[SmartSaves]

Owners with Android might want to consider this workaround Jay shared. I use this method and it works great.

[ifr]

I don't get all these workarounds. What use-case do they satisfy?

If you are going anywhere you can take a phone with you, then you can also stick a keyfob in your pocket too, and open the door without doing anything else, and no faff starting the car either? Keep your key and phone in pocket, then drive!

The keyfob trumps the phone in all scenarios I can think of. The watch is a different matter. If you are visiting a lake or gym with covid restrictions, then lockers might not be available. Keeping your key with you at all times on your wrist, even in scenarios where a phone is nor practical such as swimming/surfing, then the watch will work. Even then starting the car will be a big hassle with the watch, and in that scenario the standard waterproof keycard works best.

In summary, IMO, at this stage, the DigitalKey isn't much practical use. Keyfob or NFC keycard works best. I guess it would be handy to have the key on phone/watch as a backup, but am I missing something?

[SmartSaves]

Good question. Here are my two use cases:

1. I have incompatible iPhone and Apple Watch; I cannot use the digital key feature yet. I also don't want to carry around key fob (personal preference, minimalist, keyless life), therefore keeping it at the back of a wallet style phone case works for me.

2. (Indirect use case) NFC signal is very short range. Copying that signal by using booster for the purpose of relay attack is less likely.

My ultimate wish is to use only Cellular Apple Watch for outdoor trips (no key fobs, no phone). Don't know if the current sensor will work with Ultra Wide Band. Currently, it's not very convenient to bring the watch near the wireless charger (NFC receiver), doable though.

[ifr]

Originally Posted by SmartSaves

My ultimate wish is to use only Cellular Apple Watch for outdoor trips (no key fobs, no phone). Don't know if the current sensor will work with Ultra Wide Band. Currently, it's not very convenient to bring the watch near the wireless charger (NFC receiver), doable though.

I'm with you on this one.

Wouldn't need to be cellular though, and would need to work with the watch/phone without power but still secure.

[thereef510]

I also got very excited when this feature was introduced and thought it would be made available to our 02/2020 build. but the current implementation is still more unwieldy than just the key fob itself. Hopefully soon they can bring all of the proximity functionality of the key fob to the phone

[RMAS99]

Maybe this is the future https://www.sammobile.com/news/samsu...-android-auto/

[RMAS99]

https://www.sammobile.com/news/samsu...d-genesis-car/

[SmartSaves]

Originally Posted by RMAS99

https://www.sammobile.com/news/samsu...d-genesis-car/

May be, but security is not their strength. Let's see how far they could go with Tizen. Piggy backing on Android Auto and asking car manufacturer to adopt it will be a bandaid solution IMO.

[ddelX52019G05]

Re-reading IFR's post on Digital key 1.5 and Smart Access 1.5

https://g05.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1742346

It would seem even with the new Samsung S21+ or S21 Ultra now having Ultra Wide Band (UWB) capabilities; my 11/2019 build stills lacks the hardware updates BMW introduced in production vehicles built after late July 2020 that supports the new digital key protocol.

Well at least I'll have a new phone and an older X5 with a lot more features than I could buy in X5 4.0i today; hopeful the options removed in 2021 builds will be back by trade in time.

[Talkstr8t]

Regarding the "digital key in the phone case" workaround, might that disrupt wireless charging? It doesn't feel like the card is metal, so probably not.

[SmartSaves]

Originally Posted by Talkstr8t

Regarding the "digital key in the phone case" workaround, might that disrupt wireless charging? It doesn't feel like the card is metal, so probably not.

My iPhone X with a case (plastic + leather) and the digital key card still charge. Here are the layers:

1. iPhone
2. plastic case to hold the phone
3. lather cover attached to the case above
4. Digital card slides into a pouch pocket
5. lather cover to hold the card above
6. wireless charger surface

I noticed it gets warm sometimes when the battery charge is low and it needs charge from low percentage.

[lth0ms0n]

Bumping an old thread here...

I've jumped on this, as my parents just bought a 2020 Z4 which has the Digital Key Classic listed in the registered services of the BMW Connect App.

I've been on the phone to BMW UK and was told that there was some form of update available which would allow this to work with their iPhones. I was then told that they needed to get this authorised by the dealer (who didn't do it as part of the handover) and a security code - the dealer was clueless about this.

I was also told that the car had version 1.0 of the Digital Key but some form of software upgrade to version 1.5 was available, once a security code had been allocated...

I'm losing the plot with it - I've getting conflicting messages from everyone at BMW I speak to. I nearly had it confirmed by someone else at BMW UK today, that the car did indeed have all the correct software on it which is required for this, but I was cut off. The guy I spoke to straight after this informed me that this had been pulled, the car was manufactured too early for it and it would never support it.

