Apple Car Key Feature Expands to 13 New Car Brands

Prime Highlights:

Apple is adding support for its iPhone Car Key feature in 13 more vehicle brands.
The feature lets users lock, unlock, and start their vehicles with their iPhone or Apple Watch.

Key Facts:

The Car Key feature employs NFC and Ultra Wideband technology for secure, contactless access.
Originally backed by BMW, Hyundai, Kia, Genesis, and more, the list now comprises Porsche, Cadillac, and Rivian.
Apple promises the new brands will enable the feature “soon” but hasn’t made a concrete launch date announcement.

Key Background

Apple’s Car Key feature was initially launched in 2020 as part of the Wallet app, allowing users to use their iPhone or Apple Watch to manage access to compatible cars. Using near-field communication (NFC), the feature enables locking, unlocking, and even engine start by merely tapping the device on the sensor of the car. Apple expanded on this in subsequent versions using Ultra Wideband (UWB) support, which supports passive, proximity-based unlocking—i.e., the phone remains in the pocket or bag and still has access to the car.

To begin with, the technology was confined to some high-end auto brands such as BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis. These pioneers offered a pilot experience for Apple’s digital key ecosystem and established industry standards for safe mobile vehicle access.

At WWDC 2025, Apple made a major announcement: Car Key support is coming to 13 additional automaker partners to their future models. They include a combination of luxury, electric, and mass brands including Acura, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Porsche, Rivian, Lucid, Tata, Hongqi, Smart, Chery, WEY, and Voyah. This wide variety indicates Apple’s ambition to upscale the feature internationally, targeting not only North American or European markets but also key Asian markets like China and India.

The new support will be imminent, although Apple has not set any specific timeframe. The deployment will probably be based on when every automaker starts shipping compatible cars with the required NFC and UWB hardware.

Aside from convenience, Apple Car Key provides safe key sharing through iMessage, allowing drivers to give others permission to family or friends with certain permissions, such as start-only or for limited durations. Notably, the feature also functions for up to five hours after an iPhone battery has died due to a power reserve system in newer iPhones.

As more automakers embrace this feature, Apple Car Key is emerging as a central component of the digital driving experience—enabling seamless, secure, and smart mobility for iPhone users across the globe.