The latest launch of iOS 18 has brought about surprising disruptions for BMW homeowners utilizing Apple’s digital key characteristic, notably in terms of shared keys. A number of BMW drivers have taken to boards and help communities to report that secondary digital automobile keys shared by means of the Apple Pockets app are now 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 combination 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 car just by having their iPhone on them. For a lot of homeowners, 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, typically utilized by members of the family, have misplaced their usability fully. Much more worrying, customers who lately upgraded to an iPhone 16, whether or not a Professional Max or a daily mannequin, are discovering that their main digital keys usually are not acknowledged by the automobile in any respect.
Along with on-line boards, BMW dealership employees have additionally begun receiving complaints from prospects struggling to get their digital keys working once more. One BMW dealership worker shared their expertise with a very annoyed consumer: “I’ve tried all the things with a consumer after he bought 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 folks—that this concern has been reported particularly with the iPhone 16 Professional Max.”
Sadly, the issue isn’t restricted to only the Professional Max. One other consumer on the boards, who upgraded to a daily 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 automobile. The digital key put in nice into Pockets however simply doesn’t work. It’s just like the automobile and telephone aren’t speaking to one another in any respect.”
Non permanent Fixes
Some BMW homeowners have tried troubleshooting the problem, sharing numerous fixes and workarounds. A discussion board member detailed a course of involving the BMW ID app inside the automobile’s iDrive system. “Discover your solution to the BMW ID app,” they instructed. “Go to Settings, then Driver Recognition, and ensure your shared digital key has a test mark. Mine didn’t. As soon as I checked it, locked the automobile, and returned, all appeared nicely.”
One other consumer got here up with a multi-step answer that, whereas cumbersome, appears to revive performance:
1. Open the BMW app in your telephone and use it to unlock the door.
2. Register together with your BMW ID in iDrive.
3. Place your iPhone within the car’s charging tray.
4. Await the digital key to reappear within the Pockets app.
5. Double-click the aspect button, authenticate with Face ID, and—lastly—begin the automobile.
Up to now, neither Apple nor BMW has publicly commented on the problem. Many are hoping {that a} future replace will resolve the scenario, 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.
