Rivian Planning to Launch Apple Watch App

[MacRumors]

Electric automaker Rivian is preparing to launch a dedicated Apple Watch app that will allow owners to access and control their vehicles directly from their wrist.

Rivian is planning to release a companion Apple Watch app as part of its upcoming 2026.03 software update, according to release notes posted by RivianTrackr. The update is tied to version 3.9 of the Rivian mobile app, which has not yet been released on the App Store.

The release notes say that the update will allow owners to remotely access and control their vehicles from the Apple Watch, including locking and unlocking doors, venting windows, and sounding the alarm. Users can use the Digital Crown to set a target state of charge or adjust the cabin temperature. The app's customizable design allows users to choose up to four quick controls for instant access to their most-used features.

The addition of the Apple Watch app effectively extends wrist-based vehicle access to older Rivian vehicles that cannot use Apple's built-in Wallet-based digital key independently. Rivian began supporting Apple Wallet-based digital Car Keys in December, allowing owners of newer vehicles to use iPhone or Apple Watch to unlock and start their vehicles without a physical key, but support is limited to second-generation Rivian models beginning with the 2025 model year.

Rivian's first-generation vehicles, produced from 2021 to 2024, will gain Apple Watch digital key functionality through the new app for the first time. The app will need to be open for functionality to work on these older vehicles. For those newer vehicles, the digital key can function without requiring the Apple Watch app to be launched via a Car Key in the wallet.



Article Link: Rivian Planning to Launch Apple Watch App

 

[I7guy]

I don’t have a Rivian, but it’s a great thing for those who do and have an AW.

 

[knappeduivel]

Is this a forest dwelling car?

 

[segfaultdotorg]

This seems pointless, what can you do on the iWatch that you can't do on the iPhone (which you are required to have in order for the iWatch to work)?

 

[dutton]

But still no Apple CarPlay, which means I will never own a Rivian.

 

[mattopotamus]

This seems pointless, what can you do on the iWatch that you can't do on the iPhone (which you are required to have in order for the iWatch to work)?

Cellular Apple watches do exist. Eg, on my Tesla my watch is a key and works without my phone. Not often I intentionally do that, but it does work. Probably good for someone maybe hiking or outdoors that doesn't have their phone.

 

[pair-a-dice]

Looking forward to these features. The Car Key has been performing nearly flawless for me. I absolutely love my R1, but the feature that needs to be implemented ASAP is the ability to text via CarPlay or some other solution. The "Hey Siri, read my unread messages" does not always work fluidly. Answering a call via the steering wheel control when I'm wearing AirPods puts the audio through the car speakers instead of my AirPods. It's frustrating.

 

[lazyrighteye]

While that's a nice addition for Rivian owners, I thought Rivian went bankrupt. Maybe I'm misremembering. Someone her will set me straight.

 

[Dubthedankest]

While that's a nice addition for Rivian owners, I thought Rivian went bankrupt. Maybe I'm misremembering. Someone her will set me straight.

Nope, new model, R2, dropping soon.

 

[sw1tcher]

While that's a nice addition for Rivian owners, I thought Rivian went bankrupt. Maybe I'm misremembering. Someone her will set me straight.

Rivian ≠ bankrupt EV companies like Fisker, Lordstown, Canoo or Nikola

And a FYI, Lucid is still in business too.

 

[erinsarah]

This seems pointless, what can you do on the iWatch that you can't do on the iPhone (which you are required to have in order for the iWatch to work)?

As an AW user I can definitely see advantages to not having to pull out my phone. Here's a non-Rivian real world example...I have a "smart" garage door that includes an iPhone app. This is great for when I'm shoveling snow, in that I can come out of the garage with my shovel/snowblower and close the door with my phone to keep heat in the house, then open it again when I'm done and ready to go in. HOWEVER it doesn't have an Apple Watch app. Which means i have to dig out my phone from layers of coats and clothing. It would be so much easier to just look at (or, preferrably, tell) my watch to open the door.

 

[Finalcountdown]

While that's a nice addition for Rivian owners, I thought Rivian went bankrupt. Maybe I'm misremembering. Someone her will set me straight.

Nope, still selling cars. Their new car - the R2 - should launch this year. Though it looks like it has sub par range and $55k+ sticker price for a usable version. If the R2 launch doesn’t crush it, it’s likely a zombie company.

 

[xmach]

Nope, still selling cars. Their new car - the R2 - should launch this year. Though it looks like it has sub par range and $55k+ sticker price for a usable version. If the R2 launch doesn’t crush it, it’s likely a zombie company.

I thought the R2 range is something north of 300 mi? Isn't that more than enough for most use cases and most people?

