The current launch of iOS 18 has brought about surprising disruptions for BMW house owners utilizing Apple’s digital key characteristic, significantly on the subject of shared keys. A number of BMW drivers have taken to boards and help communities to report that secondary digital automotive keys shared via the Apple Pockets app are not functioning as meant. Including to the frustration, customers with the brand new iPhone 16 fashions have additionally encountered points with the first digital keys, making the mixing between Apple’s newest units and BMW autos a bit glitchy.
The issue primarily impacts the “passive entry” performance, a characteristic that enables a driver to lock, unlock, and begin their automobile just by having their iPhone on them. For a lot of house owners, this has been a seamless and handy expertise—till now. Affected drivers are discovering that whereas the first digital key continues to work, secondary shared keys, usually utilized by members of the family, have misplaced their usability fully. Much more worrying, customers who just lately upgraded to an iPhone 16, whether or not a Professional Max or an everyday mannequin, are discovering that their main digital keys are usually not acknowledged by the automotive in any respect.
Along with on-line boards, BMW dealership employees have additionally begun receiving complaints from clients struggling to get their digital keys working once more. One BMW dealership worker shared their expertise with a very annoyed shopper: “I’ve tried all the pieces with a shopper after he obtained his new iPhone 16 Professional Max. It stopped working with Digital Key Plus. Tonight, I used to be instructed by the BMW Genius Line—after talking with three completely different individuals—that this concern has been reported particularly with the iPhone 16 Professional Max.”
Sadly, the issue isn’t restricted to simply the Professional Max. One other person on the boards, who upgraded to an everyday iPhone 16, shared an identical story. “I can’t use any of the digital key options anymore—can’t lock or unlock or begin the automotive. The digital key put in high quality into Pockets however simply doesn’t work. It’s just like the automotive and cellphone aren’t speaking to one another in any respect.”
Momentary Fixes
Some BMW house owners have tried troubleshooting the problem, sharing numerous fixes and workarounds. A discussion board member detailed a course of involving the BMW ID app throughout the automotive’s iDrive system. “Discover your method to the BMW ID app,” they instructed. “Go to Settings, then Driver Recognition, and ensure your shared digital key has a examine mark. Mine didn’t. As soon as I checked it, locked the automotive, and returned, all appeared effectively.”
One other person got here up with a multi-step answer that, whereas cumbersome, appears to revive performance:
1. Open the BMW app in your cellphone and use it to unlock the door.
2. Sign up along with your BMW ID in iDrive.
3. Place your iPhone within the automobile’s charging tray.
4. Look forward to the digital key to reappear within the Pockets app.
5. Double-click the facet button, authenticate with Face ID, and—lastly—begin the automotive.
To date, neither Apple nor BMW has publicly commented on the problem. Many are hoping {that a} future replace will resolve the state of affairs, however for now, secondary drivers should depend on less-than-ideal workarounds or revert to utilizing their bodily key fobs. We reached out to BMW of North America for an official touch upon this and can replace the article accordingly.
