NFC digital car keys go live for Android users

Android users with a Samsung Galaxy 21 or Google Pixel 6 series smartphone can now lock, unlock and start compatible vehicles using an NFC digital car key stored on their mobile device. BMW is the first vehicle manufacturer to add support for the feature.

„With the BMW Digital Key, customers can easily unlock and lock their BMW simply by holding their smartphone next to the handle of the driver’s door. The engine can also be started when the mobile phone is placed in the BMW wireless charging compartment,” according to the press release.

„To ensure maximum ease of use and security, the BMW Digital Key is stored on the secure element of the smartphone. It can be easily configured via My BMW app and is then available as an option for almost all BMW models,” the company explains.

BMW said that in the next release, it will be possible to pass the key on to five friends. The functionalities of the BMW Digital Key Plus based on ultra-wide band will also be introduced for Android smartphones in a future release.

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BMW has been committed to establishing global standards in the field of keyless entry systems since 2018 and is considered one of the pioneers in the use of the smartphone as a digital car key. The latest stage of development is the result of a close collaboration between BMW, Google and Samsung for further improving the ease of use and availability of the digital key. BMW is also the first manufacturer to offer a system according to the global CCC standard (Car Connectivity Consortium) that is available for both iOS and Android.

Availability of BMW Digital Key for Android smartphones:

Google Pixel 6/Pixel 6 Pro: U.S., Canada, U.K., Ireland, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, Australia, Taiwan and Singapore

Samsung Galaxy S21/S21+/S21 Ultra: France, Germany, Italy, Korea, Spain, United Kingdom, United States.