Rivian Planning to Launch Apple Watch App

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 r1s v2
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.

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Top Rated Comments

dutton Avatar
5 hours ago at 07:09 am
But still no Apple CarPlay, which means I will never own a Rivian.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ArrayDecay Avatar
2 hours ago at 09:51 am

But still no Apple CarPlay, which means I will never own a Rivian.
Every auto manufacturer who still believes that the public will accept their poverty in-house UI in lieu of Apple or Android is foolish and will eventually submit to the inevitable, Rivian included.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Dubthedankest Avatar
5 hours ago at 07:17 am

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.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Ja50n Avatar
2 hours ago at 09:59 am

But still no Apple CarPlay, which means I will never own a Rivian.
That’s a weird mix, and very good to know… After 6 years of CarPlay in my Chevy Volt, it’s as expected as cupholders for me now.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ArtOfWarfare Avatar
4 hours ago at 08:00 am

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.

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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.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ececlv Avatar
3 hours ago at 09:27 am

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...
My toyota cost $6k. Bumpers have lots of sensors in them to recalibrate if you whack it right.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)