What Cars Are Compatible With Apple’s Digital Keys
Right now, very few cars will work with this feature, which has only just rolled out. Currently, BMW is the only manufacturer that has announced compatibility with a little over a dozen compatible models. The following models, built during or after the summer of 2020, should be able to work with your iPhone: the BMW Series 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, X5, X6, X7, M5, M8, X5M, X6 M, and Z4.
Of course, as time goes on, more new models will be compatible. Check with your car dealership to see if a car you have your eye on will work with Apple’s digital key.
The Car Connectivity Consortium
Enter the Car Connectivity Consortium, a group of auto and technology companies. The groups goal is to standardize the tech in every car so that everyone gets a similar experience. The group was established back in 2011 to use todays new technology such as NFC and Bluetooth in cars. In fact, its announcement press release mentions NFC specifically.
The Consortium didnt take the last nine years off, however. They finalized Digital Key Release 2.0 just last May a standardized and secure method for vehicle owners to use their own mobile devices as a digital key specifically via NFC. Were relatively certain that Apple Car Keys uses Digital Key Release 2.0 because the specs and use are so similar.
Apple likely uses a standardized method for Car Keys which means other platforms should get it too.
Android users will likely get access to this technology eventually because it is a standardization similar to USB-C or the headphone jack. It may not be in the OS for Android users, but definitely in app form at the very minimum. The Consortium already has a website for app developers to integrate OS-agnostic car tech.
The more exciting news is Digital Key Release 3.0, which should include support for multiple connectivity methods such as Bluetooth Low Energy and other connections. It should let you unlock your car without ever touching your smartphone. The two will just wirelessly communicate when youre close enough to unlock the car without your input.
These Device Trackers Help You Find Your Wallet Keys And Smartphone
by Suzanne Kantra on March 01, 2019in , , , , ::
It never fails. I’m rushing out the door late to work and I can’t find my keys or my walletand sometimes my smartphone. It’s as if gremlins hid everything during the dead of night, though it’s more likely the work of my kids in the case of my smartphone.
That’s where tracking devices come in. All you have to do is adhere a small tracking device tag on an item you habitually lose: your phone, the remote, the dog. Then, when it goes MIA, you can use either your smartphone or a locator unit to signal the tag to beep or flash a small LED light to signal its location.
There are two basic types of finders: Radio Frequency and Bluetooth. RF finders use a dedicated fob for tracking your devices, while Bluetooth finders work through an app on your smartphone. The range is about the same , though you get more features with the Bluetooth tags.
Here are our favorite devices for finding all the lost things in our daily lives.
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How To Find A Lost Iphone That Is Dead With Donotpay
Losing your iPhone is a stressful situation as it is, but it becomes even more difficult if its battery dies out and you cant locate it with GPS. Going from one location to another and contacting various customer support teams only adds to that stress and makes the whole situation unbearable.
DoNotPay can help you make the process less painful by contacting the places your iPhone may be at on your behalf.
You only need to:
About Our Trusted Experts
Emmeline Kaser is a former editor for Lifewires product round-ups and reviews. She is an experienced product researcher specializing in consumer tech.
- Can I use Key Finders to find other stuff as well?
Yes. While most of these key finders are made with a key fob design, specifically to be attached to key rings, they can be attached to virtually anything you don’t want to lose. Whether that’s a remote or a small child.
- How does a key finder work?
Depending on the type of key finder you’re using, it can operate either using a Bluetooth or RF signal. Bluetooth devices can be paired with your phone and a specific app to determine the whereabouts of the key fob. This isn’t quite like a GPS locator, however, as Bluetooth only has an effective range of about 30 feet. RF key fobs have a longer range, but can’t be paired with your phone, but instead rely on a dedicated remote. While these won’t give you a specific location on a map, they can still emit an audible or vibrating signal up to 100 feet. However, due to the necessity of the remote, RF key fobs are more well suited for in-home use.
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So What About The Rest Of Us
Well, theres no easy way to say this. Unless you have a semi-smart car, youre probably out of luck. However, if you have a car that supports it, there may be an app for that!
Many newer vehicles are leveraging wireless connectivity to allow you to start your vehicle, locate it, unlock it, and more. Just keep in mind, many also require a paid subscription service. While most subscriptions are hundreds of dollars a year, most are included as a free trial for a period of time, similar to satellite radio.
