Apple is continuing to expand its vision for the digital wallet. A newly published patent, US-20250263046-A1, shows the company exploring ways to make the iPhone’s digital car key feature more flexible and secure.
The patent, titled Mobile Key User Interfaces, describes a system where users could restrict how a mobile car key works. Instead of the all-or-nothing sharing that Apple Car Key supports today, the patent outlines scenarios where you could temporarily limit key functions or set a time window for access. For example, a driver might allow a friend to unlock the doors but not start the engine, or a parent could let a teen borrow the car for just a few hours before the digital key automatically expires.
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Car Key, introduced in 2020 with BMW and later expanded to automakers like Hyundai and Kia, is integrated into Wallet on the iPhone and Apple Watch. Today, users can add their car key to Wallet, unlock and start their vehicle using NFC or Ultra Wideband, and even share access with others via iMessage. But the functionality is still fairly basic: you either share the entire key or you don’t.
The new patent shows Apple considering a much more granular approach. That level of control could solve real-world issues. Parents may want tighter oversight of younger drivers. Vehicle owners might want the convenience of lending their car without worrying about unrestricted access. Even temporary lending, such as valet parking or peer-to-peer car sharing, could become easier and safer with time-limited key permissions.
Of course, not every Apple patent turns into a product. The company often patents technologies to secure intellectual property even if they never ship. Still, this filing fits neatly with Apple’s ongoing push to make the Wallet app central to daily life. Beyond credit cards and transit passes, Wallet already handles IDs, event tickets, hotel room keys, and even employee badges. Smarter digital car keys would be a natural next step.
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