I liked. Hopefully this technology can be applied there too.
 
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dontwalkhand said:
Most fobs have a backup metal key inside of them by sliding a switch, including the one in my Mercedes. You slide a black thing over, and out comes a metal key. You would use the metal key to open the door, the fob should still be able to be read to start the car even with a dead battery.

Mercedes already has an app for this as well. You can start the car, unlock the doors, flash lights etc from the app. So does my friend's Toyota. So does my friend's Tesla.
[automerge]1582145746[/automerge]

Most key fobs seemed to have remained about the same size since the 90's, with today's fobs doing much more than just unlocking the door however. I would much prefer the app, with a fob as a backup, similar to how I use Apple Pay today.
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So why can't you carry a metal key in your phone case?
 
dontwalkhand said:
Honestly we could have already had it, had it not been for Apple locking down the NFC chip. Tesla/Mercedes/etc had to improvise and use these other methods to not lock out all of us Apple users.
Click to expand...

Cellular access to lock and unlock cars came way before smartphones existed. GM Onstar did this via analog cell phones in the mid-90s. EU's eCall regulations, based on a similar Onstar feature that calls emergency services in the event of a crash, are going to require cell connectivity in cars regardless.

Further, cell access telematics gives the carmaker a reason to charge a monthly fee and make more money, similar to satellite radio.
 
What if one often goes to places with valets, especially spontaneously? Since not all valets have iPhones or Apple watches, I think one will have to carry their key fob all the time anyway.
 
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I can already do this with my iPhone and Toyota Corolla 1982 model. Works great. The door is always unlocked and the key is always in the ignition. All I have to do is get in and turn the key. No one steals it because it's a Toyota Corolla 1982 model, but it still gets me to the shops - just like any other car.
 
CWallace said:
My 2020 Hyundai Sonata Limited can be unlocked with an Android smartphone using NFC ("Hyundai Digital Key") and I believe they have said that once Apple opens up NFC, they will implement this for iOS, as well, so I am hopeful I will be able to try it out.
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Same! The 2020 Sonata is my next car and I'm pretty excited for this. Did you get "smaht pahk"?
 
Prof. said:
I wonder if my 2018 Malibu will allow for this feature? It has CarPlay and I'm sure it has NFC?

Thoughts?
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If your car has NFC then I think it's entirely possible. GM is on the Board of Directors of Directors of the Car Connectivity Consortium along with Apple. The question is, would GM make the Digital Key feature backwards compatible. If I'm understanding the tech correctly (50/50 that I am), CarPlay has nothing to do with whether or not your car would be capable/eligible.
 
DeanLubaki said:
Sure, the hacker will break through iCloud to go to your house then steal your car.
Instead of simply... Stealing your car. Interesting.
Click to expand...

How does one steal a car? Regulations, primarily in the EU and Australia, require immobilizers, which makes hot-wiring and picking locks a thing of the past. Today, thieves are either towing the whole car away, something that attracts attention, or breaking into homes and stealing keys.

Having somebody hack into a system remotely, reading the car's built-in GPS (also required by EU regulations), and having somebody walk up, get in, and drive away, is far less visible and less risky than methods of theft today.

Not only that, the fact that Apple lets you send keys to others suggests a wide-open opportunity for social engineering. The system can be completely sound only merely coupled with a clueless user.
 
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While the idea is a good one, let's look at the Apple's track record for something like this. CarPlay took how many years before it is now being supported in many vehicles. I think the same can be said for this feature. While specific car manufacturers will have opt in early, i don't see myself buying a new car just for this feature. It's a nice to have so, if this does take off, it will not personally affect me for a few years or probably the end of the decade.
 
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