Last year, Apple debuted support for digital car keys, which let users lock, unlock, and start their vehicles using a pass stored in the Wallet app on the iPhone. And with iOS 15, there's now Ultra Wideband support on the iPhone 11 and later that will let the feature work without having to remove your iPhone from your pocket.
Car manufacturers need to add the NFC technology to their vehicles to support digital car keys, and so far BMW has been the only manufacturer to do so with Apple's platforms.
It appears as if that's about to change, however, as an Apple configuration file specifying various compatibility criteria for Apple Pay NFC functionality has been updated today to add mention of Hyundai's luxury brand Genesis.
We noted earlier this year that BMW was preparing to support the Ultra Wideband version of Apple's digital car key feature and that Hyundai was reportedly moving to adopt digital car keys on iPhone as well, and that now appears to be coming to fruition.
We've yet to see an official announcement from Hyundai or Genesis about launching digital car key support on iOS, but the manufacturer debuted the feature on Android with its 2021 GV80 and G80 models and indicated that it was working with Apple on iOS support.
Wednesday February 18, 2026 12:43 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple is looking for a "breakthrough" with its push into wearable AI devices, including an "AirTag-sized pendant," according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
In a report this week, he said the pendant is reminiscent of the failed Humane AI Pin, but it would be an iPhone accessory rather than a standalone product.
The pendant would feature an "always-on" camera and a microphone for Siri voice...
Apple today announced a "special Apple Experience" in New York, London, and Shanghai, taking place on March 4, 2026 at 9:00am ET.
Apple invited select members of the media to the event in three major cities around the world. It is simply described as a "special Apple Experience," and there is no further information about what it may entail. The invitation features a 3D Apple logo design...
Wednesday February 18, 2026 9:29 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Back at WWDC 2025, Apple revealed that it was planning to allow CarPlay users to watch video via AirPlay in their vehicles while they are not driving, and the first beta of iOS 26.4 suggests the feature may be nearing availability.
There are several new references to CarPlay video streaming functionality within the iOS 26.4 beta's source code. The feature is not yet visible to users, but...
New trade-in data indicates that Apple's iPhone 17 Pro Max has rapidly become the single most traded-in smartphone.
According to a new report from SellCell, Apple's latest flagship iPhone has quickly risen to the top of the independent trade-in market, accounting for 11.5% of all devices appearing in the top-20 trade-in rankings just months after release. The analysis is based on SellCell...
Apple will announce its rumored low-cost MacBook at its event on March 4, with the device coming in a selection of bold color options, according to a known leaker.
Earlier this week, Apple announced a "special Apple Experience" for the media in New York, London, and Shanghai, taking place on March 4, 2026 at 9:00am ET.
Posting on Weibo, the leaker known as "Instant Digital" said that the...
You stopped carrying keys around because that's a choice you made. But that still doesn't mean it's a problem. Using a physical key takes literally seconds to unlock a car. And failing that, wireless keys have been a thing for a long, long time and are actually faster than using a phone.
So again, this is one of those progress-for-the-sake-of-progress things that the world just didn't need. It's more for the people making the money off the phones and the cars than it is for you or me, or to solve some sort of real-world problem.
You don't have to "use the phone" to unlock the car. It behaves the same way a passive entry key fob does; walk up to the car it unlocks, walk away it locks. I've been doing it since 2018.
Solving a problem doesn't have to be the only reason for technology to exist. Plenty of things have been invented simply for convenience.
A single device we're carrying has already replaced cameras, music players, computers, wallets, notepads, maps, books, newspapers, boarding passes, etc. None of those were a problem before that but it's much more convenient to carry an iPhone than all that stuff. There's no reason not to add car keys, house keys, and building access cards to that list if it can be done effectively and securely.
You stopped carrying keys around because that's a choice you made. But that still doesn't mean it's a problem. Using a physical key takes literally seconds to unlock a car. And failing that, wireless keys have been a thing for a long, long time and are actually faster than using a phone.
So again, this is one of those progress-for-the-sake-of-progress things that the world just didn't need. It's more for the people making the money off the phones and the cars than it is for you or me, or to solve some sort of real-world problem.
It's a major improvement for me.
1. No need to carry around a key, it's also easier to find a lost iPhone or Apple Watch than a physical car key. The cost of replacing a lost cary key can be a lot. Say I irretrievably lose my iPhone, I can wipe it and replace it (and thus the digital key) easier than replacing a physical key. 2. Not needing to carry a key is great for when I go to the beach, gym, etc. 3. Having to carry round a car key seems archaic to me and something that can be easily replaced with a phone. What if I need to lend my car to a friend? I can easily send him a digital key for a time.
You've not really thought through the advantages it brings.
I completely stopped carrying keys around when I got my Tesla. My phone is the key. The backup keycard, for the rare occasion where my phone dies, is in my phone case.
It's nice to not have keys anymore.
I guess the one small improvement that could be made would be if my Apple Watch also acted as a key unlocking the car. Does Apple's implementation allow that?
