Rivian Activates Apple Car Key Support in Second-Generation Vehicles [Update: Coming Soon]
EV manufacturer Rivian appears to finally be rolling out support for Apple's digital car keys available through the Wallet app on iPhone and Apple Watch. Rivian announced support for the feature in debuting its second-generation R1S and R1T over a year ago, but the company had not activated it until today, as spotted in an Apple configuration file by MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris.
While we can't confirm whether it's up and running for all users just yet, Apple has pushed support live on its end, so owners of supported Rivian vehicles should hopefully be seeing it soon.
Apple's car key feature allows an iPhone or Apple Watch with NFC capabilities to unlock a vehicle through the Wallet app. A digital version of a car key is stored in Wallet, and unlocking can be done simply by holding an Apple Watch or iPhone near a compatible vehicle's NFC reader. And with Ultra Wideband technology, compatible vehicles can even recognize a digital car key with your phone still in your pocket.
Rivian has supported its own digital key feature through the Rivian app, but Apple Wallet support will offer more seamless integration for iPhone users, presumably including features like key sharing and Express Mode to allow the key to function for several hours even after your device has run out of battery and shut down.
Rivian still has not shown any interest in adding support for CarPlay in its vehicles, with CEO RJ Scaringe saying last year that handing over functions to CarPlay would be at odds with Rivian's desire to offer a seamlessly integrated experience in its vehicles.
While CarPlay still doesn't appear to be in the cards for Rivian vehicles, today's rollout of Apple car keys joins integrated Apple Music with Spatial Audio support as Apple features adopted by the brand.
Update August 29 4:35 a.m.: Rivian tells MacRumors that while the feature has been pushed live on Apple's side, it hasn't yet launched on Rivian's side. It is, however, coming soon.
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