Skip to main content

iPhone, Apple Watch may function as car keys after iOS 13.4 update

iPhone and Apple Watch owners may soon be able to use the devices as car keys, according to evidence found in the first beta version of iOS 13.4.

The code for iOS 13.4 contains references to a CarKey API, according to 9to5Mac. The feature will allow people to use their iPhone and Apple Watch to unlock and lock the doors of NFC-compatible cars, as well as start them up. This will work even if the devices have run out of battery, and even if there is no network available.

Recommended Videos

The pairing process for the feature will be carried out through Apple’s Wallet app, after which the car manufacturer’s app will continue the set-up. After placing the iPhone near the car’s NFC reader, the CarKey will appear in the Wallet app, after which the key may be added to a paired Apple Watch.

The CarKey feature will also make it easy for the car’s owner to share the key to other people, as they may be invited through the Wallet app to access the key for the car through their own iPhones and Apple Watches.

The technology is not new, as some cars already available in the market already offer the option of unlocking and starting them from their owner’s phone. However, the set-up process may be confusing, and the system is fragmented because the car manufacturers have to build them on their own. With Apple’s CarKey, it will be a system by a company that has developed numerous tech services that may be applicable to several car brands and models at once.

Apple appears to already be in talks with certain automobile manufacturers for the implementation of CarKey, but the specific details of the feature will likely not be available until iOS 13.4 draws closer to its release. However, there is the possibility that CarKey will not be available immediately at the launch of iOS 13.4, with its launch pushed back to later versions of Apple’s mobile operating system.

In iOS 13.3, one of the major additions was parental controls that monitor and limit children’s phone calls, FaceTime calls, and text messages, while also tracking their contact list, through the operating system’s Screen Time feature.

Aaron Mamiit
Aaron received an NES and a copy of Super Mario Bros. for Christmas when he was four years old, and he has been fascinated…
3 big iOS 19 changes that I hope Apple reveals at WWDC 2025
iOS 19 sample logo.

We’re less than two days away from Apple’s big WWDC 2025 keynote, where the company will reveal new versions of each of its software platforms. One of the biggest changes this year is the expected shift from iOS 19 to iOS 26, with new versions of macOS, iPadOS, tvOS, watchOS, and visionOS also set to follow suit. We're also expecting to see the evolution of Apple Health, including a new AI doctor and Health subscription.

iOS 26, if it is to be named that, is expected to introduce one of the biggest evolutions in design for Apple software since the first iPhone was launched. Inspired by visionOS and the Apple Vision Pro, it’s expected to be a monumental redesign, but I hope that Apple also takes the time to make a few improvements.

Read more
iOS 26 rumored to go back to basics with four intriguing upgrades
An iPhone 15 Pro Max running iOS 18, showing its home screen.

In just two days from now, Apple will take the stage at WWDC 2025 and showcase the big yearly upgrades for its entire software portfolio. I am quite excited about the platform-wide design update and a few functional changes to iPadOS, especially the one targeting a more macOS-like makeover for the iPad’s software. 

Of course, analysts will be keenly watching for Apple’s next moves with AI, but it seems some of the most dramatic features have been pushed into the next year. Apple can afford some of those delays, as long as the company serves enough meaningful updates to its user base. Apple won’t exactly be running dry on AI, though. 

Read more
5 rumored iOS 26 features we could see at WWDC 2025
An iPhone 16 laying on a shelf with its screen on.

Apple’s upcoming WWDC 2025 showcase is going to be a busy one, even though the expected AI-powered software rebirth may not land until next year. In the meantime, reliable sources have spilled the beans on what we might expect for the next major iOS overhaul. 

Starting with the name, Apple could skip iOS 19 and could go straight from v18 to v26. We are also expecting a design overhaul, something that could draw inspiration from Vision OS. On the functional side, an AI health coach would be a huge draw for fitness enthusiasts. 

Read more