How to add your car key to Apple Wallet in iOS, watchOS

You can add your car key to the Wallet app, and use your iPhone or Apple Watch. To do this, you’ll need:

• A compatible car. To find out if your car is compatible, contact the manufacturer or your dealership.
• An iPhone XS or later, or iPhone SE (2nd generation), with the latest version of iOS, or an Apple Watch Series 5 or later, or Apple Watch SE, with the latest version of watchOS. To use passive entry or the remote features on compatible cars, you need an iPhone 11 or later, or an Apple Watch Series 6 or later.
• An Apple ID signed into iCloud.

Ready? Okay, to add your car key to the Wallet app:

1. Make sure that your car is associated with the account provided by the car’s manufacturer.
2. Open the car manufacturer’s app, email, or text message, or use your car’s display and follow the instructions to set up a key.
3. When you’re sent to the Wallet app, tap Continue.
4. If prompted by the onscreen instructions, place your iPhone on the key reader while your iPhone and car pair.
5. When your iPhone and car finish pairing, tap Done.

When you add your car key on your iPhone, it might be added automatically to your paired Apple Watch. Or you might see the option to add it to your paired Apple Watch.

You can also manually add your car key to your Apple Watch. In the Apple Watch app on your paired iPhone, tap Wallet & Apple Pay > the Add button next to your car key.

If you get a new iPhone or reset your current iPhone, you have to set up your car key in the Wallet app again.

(This how-to is based on my experiences and info on Apple’s support pages.)