Apple Car Key has been complained by its users for being limited in availability. But a test app was seen on the App Store this week and it might be an effort of the company to ramp up the speed of car key adoption.
Car Key Test App
Apple Car Key Tests app was seen in the App Store today. According to a report from Apple Insider, Apple distributed the app only for developers or MFi licensees. The app is currently unlisted which makes it inaccessible via search unless you were given a direct link.
The app will test integration with Apple's Car Key feature for car manufacturers. This will allow several car companies to test and validate requirements for the certificates of adopting Car Key through Apple's Made-For-iPhone program. Aside from this, vehicle manufacturers will be able to validate and troubleshoot the feature to ensure the software operates as expected.
While the application is possible to download by any user, they will have to log in first. Only those with access to an Apple Developer account with MFI licenses can fully access the testing application.
Distributing privately a testing application for developers was not seen in the past in Apple's case. This process simplifies the testing and makes it easy for the app to be distributed to testing partners.
Recent Expansions
This is a clear effort from Apple as they improve testing capabilities for Apple Car Key, which was originally launched in 2020. Since then, it offers limited access and availability that led to a very few vehicles adopting the feature.
But 9To5Mac reported that the iPhone Car Key feature made some expansions recently. Last year, the feature became available for some Kia, Genesis, Hyundai, and BMW vehicles. While this expansion is a step forward for the app, updates were only given almost two years after its release.
Last December, Apple announced that some Android devices can now receive digital car keys stored in the Apple Wallet. This is part of their effort to establish a standard for sharing digital keys across platforms.
Google Pixel Smartphones with Android 12 or news operating systems can take advantage of this feature update. As of now, the enhancement only works for Pixel smartphones. But Apple confirmed that they will also expand to other Android devices in the future.
However, not all Apple devices apply this feature as they will still need the required iPhone XS or later models and series. This also includes the Apple Watch, with a series five or up requirement.
The Verge reported Apple Watch is a smartwatch that can lock, unlock, and even start your vehicle in several ways, but this will all depend on your model and manufacturer.
For an instance, some vehicles will automatically unlock when you approach and starts automatically when you get inside. But others will let you do this remotely or will still be requiring drivers to hold your watches to the door handle or key reader.
