Apple has released iOS 13.4 beta for developers that has quite a few new features. A rather interesting one referenced among them is something called ‘Carkey’ which is API that can turn your iPhone into a key for a NFC enabled car.
With the beta, Apple iPhone users will be able to turn their iPhone into a key for their cars, utilising the NFC chips present on both the iPhone and the car. The pairing process will be done using the Wallet app and the car manufacturer’s app to proceed with the setup. Users will be required to place their iPhones over the NFC reader in their car, after which the carkey will be available in their wallet app. In case the pairing process fails, users can add their carkey via a provided PIN. Users will also be able to add the key to their Apple Watch.
And interesting feature that was noted was the ability to share your Carkey temporarily with other people, such as friends and family, that is if they own an iPhone too. The list of car manufacturers that will support this feature is unclear and the feature will only be available for use once it becomes iOS 13.4 leaves beta to be released for the public.