Car keys expanding to 13 new vehicle brands in Apple Wallet

Apple’s push to make the iPhone central to everyday life is gaining momentum in the car industry. Since 2020, car keys have turned compatible models into digital-first vehicles, letting drivers lock, unlock, and start their cars with an iPhone or Apple Watch. Now Apple is widening that reach, preparing to bring the feature to 13 additional automakers.

The Wallet app is already home to payments, transit passes, IDs, event tickets, and hotel keys. Digital car access is a natural extension of that vision, placing more daily essentials on a single device. Until now, only a limited set of brands including BMW, Audi, Mercedes-Benz, Hyundai, Kia, Genesis, and Volvo offered support. That exclusivity is about to change.

At WWDC 2025, Apple confirmed that Acura, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Porsche, Rivian, Smart, Lucid, Tata, Hongqi, WEY, Chery, and Voyah will “soon” adopt iPhone car keys. While Apple stopped short of providing a timeline, signs suggest rollout is not far off. Internal findings already hint that Smart and Voyah will be among the first to go live, with others to follow in stages. Once this wave is complete, 33 automakers will be part of the program.

What sets Apple’s approach apart is flexibility. Some manufacturers enable passive entry, where simply approaching the car with an iPhone unlocks it, while others rely on proximity actions like tapping the phone to a reader. Remote controls such as locking and unlocking from a distance are also possible. Each implementation differs, but the underlying principle remains the same: the phone replaces the key fob.

The broader implication is that digital keys are moving beyond luxury or early-adopter territory. With mass-market names like Chevrolet, GMC, and Tata joining premium players such as Porsche and Lucid, iPhone car keys are expected to become a mainstream feature rather than a niche perk. For Apple, this strengthens the Wallet app as a hub of digital identity and access. For automakers, it represents alignment with a consumer expectation that is quickly becoming standard.