Hyundai, Kia and Genesis have announced it will collaborate with smartphone platform companies to allow a wider variety of iOS and Android phone users to gain digital access to their vehicles via the Digital Key 2 convenience feature.
The Group’s Digital Key 2 is one of the first services in the automotive industry to support cross-platform compatibility for contactless sharing of digital key capabilities between smartphones.
Users can now share digital keys for Hyundai, Kia, or Genesis vehicles between iOS and Android-based smartphones. The expanded service enables more users to unlock, lock, and start compatible vehicles using select Apple iPhone, Samsung Galaxy, or Google Pixel devices. Some phones even support automatic unlocking as the user approaches the car, eliminating the need to hold the smartphone against the driver-door handle.
The Group has expanded the compatibility of Digital Key 2 to include Google Pixel phones, in addition to Apple and Samsung smartphones. There are plans to further extend the service to other smartphone manufacturers in the future.
Phone manufacturers now handle intermediation in the process of connecting phones with cars. With the increase in manufacturers, the process has become more complex. To simplify this, phone manufacturers now have their own servers.
The new feature can be used in Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis vehicles with Digital Key 2. It is available for newer models and can be added to older models through a software update. Cross-platform sharing is supported for certain Apple, Samsung, and Google smartphones.
The device-to-device sharing function can be used by updating the smartphone or re-registering new keys before usage.
The Digital Key 2 convenience feature is increasingly popular among customers, with a growing number of users, including owners of Hyundai Grandeur, Genesis GV60, Genesis G90, and Kia EV9, taking advantage of this feature. This service’s compatibility is expanding, which is expected to further boost its usage and provide enhanced car connectivity and consumer convenience.
In my previous response, I mentioned the upgrade to Digital Key 2 systems, which resulted from a collaboration between the Group and partners like Apple, Samsung, and Google. This upgrade showcases the successful cooperation between the automotive and technology industries, enabling smartphones to function as digital vehicle keys across different platforms.