Best Style: Orbit Key Finder
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Doubles as smartphone selfie remote
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Phone finder feature
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Battery drains quickly
This compact key finder from Orbit uses Bluetooth to connect to your mobile device. Download the Orbit app on your phone and use it to ring the tracker or view its location on a map. Like some other Bluetooth finders on this list, the Orbit can also ring your phone if you misplace it. The device itself is made from aluminum and has a waterproof build to protect against day-to-day damage. Its about two inches across and has a built-in loop that you can thread your key ring through. Perhaps the most unique function is the Orbits selfie remote feature. When the finder is paired with your phone, you can use it to take hands-free photos. It runs on a replaceable button battery , but the battery tends to run out relatively quickly. The Orbit is available in a wide range of colors and looks more like a key ring accessory than some of the bulkier devices on this list.
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How To Set Up Ford Phone As A Key
Phone As A Key* is a virtual key that allows you to drive your vehicle with only your smartphone with you. Its an alternative to the traditional key fob for your Ford Mustang Mach-E and uses a Bluetooth® connection from your smartphone that lets you lock/unlock doors, control the liftgate and remotely start or stop your vehicle. You can create up to four virtual keys on four separate users phones, however, the tech requires activation of FordPass Connect** and a FordPass App account.
How Is Car Keys Set Up
Car Keys setup entails placing an iPhone on top of an NFC reader located inside the vehicle, and the initial pairing process could take several minutes to complete.
A pairing code provided by the car manufacturer will need to be entered, though some setup processes could involve downloading an app from the carmaker. Instructions found in iOS:
Place this iPhone on top of the NFC reader in your car. Pairing process may take several minutes, do not remove it from the reader until pairing is done.
Enter the Car Keys code provided by your car dealer or connect using the app.
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Can I Still Use Apple Car Keys If My Iphone Battery Is Flat
Yes. Apple has pre-empted worries about how to unlock your car if your iPhone battery runs flat.
When the iPhone battery gets very low, it enters a special Power Reserve mode. This setting will see the iPhone retain enough charge to use the digital car key function for up to five hours.
If you manually turn your Apple device off, it will need to be turned back on to use the digital car key.
Create A Backup Start Passcode And Keyless Entry Door Code
With a Backup Start Passcode and Keyless Entry Door Code, you can enter and drive the vehicle without a key fob or a Phone As A Key .
Note: If a backup passcode has not been set within five starts, you can go to Vehicle Settings/Setup to create a Backup Start Passcode
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Do You Have A Spare Key On You
If youre unsuccessful in finding where the car key fob is located, then try searching for a spare key. Although, theres a slight chance you might be carrying a spare key on you. But in case youre carrying one on you, then at least you wont be left stranded. Find a spare key and find yourself back on the road.
Tile Mate Tile Pro And Tile Slim
Tile Slim, Tile Mate and Tile Pro are great tracking devices that work with the Bluetooth functionality of your phone. Smaller and thinner than most other tracking devices, these Tile device trackers don’t utilize a transmitter unit but are located via the app. When you get within 100 feet of the Tile Slim, 150 feet of the Tile Mate or 300 feet of the Tile Pro, you can ring the Tile-tagged device. There is no flashing light on the Tile but it will play an audible sound. The Tile Slim has an 88dB alarm, the Tile Mate is 1.5 times as loud as the Tile Slim, and the Tile Pro is 2 times as loud as the Tile Mate. And, if you double press the “e” on the Tile, your phone will ring with the Tile tuneeven if you’ve turned your phone’s ringer off.
But what if you are out of range? That’s where Tile products really shine. They will use every phone with the Tile app installed to search for your Tile tag. If someone else’s phone finds it, you will be notified of its location and your private information is never revealed to the phone owner . It will also remember the last location it received from the Tile tracking device.
The Tile Slim measures just 54mm x 54mm x 2.4 mm, which is thin enough to easily stash in your wallet. Because it’s so thin, it has a built-in battery and needs to be replaced every year. The Tile Mate measures 34.7mm x 34.7mm x 6.2 mm and Tile Pro measures 41.6mm x 41.6mm x 6.5mm. Both have user-replaceable batteries.
