At its World Wide Developer Conference today, Apple announced their highly anticipated “CarKey" which enables your iPhone to replace your car keys. The new technology will use NFC to securely unlock your car and enable others to do the same starting with the new 2021 BMW 5 Series. Apple hopes to eventually support a wealth of car manufacturers in addition to BMW and Ford.

Once you have set up your supported car with CarKey you can access the key at any time in the wallet app. When you’re within range of the car, just hold your iPhone or Apple watch near the NFC reader and verify your identity with Face or Touch ID. You can enable Express Mode to forgo any type of biometric security. In the future, Apple says its CarKey will use their U1 ultra wideband chip instead of NFC to unlock your car so you can leave it in your pocket or purse.

While carmakers like Tesla offer a digital, Bluetooth, car key through their app, this key is the first to be integrated directly into an operating system. Apple also introduces features similar to Tesla’s sharing options but enables them to be shared via iMessage at different permission levels. Jokingly, head of Car Experience Engineering Emily Schubery reluctantly gives Craig Federighi full access as they demonstrate how easy it is to share a full access/restricted driving profiles.

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