The BMW Digital Key feature first debuted on the iPhone 11 series, but now it comes to Android phones.
Singaporean BMW owners can now flaunt a new feature – using their Google Pixel 6 or Pixel 6 Pro as a BMW Digital Key! That’s right – the once iOS exclusive feature is now developed and distributed to the Android operating system. However, right now, the list of compatible devices is rather short and the list of countries where this feature works is even shorter.
BMW’s partners in the Car Connectivity Consortium has decided that Android use of the BMW Digital Key will first be allowed on the Samsung Galaxy S21 Series and the Google Pixel 6 Series of phones in certain markets. Here’s the breakdown:
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.
That’s right, no Malaysia on that list for now. If this angers you, contact your local BMW dealership and ask for an answer.
Here’s the press release with more.
PRESS RELEASE
Together with its partners BMW – in the context of the Car Connectivity Consortium – is continuing to press ahead with the development and distribution of the BMW Digital Key. Now the BMW digital key will be available for Android operating system-based smartphones. With this update, the number of compatible smartphone models is increasing and thus also the pool of BMW drivers who will be able to use the BMW Digital Key in the future. The BMW Digital Key is now available for Android smartphones, starting with Samsung Galaxy S21 Series and Google Pixel 6 and 6 Pro.
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. 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. 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.
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.
