Porsche is preparing to roll out full support for Apple’s Digital Key feature for its brand new all-electric Cayenne and Macan models, according to MacRumors. This is fantastic news for tech-savvy drivers because it means you’ll soon be able to use your iPhone or Apple Watch to manage your vehicle access seamlessly.
Honestly, the best part of the whole system is the “power reserve” capability. You know that stressful moment when your iPhone battery hits zero, and you’re suddenly locked out of everything? With the Digital Key stored in your Apple Wallet, that key will still function, letting you unlock and start your vehicle even when your phone is completely dead. This specific feature solves a massive anxiety point for anyone relying on their device as a primary key, and it’s a top-tier piece of engineering.
The technology behind this isn’t just one simple standard. It uses a combination of technologies to keep things secure and snappy. The system relies on Near Field Communication (NFC), Bluetooth Low Energy, and Ultra Wideband. Together, these allow you to lock, unlock, and start the car using just your iPhone or your Apple Watch.
The rollout is apparently not too far off
If you’ve got a family or need to give access to a friend or valet, you’re completely covered. Porsche is letting owners share access with as many as seven additional users, which is a really generous limit for a feature like this. Sharing the digital key is super easy to manage directly through your Apple Wallet interface.
If you’re planning on grabbing one of these luxury electric vehicles, you can expect to find this feature available on the 2026 model year versions of both the electric Cayenne and the Macan. It won’t be a standard feature, though. You’ll need to select the Comfort Access option to get the Porsche Digital Key support. We actually heard about Porsche coming on board as a partner when Apple first outlined its next-generation Car Key support at the Worldwide Developers Conference, so this has been in the works for a while.
The rollout seems imminent, which is exciting for those of us who hate carrying physical keys. Apple has already enabled the necessary infrastructure on its backend, meaning that the required setup is complete on the software side. The ball is now entirely in Porsche’s court. They simply need to roll out the feature to their vehicles, suggesting we should see this go live relatively soon.
It’s also important to note that Porsche isn’t limiting itself to just the Apple ecosystem, which is a smart move for maximizing customer options. Samsung announced earlier this week that its Samsung Wallet service is also supporting Porsche Digital Key access. This starts with select models, beginning with the 2026 Macan, using similar standards to Apple’s system.
However, for Apple, it’s good news after they previously caught flak for racial biases on its image generation app and a serious allegation of government spying inside Apple Cloud.
Published: Dec 11, 2025 06:00 pm