BMW, one of the largest automobile companies in the world, has announced the “Digital Key Plus” feature that allows users to access their vehicles through their phones in recent years. This feature, which turns phones and smart watches into keys, was accessible for Apple products when it was released in 2021.
The company announced today that the useful feature is finally coming to the Android operating system as well. According to the statements, users with Android 13.1 and higher phones will be able to use this feature. Let’s also add that the vehicles in which the feature will be used must be produced after November 2022. The auto giant also says that it will be expanded for earlier produced vehicles with an upcoming update.
Which Android phones will it be on?
The Digital Key Plus feature will be available on Google Pixel and Samsung Galaxy devices via the My BMW app. The list of phones that can access the feature is as follows;
Samsung
- Galaxy S23+ / S23 Ultra
- Galaxy S22+ / S22 Ultra
- Galaxy S21+ / S21 Ultra
- Galaxy Z Fold4
- Galaxy Z Fold3
- Galaxy Note 20 Ultra
- Pixel 7 Pro
- Pixel 6 Pro
What does Digital Key Plus, which turns phones into car keys, offer?
BMW’s Digital Key Plus feature, which allows traditional keys to be replaced by phones, uses ultra-wideband (UWB) digital radio technology. This feature actually has similar functions to traditional switches. Thanks to the Digital Key Plus, the doors open without having to take your phone out of your pocket when you go near the vehicle, and lock when you leave.
On the other hand, it is possible to control the vehicle via the My BMW application. From here, many functions such as locking or unlocking the doors, opening the trunk and determining the temperature can be performed. You can also check the status of each feature from the main page of the application. In fact, thanks to the feature, the phone can continue to act as a key for up to five hours after it runs out of charge.
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