Google Enables Digital Car Key Sharing Between iPhones, Pixels

Google has added cross-phone digital car key sharing for Pixel and Samsung Galaxy S21 devices running on Android 12. 

The move means you no longer need to use the same phone OS to share digital car keys, and someone using an iPhone running iOS 16.1 can send keys stored in Wallet to a Pixel through communications apps such as Mail, Messages, and Whatsapp.

In a blog post, Google said(Opens in a new window) that the feature will come to other phones with Android version 12 and up “soon”, but did not further specify when.

The digital car key effectively treats your phone like a physical key and for it to work users must be close to the car door. Engadget reports(Opens in a new window) that on phones with ultra-wideband, such as larger Galaxy S21+ models, it’s possible to unlock your car without needing to remove your phone from your pocket. 

Not many car manufacturers support digital car keys currently, with BMW and Hyundai being among the few that do, according to Engadget.

The Digital car key is only available (Opens in a new window)for select vehicles in select markets and works with Pixel 6 and up, Samsung Galaxy S21 and above, and select Android devices that run Android 12 and up. Setting up a digital car key requires an internet connection.

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In a blog post(Opens in a new window), Google also announced a wave of new Android features for the Holiday season that includes YouTube’s new Home screen Search widget(Opens in a new window), which allows Android users to access their library of videos, Shorts, or subscriptions via a quick tap from the Home screen.

And the company announced a new reading mode(Opens in a new window) on Android which creates an accessible reading experience for people who are blind, low vision, or dyslexic. The feature allows users to change contrast, font type, and size as well as use a text-to-speech function with speed control.

Last week Google warned that five security flaws affecting Android smartphones remain unpatched months after being brought to the attention of phone manufacturers. 

In a blog post(Opens in a new window), Google’s Project Zero said that the flaws it previously reported in June and July had not been resolved, leaving the users of smartphones belonging to Samsung, Xiaomi, Oppo, and Google itself at risk of hacking.

The issues reported earlier in the year were linked to semiconductor designer ARM’s ‘Mali’ graphic card processor, or GPU. The GPU can be found in phones such as the Pixel 6.