Apple is preparing to bring support for its digital car key feature to select Audi vehicles in China, based on evidence uncovered by MacRumors on Apple's backend.
Specifically, the car key support relates to Audi's partnership with Chinese company FAW, which manufactures and sells Audi vehicles in the Chinese market. The joint venture produces both combustion engine and all-electric vehicles. The partnership is now on an internal Apple list of vehicles that offer car key integration, but it is not known which models the support pertains to.
Last month, car key support was implemented for models produced by SAIC-Audi, another China-based collaboration that produces Audi EVs in the country. For car key to come to Audi vehicles, the automotive company will need to add the functionality.
Introduced in 2022, Car Keys allows an iPhone or Apple Watch to unlock a vehicle through the Wallet app. A digital version of a car key is stored in Wallet, and unlocking can be done by holding an Apple Watch or iPhone near a compatible vehicle's NFC reader.
A tap on the door handle is enough to initiate an unlock, and while Face ID authentication is a security option, Apple offers an Express Mode that eliminates the need to authenticate for a faster unlocking process.
At WWDC 2025, Apple confirmed that 13 vehicle brands would "soon" add support for digital car keys, and Audi was on the list. Other brands included were Acura, Porsche, GMC, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Rivian, Smart, Lucid Motors, Tata Motors, Hongqi, WEY, Chery, and Voyah.
Vehicles from BMW, Genesis, Kia, Hyundai, Lotus, Mercedes, Volvo, and more offer car keys support, with a list available on MacRumors.com.
