Using iPhone as a key?

[IrwinJ]

Apple has enabled the iPhone and Apple Watch wallet to act as an electronic key for qualified vehicles. does anyone know if the Taycan qualifies? I know that when I was considering getting a BMW i4 M50, this feature would’ve been available.

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[Ambroos]

Only available for certain BMW and Hyundai group (Hyundai, Kia, Genesis) models so far.

Audi has a similar thing with Audi Connect key, but it's only available in certain regions and uses NFC, not BLE / proximity, so is less useful than a regular key.

The Taycan really needs the regular key. You can lock/unlock with the My Porsche app, but that does not allow you to drive the car.

 

[RCorsa]

Nope can’t do it with the taycan. I have a 2022 taycan turbo S and bought my wife a 2022 x5. The iPhone key works with the bmw but not like a tesla where you just need your phone with you. The BMW system you add the key to your wallet on the phone but have to hold the phone up to the door handle to open and place to phone in a tricky area under the dash to actually start the car. I use it to move my wife’s suv from time to time as her key is usually in her jacket or purse but I would hate it for a day to day. I have a 2019 model 3 that the iPhone key works flawlessly. Not sure why bmw needs to make it so difficult.

 

[gusone]

Am I a luddite as I am happy with the key in my pocket and being able to unlock the door simply by touching? What am I missing?

 

[seea]

Am I a luddite as I am happy with the key in my pocket and being able to unlock the door simply by touching? What am I missing?

one less thing to carry, forget, &/or fuss about... which I'd prefer especially for a daily utility car.

 

[kreshi]

Am I a luddite as I am happy with the key in my pocket and being able to unlock the door simply by touching? What am I missing?

No idea how this feature makes sense. A small key is too much to carry?

 

[BigBob]

No idea how this feature makes sense. A small key is too much to carry?

More importantly, anyone found a good solution for carrying the alarm fob? I've been trying to find a little pouch to attach to my house keys, but all of the things on amazon that look like they'd do the trick turn out to be enormous. Not sure how long the fob will survive just rattling around in my trouser pocket.

 

[atebit]

No idea how this feature makes sense. A small key is too much to carry?

i don’t consider the goofy car-shaped key “small”.

I liked Tesla’s app based key, with the credit-card key in the outside flap of my wallet. This way if my phone was dead I could just touch my wallet to the door, and wave it around the console to start.

Of course the Tesla’s smart enough to know when the driver has left and automatically locks the car as you walk away, so no thumb-jive on the door handle or need to fish around for the lock button in your pocket.

 

[W1NGE]

one less thing to carry, forget, &/or fuss about... which I'd prefer especially for a daily utility car.

Until you lose cell reception or your battery dies or (as happened recently) experience a BMW cock up which prevented people from opening their cars!

 

[KensingtonPark]

I’m a tech guy, with smart home and personal gadgets galore, so I am not afraid to try new tech.

But I fail to see the benefits of a phone-based or credit card key. When I drive my Dad’s Tesla, for example, I have to take out the key, place it against the door pillar, then tap it against the console when I get in. The phone is similar. When I have the key (with comfort access) I never touch the key again in my pocket and everything just works. How is the key not better?

 

[daveo4EV]

Until you lose cell reception or your battery dies or (as happened recently) experience a BMW cock up which prevented people from opening their cars!

some people undeniably lost access to their Tesla's when there was a server problem - however it was a fraction of the Tesla population - and it was because those customers had not "paired" their phone's to their Tesla's - they were just using the "app" to access/start the vehicle (much like the level of access we have with the Porsche app) which requires a network/internet/cell connection…

_IF_ you configure your app correctly (once when you take delivery of the car) the Tesla app + your-phone work much like a FOB in your pocket, and works with no internet/cell phone reception.

the Tesla implementation is brilliant, seamless and very resilient and does not require cell phone or internet connection - it works via local bluetooth proximity - so as long as the phone has power and it's near the vehicle everything works.

the NFC based implmentation of "phone as a key" from Apple & BMW even works when there is no power due to your phone's battery being dead and again requires no cell-service/internet/servers - as long as the phone/car can talk to each other via short range radio signals (just like your FOB) it will work.

 

[daveo4EV]

The phone is similar.

with Tesla's implementation you just leave your phone in your pocket you don't even have to wake it up - you walk up - pull the door handle the car unlocks, and you get it put it in drive and away you go. I do it all the time with my Son's Model Y…it works _EXACTLY_ like a FOB you leave in your pocket.

if you want similiar access to your Dad's Tesla he can add you as a 2nd'ary user via the Tesla website, and then once you can "see" your Dad's Tesla in your phone app - you can sit in the car and "pair" the phone with the vehilce, and in the future you can use your Dad's Tesla's as long as you have your phone with you.

it's super slick, don't over think it, and don't assume they screwed up the implementaiton - this one additonal place Tesla' just rocks the tech…

it's a seamless and resilant implementation and "just works" - once configured corrrectly (one time while sitting in the car)…

 

[daveo4EV]

I’m a tech guy, with smart home and personal gadgets galore, so I am not afraid to try new tech.