After being mis-informed by what appears to be every single person I've spoken to at BMW UK (and an also very clueless salesman at the dealer where they bought the car) I'm at a total loss for what support is offered for their car (which is only a few months short of iPhone support for this, frustratingly).

Can anyone confirm if this has actually had a software update (citing ifr here) since last year? Because I was within half-an-inch of finding out that the car did indeed have all the correct equipment and software onboard, before I was cut off...

Annoyingly, I couldn't even file a complaint about getting such chaotic information from the BMW ConnectedServices support desk because I'm not the registered keeper of the car - one person didn't seem to care, the next person (in their escalation department) did.

This is a nightmare!

[bhe]

Bumping old thread.

But wondering what is different to this "new" announced feature :
https://bmwi.bimmerpost.com/forums/s....php?t=1879953

What is difference with the feature that they removed and worked with my samsung s10.
Why only for samsung S21 or google pixle and im some countries.

Anybody with an android phone already has the new version working on a X5 ?

[lake_eleven]

Originally Posted by bhe

Bumping old thread.

But wondering what is different to this "new" announced feature :
https://bmwi.bimmerpost.com/forums/s....php?t=1879953

What is difference with the feature that they removed and worked with my samsung s10.
Why only for samsung S21 or google pixle and im some countries.

Anybody with an android phone already has the new version working on a X5 ?

Had this configured on my S21 last week with no issues.

[BMPHIL]

Originally Posted by bhe

Bumping old thread.

But wondering what is different to this "new" announced feature :
https://bmwi.bimmerpost.com/forums/s....php?t=1879953

What is difference with the feature that they removed and worked with my samsung s10.
Why only for samsung S21 or google pixle and im some countries.

Anybody with an android phone already has the new version working on a X5 ?

Covered somewhere on another thread, won't work on my S20.

[Rob_G77]

Originally Posted by bhe

Bumping old thread.

But wondering what is different to this "new" announced feature :
https://bmwi.bimmerpost.com/forums/s....php?t=1879953

What is difference with the feature that they removed and worked with my samsung s10.
Why only for samsung S21 or google pixle and im some countries.

Anybody with an android phone already has the new version working on a X5 ?

The newer digital key uses UWB which the S10 doesn't support. You need an S21+ or S21 Ultra Samsung or Google Pixel 6 I think.

Rob

[bhe]

Originally Posted by Rob_G77

The newer digital key uses UWB which the S10 doesn't support. You need an S21+ or S21 Ultra Samsung or Google Pixel 6 I think.

Rob

I think this is still nfc based. i read in the news item that you have to hold the phone next to the door handle and put it in the wireless charger.
with the ultra wide band you can keep the phone in the pocket...

[BMPHIL]

Originally Posted by bhe

I think this is still nfc based. i read in the news item that you have to hold the phone next to the door handle and put it in the wireless charger.
with the ultra wide band you can keep the phone in the pocket...

It can be used without the wireless charger

[bhe]

Originally Posted by BMPHIL

It can be used without the wireless charger

did you read the article I linked, copy paste.. : With the BMW Digital Key, customers can easily unlock and lock their BMW simply by holding their smartphone next to the handle of the driver's door. The engine can also be started when the mobile phone is placed in the BMW wireless charging compartment.

I used it before it came to iPhone, you had to put the phone in the tray to start. then you could remove it

[BMPHIL]

Originally Posted by bhe

did you read the article I linked, copy paste.. : With the BMW Digital Key, customers can easily unlock and lock their BMW simply by holding their smartphone next to the handle of the driver's door. The engine can also be started when the mobile phone is placed in the BMW wireless charging compartment.

I used it before it came to iPhone, you had to put the phone in the tray to start. then you could remove it

The handbook says to dock the phone with the thermal cup holder Not the wireless charging compartment, it also uses nfc not ultra wide band.
The point I was making is that you do not need to have wireless charging for it to work.

[bhe]

Originally Posted by BMPHIL

The handbook says to dock the phone with the thermal cup holder Not the wireless charging compartment, it also uses nfc not ultra wide band.
The point I was making is that you do not need to have wireless charging for it to work.

Ah, I have the wireless tray , so my manual says to dock it there. doens't matter.. you have to dock it nere the nfc reader with or without charging.

Did some research the reason it is working with some select phone models, is a new feature in android 12 to store the key I think
There should be an android 12 beta for S10 soon, Il'try it when it is out.

[Antonik]

Originally Posted by lake_eleven

Had this configured on my S21 last week with no issues.

hi i have an e45 from january 2020, will it work? or does it have to be after July 2020?