Why do we still carry car keys?

My iPhone wallet It stores my theater and transit tickets and all my credit and debit cards, and allows me to wander like a boss through the gym’s revolving door. This technology works flawlessly, and only requires being close to me or just tilting the device towards my face. The quality of the biometrics means I have few concerns about security, even accessing my bank accounts.

So…why do I still unlock my electric car with the key?

Well, it’s more than just a metal key; It’s a passive electronic fob with proximity-based wireless signals, which means I don’t have to press anything to unlock my car. But still, it’s a bacteria-rich plastic bubble that’s easy to lose, and I don’t really need it anymore. I haven’t needed it for several years.

BMW 5 Series owners have been using smartphones to digitally unlock, start and share their luxury cars since 2021, the year after Apple introduced the clearly labeled car key. Audi, Kia, and Hyundai later implemented support for this feature. During its WWDC 2025 keynote in June, Apple said 13 additional car brands would be joining “soon,” including Chevrolet, Cadillac, GMC and Porsche. “Soon” seems to mean 2026.

Tesla Model 3 owners have had access to the Digital Key since 2017, when the midsize sedan’s keyless entry fob was launched; It can only be opened using a smartphone. Later, digital native carmakers Rivian and Polestar also enabled the use of the digital key. (“The Digital Key has been removed from the upcoming 2025.34 software update for further testing,” Rivian’s latest update noted. The company’s communications team told WIRED it will be available again “soon.”)

Owners of Ford’s latest luxury cars can use digital keys. However, the Dearborn, Michigan, company clearly isn’t ready to give up on F-150 chains: In October, it launched the $200 Truckle Belt, a decorative Western-style belt buckle with a recess to fit an oversized F-150 chain, so there’s no need to get lost or mess up your jeans line.

Courtesy of Ford

Digital for everyone

The phone’s function as a key is not limited only to specific luxury cars. The wired MoboKey ​​turns your smartphone into a digital key and can be installed by an auto electrician in almost any modern vehicle, whether gas or electric.

Likewise, KeyDIY, a Chinese maker of smart keys, sells a USB-powered box of tricks that allows almost any car to start with a digital key. The box picks up vehicle communication signals – Flipper-Zero style – mimicking the rolling codes used by the key fob to thwart the signal which promotes “relay” attacks where criminals use antennas and extenders to pick up signals from the car key fob. (Always store your fob in a Faraday cage.) The KeyDIY box, located in the vehicle, is powered by a device temporarily connected to the vehicle’s on-board diagnostic port.

The key to meaning

In short, the picture here is that digital key technology is mature and (mostly) secure, and we’re perfectly happy to use Bluetooth Low Energy, near-field communications (NFC), and ultra-wideband (UWB) for the rest of our lives — unless you’re a conspiracy theorist clutching cash, that is — so why are so many of us still tied to our physical cars?

“Most people are reluctant to do without a physical backup of a physical key,” says Sean Tucker, managing editor of automotive research firm Kelley Blue Book. He adds that picking up a FOB has now become an ingrained habit. There are also emotional factors to consider.

“The car key is full of meaning,” says Stefan Gosling, a professor at Linnaeus University in Sweden and author of the book “The Car Key is Full of Meaning.” Car psychology. “Its jingle gives some motorists the opportunity to show off their cars, even if the car isn’t nearby. Car keys are also comforting for some, serving as a physical reminder that your car is there to take you away, to protect you.”