Tech

iOS 13.4 beta contains 'CarKey' feature to unlock and start your car

It's compatible with iPhone or Apple Watch.

Closeup view of man opening car door
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Apple's iOS 13.4 beta is out now, and a new "CarKey" feature has been discovered that will allow users to unlock and start their car. 9to5Mac discovered mentions of the CarKey API within the app, which will work with NFC-compatible vehicles. The feature works with both iPhone and Apple Watch.

No battery, no problem — The feature won't require authentication to work, and the device will only need to be near the vehicle to unlock it. That means it'll even work if your device is dead, if you've adjusted your settings accordingly.

At home in the Wallet app — The process of pairing with a vehicle will go down in the Wallet app and require users to download the car manufacturer's app. After placing an iPhone on top of the NFC reader, CarKey will become available inside Wallet. The key can then be added to an Apple Watch.

Of course, because this is the beta, don't expect CarKey to launch until iOS 13.4 rolls out.