But I fail to see the benefits of a phone-based or credit card key. When I drive my Dad’s Tesla, for example, I have to take out the key, place it against the door pillar, then tap it against the console when I get in. The phone is similar. When I have the key (with comfort access) I never touch the key again in my pocket and everything just works. How is the key not better?

the apple BMW "phone as key" you have to present the phone to the "vehicle" in a similar manner as when you pay at a point of sale - this is because it's based on NFC radio communication - so you are correct - it requires you to remove the phone from your pocket and present once to unlock the vehicle - and again in a spot inside the vehicle to start it…

the Apple/BMW phone-as-key will work with a dead phone for some time after the phone dies -the NFC chips on the phone have some residual power and use very little power



the Tesla "phone as key" implementation works exactly like a FOB - it's proximity based - and does not require the phone to be "presented" to the car - once it's with in blutooth range you can unlock/start the car - no interaction is required - just have your phone with you - I've found it works similar to FOB's in terms of range - this implementation requires the phone's blutooth so it requires the phone to have power…

the Tesla RFID card is considered the backup or 2nd'ary access system (like the physical key in our FOB's) and is not the primary use case, but the RFID cards are secure, thin, and light and easy to have with you as a backup…and are more secure than _ANY_ existing FOB implmentation.

the RFID cars can also be handed to someone to grant them temporary access to the vehicle (assuming they give it back) and are a physical token you can give friends, family, valets to allow vehicle access (like a fob).

I have no issue with RFID cars when they used as intended and are very very simillar to handing someone your FOB - but they are not purely proximity based and require you to "show" them to the b-pillar to unlock the vehilce, and the center console to start the key. I find this to be no big deal since it's done infrequently.

both the BMW and Tesla implmentation are way way way way more secure than existing auto FOB's designs and can not be "cloned" like thieves can with all the existing FOB's on the market, which lead to vehicle thefts.

also the BMW implementation requires no cell/internet/server service - it's a local phone to car proximity secure radio implementation

the Tesla phone as a FOB requires no cell/internet/server service - and simply requires your phone near by…

both BMW & Tesla offer RFID cards as "backup" systems should the phone approach not function - no different than the physical key option inside our FOB's.

having lived with the Tesla implementation since 2018 - it works as well as FOB's, as often as FOB's and is a real advantage in that it only requires one to have a phone with them - which you often times do (99.9% of the time) - so it's one less thing to remember or need…you have your phone, you are good to go.

this is one area Tesla has gotten right (like supercharging) they win here, they've done an excellent job, don't try and deride their implementation - it's unambiguously a "win" and everyone else is playing catch up - and it works every day and in all the same ways a FOB does - just you no longer need a FOB - you need what you're going to have with you anyways - which is your phone…

Tesla has a lot of room for improvement on in a lot of areas, but Superchargers, plug&charge, OTA updates, and phone as a key is rock solid, industry leading, resilient, and well done - leave them alone on these topics just like Porsche brakes are the best in the industry (no question).

 

[tigerbalm]

this is because it's based on NFC radio communication

Just as FYI – it doesn't have to be just NFC – Bluetooth is supported.

https://developer.apple.com/documentation/passkit/pkaddcarkeypassconfiguration

This class has an attribute "supportedRadioTechnologies" which is a struct named "PKRadioTechnology" which has two values "NFC" and "Bluetooth".

https://developer.apple.com/documentation/passkit/pkradiotechnology

So at least Apple anticipates bluetooth implementations of CarKey in the future.

Edit: seems like this might already be used by BMW https://www.theverge.com/2021/1/14/...key-plus-iphone-unlock-u1-chip-ultra-wideband

 

[daveo4EV]

I’m a tech guy, with smart home and personal gadgets galore, so I am not afraid to try new tech.

But I fail to see the benefits of a phone-based or credit card key. When I drive my Dad’s Tesla, for example, I have to take out the key, place it against the door pillar, then tap it against the console when I get in. The phone is similar. When I have the key (with comfort access) I never touch the key again in my pocket and everything just works. How is the key not better?

have your dad log into the Tesla website site with his account
have your dad "add" you as a additional user on the website under his vehicle
install the Tesla App on your phone
log into the Tesla app on your phone
once with an RFID card unlock your dad's tesla's
access the settings in the TEsla vehicle UI
goto locks and security
click "add phone"
pick your phone from the list
approve it

you are now done.

your phone will access your dad's vehicle
you will no longer need an RFID card
you will not need to wake up your phone
you will not need to take the phone out of your pocket
no cell phone service is required
no internet connection is required
no internet servers are required
its does require your phone to have power
it does require your phone's blutooth to be "on" - no airplane mode

it will work exactly like a FOB, but no FOB required - your phone is all you need - one less thing to have with you.

when you're dad is pissed with you he can remove you in one of two ways
1. remove your phone from the list of items in the locks & security settings in the vehilce
2. remove you from list of approved users via the website

I've used Tesla's this way since 2018

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