 

[sw1tcher]

I thought the R2 range is something north of 300 mi? Isn't that more than enough for most use cases and most people?

Last I read, there's a base (single motor) model ($45K starting price?) with base battery pack that has an estimated 270 mile range. The higher capacity (300 to 330 mile range) battery will either be offered as an upgrade or only offered on higher trimmed R2 models.

They'll probably provide more info on the R2 when they report earnings on Thursday Feb. 12

 

[8KYUP]

Very happy to see the app, extending backwards to older vehicles. Rivian is producing the best vehicles on the market right now. My R1T is nearing end of lease and I would love for the Gen 3, level four autonomy with Lidar vehicles to be available when the lease is up. That is not gonna be available though until the end of 2026. Essentially, these are service free vehicles. I have owned three now and have never visited a dealership after purchase.

 

[I7guy]

This seems pointless, what can you do on the iWatch that you can't do on the iPhone (which you are required to have in order for the iWatch to work)?

I do not have a cellular Apple watch, but yeah the Tesla Apple Watch app will let me drive and start the car.

 

[ArtOfWarfare]

Rivian ≠ bankrupt EV companies like Fisker, Lordstown, Canoo or Nikola

And a FYI, Lucid is still in business too.

Lucid has had numerous scrapes with death. They keep getting bailed out at the last minute by the Saudi Public Trust Fund (or whatever it's called). I've not seen a sign that Lucid is going to manage to become profitable at any point.

Rivian has still never reported a quarterly profit, but they've significantly shrunk their quarterly losses over the past year. If not for the R2, it'd seem possible that they could announce a profit in some quarter of this year. But I think the launch of new vehicles means there's no way they'll be profitable before sometime in next year.

===

On the actual topic of Apple Watch apps, I love using the Tesla App on my Apple Watch to start the HVAC. Very handy to be able to do that without pulling my phone out when I'm wrangling my kid to get her ready to leave. And it's nice that it unlocks my car for me when I want to grab something from the driveway and don't know where I left my phone.

 

[Amazing Iceman]

As an AW user I can definitely see advantages to not having to pull out my phone. Here's a non-Rivian real world example...I have a "smart" garage door that includes an iPhone app. This is great for when I'm shoveling snow, in that I can come out of the garage with my shovel/snowblower and close the door with my phone to keep heat in the house, then open it again when I'm done and ready to go in. HOWEVER it doesn't have an Apple Watch app. Which means i have to dig out my phone from layers of coats and clothing. It would be so much easier to just look at (or, preferrably, tell) my watch to open the door.

No HomeKit integration for your Smart Garage Door?

 

[sw1tcher]

Rivian has still never reported a quarterly profit

Rivian reports first quarter of ‘positive gross profit’

Dark clouds ahead for Rivian.

www.theverge.com

Rivian announced a significant milestone today, reporting its first “positive gross profit” in its fourth quarter earnings for 2024. It was a sign that the struggling company’s efforts to slash costs through the gut overhaul of its R1 electric vehicles is starting to yield some positive results. But dark clouds loom ahead, as the company said it expects to sell fewer vehicles in 2025 than last year.

 

[CG12]

Remember, all the new EV Amazon trucks are built by Rivian.

 

[justanotherdave]

Not a fan of current Rivians but the R2 (which, coincidentally, has just been tested by several magazines and posted this morning) looks promising.

 

[segfaultdotorg]

Cellular Apple watches do exist.

Good to know. So, if I buy a cellular Apple Watch, which app do I need to download to set it up on my Android phone?

 

[RezSeeker]

Looking forward to these features. The Car Key has been performing nearly flawless for me. I absolutely love my R1, but the feature that needs to be implemented ASAP is the ability to text via CarPlay or some other solution. The "Hey Siri, read my unread messages" does not always work fluidly. Answering a call via the steering wheel control when I'm wearing AirPods puts the audio through the car speakers instead of my AirPods. It's frustrating.

Drivers are not supposed to wear headphones.
I can imagine Rivian/Apple not wanting to get sued by the victim of a distracted driver.

 

[mattopotamus]

Good to know. So, if I buy a cellular Apple Watch, which app do I need to download to set it up on my Android phone?

I cannot speak on android, but I have the Tesla app on my watch and have my watch set as a "key" on the car. Actually looking into it more, it has nothing to do with my watch being cellular and 100% because it is paired over bluetooth.

 

[NVDA]

I remember a couple years back watching a youtube video of this guy driving his Rivian in a forest. He backed into a tree and slightly dented his rear bumper. I believe Rivian offered to fix it for $8k...