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Car Keys is a digital protocol that lets an iPhone or Apple Watch with NFC capabilities unlock, lock, start, and otherwise control an NFC-capable vehicle. Cars do not have NFC functionality by default, so this is a feature that needs to be implemented by automobile manufacturers much like CarPlay. What can be done with Car Keys may vary by car manufacturer, but at a minimum, Car Keys can be used to unlock your car, lock your car, and start your car, which are the features available with a physical key. There are also features for sharing digital keys and restricting access for some digital key

Many newer cars these days have key fobs that unlock and start a car just via proximity, and Car Keys is a lot like that. Car Keys is a digital version of a car key that's stored inside the Wallet app. Unlocking (or locking) a vehicle with Car Keys will involve holding an Apple Watch or iPhone near an NFC reader located inside the car. When the NFC reader detects the digital key stored in the iPhone or Apple Watch, the locking mechanism in the car will activate. Apple says that you can unlock a car simply by tapping a door handle with an iPhone or Apple Watch. The iPhone will authenticate the

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 [Vehicle Brand's] app.

Car Keys look like a standard card in the Wallet app. When you tap on the card, it provides vehicle info like model number and issuing automaker. A screenshot pulled from iOS 13 depicting the Car Keys interface There's also a toggle to activate Express Mode (unlocking without biometric authentication), or sharing a key with other people with a few options for access. Yes. There is an option to send a digital Car Key to unlock your car to others using the Messages app. This is useful for valet parking, sharing vehicle access with a spouse or a friend, getting a repair, and other similar situati