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Airtag Can Help You Find Just About Anything
Misplaced your keys? Forgot your purse? If they have AirTag attached, they wont be lost for long. The Find My network can help you track down items on a map. You can play a sound on your AirTag to find something hiding nearby you can even get the distance and direction to your AirTag with Precision Finding.2
Search For The Key Fob Everywhere
First things first, try searching up the car key fob in the less obvious places. For example, if youre at home, then a laundry basket or your cats bed can be some of the places where your car key fob can accidentally end up. In other cases, when youre outside, then you can retrace your steps & search up the location.
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Does My Apple Watch Support Apple Car Key
Apples Car Key feature is also available to use from a compatible Apple Watch. That means you can swipe your wrist near the car doors to unlock them, then hold it up to an NFC reader to start your car engine.
That said, Apples Car Key feature is only available on the Apple Watch Series 5 or later. Visit Apples website to identify your Apple Watch model.
You also need to ensure your Apple Watch is running watchOS 6.2.8 or later. To update your watch, open the Apple Watch app on your connected iPhone and go to My Watch > General > Software Update.
Car Keys: A Feature That Lets You Unlock A Car With Your Iphone Or Apple Watch
Apple’s iPhones and Apple Watches have supported NFC for some time now, and now those NFC capabilities can be used to allow Apple users to lock, unlock, and start compatible NFC-enabled vehicles using the iPhone or Apple Watch in lieu of a physical key.
Apple calls this feature “Car Keys” and this guide covers everything we know about how Car Keys works.
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The Wall Around Wallet
Wallet takes full advantage of the privacy and security built into iPhone, which is designed to protect your identity and keep whats yours yours. When you make a purchase, Apple Pay uses a unique transaction code, so your card number is never shared with a merchant or put on Apple servers. And theres no need to carry physical cards or touch buttons in stores. So its safe to say youll feel safer.
Dont Lose All The Cash In Your Wallet Either Get A Vehicle Service Contract & Protect Yourself From Repair Bills
Car repairs can be absurdly expensive, and you can expect those unexpected repairs before too long no matter what vehicle you drive.
If you have to replace the transmission in your car it could cost you up to $5,000. Yikes! Getting tracked or losing your keys is bad enough.
Depending on your vehicle it could cost you up to $10,000 to replace the engine block.
If that seems absurd to you, luckily you arent alone.
A vehicle service contract from Protect My Car can help cover the cost of these excessive repairs. In fact, you could pay as little as $100 dollars for that $5,000 transmission replacement.
Yes, you heard that right.
For less that the cost of a cup of coffee each day, you can get coverage for:
- Steering
- Navigation and Electronics
- and so much more.
When you walk into the repair shop with a coverage plan from PMC, you can rest assured that you will never pay for these repairs listed here. You pay a $100 deductible, just like insurance and we pay the rest.
Does that sound like a fair deal to you?
If it does, just click the button and fill out the form to see how much you could be saving on major repairs.
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Additional Tips For Using Phone As A Key:
- Your Mustang Mach-E needs to be able to detect your Phone As A Key in order to unlock the doors and must be able to find your phone clearly within the interior of the vehicle to drive
- When in the vehicle, its recommended that you move your phone toward the center of the interior
- Keep in mind that thick or bulky smartphone cases can interfere with the Bluetooth connection. Your signal can be delayed or may not be available at all if there are bulky items between your phone and the vehicle
- To get the fastest response with Phone As A Key, its recommended that you leave your FordPass App open. If closed, the app will relaunch when it detects your vehicle, but will take a moment to reestablish the connection, therefore, delaying response time
Easiest To Use: Tile Sticker Bluetooth Tracker
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Finicky app features
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80 dB ringer on the quiet side
The Tile Sticker is a solid Bluetooth tracker with a very appealing price tag and a compact, unobtrusive design thats available in both black and white. Best of all, it’s got an adhesive back, so it’s super easy to use and to attach to nearly any surface/device.
Like other Bluetooth key finders, you use an app on your phone to ring the tracker or view your keys location on a map . The Tile app can automatically locate the Sticker within 150 ft, or utilize the anonymous Tile network to find it further out. The battery is built-in and designed to last for three years or more. The Sticker will even work with Alexa and other digital assistants and smart home devices.
The Tile Pro has excellent range, an unobtrusive design, and convenient in-app features like Community Find to help you locate items lost far afield. If you want something less expensive, the Tile Mate is a great alternative with a slightly smaller form factor and Bluetooth range.
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