AUTONEWS

Driving With Just One Phone: This Is How Android Car Keys Work

Take the wheel without using a physical key: it's possible! You must know this about digital car keys.

The function was announced in 2021, but since then it has been strangely silent regarding Android digital car keys. Until the end of last year. Then Google announced that you can now share digital car keys with others, like a partner or children. Therefore, it's time to get acquainted with this technique.

The name says it all: digital car keys do the same thing as conventional keys, but digitally. The car key is on your smartphone and can be used to unlock, start and lock your car. So you can hit the road without carrying a bunch of keys.

The car's digital keys work via Near Field Communication (NFC), a wireless technology. You simply hold the phone (behind) near the car door, after which it unlocks. Then place the device in the reader/car holder and press the car start button.

Did you reach the destination? Take the device, hold the back of the device by the door handle again, and the car will lock automatically.

Digital car keys are therefore mainly about convenience. Another advantage is divisibility. Your partner and family members no longer need to borrow a physical key, because you can 'simply' borrow the digital key.

You can already feel it coming, but digital car keys are still a pretty exclusive affair. Google has signed a few deals with carmakers here and there, but BMW is the biggest ambassador for now.

The originally German brand has several models that can handle Android car keys. This mainly concerns cars produced after the summer of 2020. Do you own a BMW? In My BMW app it is indicated whether your car can handle BMW Digital Key, as BMW digital car keys are called in full.

You can use these phones like a car key...You also need a suitable phone. Android digital car keys currently work on various devices including Google Pixel 6 series, Pixel 7 series and Samsung Galaxy 21 and Galaxy S22 phones. Devices must run on at least Android 12.

Important: The technology behind Android digital car keys will change in the future. Ultra WideBand (UWB) will replace nfc. UWB is a wireless technology, just like NFC, but better. The technique is more accurate and can accurately measure not only the distance between two devices, but also the exact location.

Only relatively new Android smartphones can handle UWB. Think of the Google Pixel 7 Pro, Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3. The Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus (and S22 Plus) and Galaxy S21 Ultra (and S22 Ultra) also have a UWB chip.

How secure is it?...By using an Android digital car key, you provide some information to Google. The company receives, among other things, user data, (collision) logs and the car model.

All data is sent encrypted. This means that only the sender (the phone) and the receiver (Google) can read the message. So if a malicious person tries to steal your digital car key, that person will come home after a rude awakening. After all, a key is needed to 'crack' the information.

What if my phone is dead?...Sounds like fun – using a smartphone as a car key – until you find yourself on the side of the road with your phone's battery empty. Fortunately, according to Google, it is possible to go even further. This is because both nfc and UWB are very energy efficient techniques that require little power.

Samsung also sees bread in cars...Google isn't alone in wanting to pair phones with cars. At the end of 2021, Samsung also announced a car key function. Samsung SmartThings, the company's smart home platform, has therefore been linked to Android Auto.

It's intended that a car key function will also be added in due course, but it's still unclear when that option will be widely rolled out.

How secure is it?...By using an Android digital car key, you provide some information to Google. The company receives, among other things, user data, (collision) logs and the car model.

All data is sent encrypted. This means that only the sender (the phone) and the receiver (Google) can read the message. So if a malicious person tries to steal your digital car key, that person will come home after a rude awakening. After all, a key is needed to 'crack' the information.

What if my phone is dead?...Sounds like fun – using a smartphone as a car key – until you find yourself on the side of the road with your phone's battery empty. Fortunately, according to Google, it is possible to go even further. This is because both nfc and UWB are very energy efficient techniques that require little power.

Google isn't alone in wanting to pair phones with cars. At the end of 2021, Samsung also announced a car key function. Samsung SmartThings, the company's smart home platform, has therefore been linked to Android Auto.

It's intended that a car key function will also be added in due course, but it's still unclear when that option will be widely rolled out.

Source: Android Planet