BMW’s smartphone app first to get CCC Digital Key certificate

BMW’s Digital Key, a smartphone app that allows you to open and start your car without having the official car key fob in your pocket, is the first to get the official worldwide recognized CCC Digital Key™️ certificate.

With a secure Digital Key in your Apple or Android wallet on your smartphone, you can unlock the car by holding it against the door handle and start the vehicle by putting the phone on the charging pad. You can even share that digital key securely by WhatsApp or mail with five people you trust to drive your car without having a key fob.

Pioneering with Apple

That the German carmaker was the first to get the CCC certificate was within the line of expectations. BMW had been pioneering this secure technology with Apple on the iPhone since 2021 and added Android connectivity with Google in 2023.

Both are long-time charter members of the Car Connectivity Consortium (CCC), which is made up of various auto and electronic manufacturers who joined together to establish an industry standard for certifying connectivity apps and devices that are both safe and useful for car drivers.

Nokia and German carmakers

The very initial germ of the CCC organization was a collaboration between the Nokia Research Center in Palo Alto, California, and (CE4A), a working group of VDA (Association of the German Automotive Industry) since July 2009.

MirrorLink was the first research standard to link a smart device with the car’s infotainment system to ‘mirror’ the graphical user interface, games, and media content of a Nokia N800.

Nokia and CE4A further developed the so-called Terminal Mode concept, which was demonstrated in 2010 with a Nokia N97 in a Valmet concept car of the Finish contract manufacturer and later in a Volkswagen Passat. Early adopters included Continental, Alpine, and Clarion.

Among the initial 11 founding companies of the Car Connectivity Consortium from the automotive, mobile communication, and consumer electronics industries were Ford, Honda, Hyundai, Toyota, and Volkswagen. Today, almost every carmaker, including the Chinese, is a member.

UWB instead of NFC

Since 2018, BMW enabled its top models to unlock, lock, and start vehicles using the BMW Digital Key on their smartphones via Near Field Communication (NFC).

In 2021, the BMW iX was launched, simultaneously introducing the BMW Digital Key Plus as the world’s first application of ultra-wideband technology (UWB) for digital vehicle access. That means that you have to be very close to the car door with the phone or smart card, and the signal can’t be picked up remotely like in proven key fob hacks in the past.

The Digital Key Plus offers additional functions, increased security, and more convenience, as customers no longer have to take out their smartphone to unlock, lock, and start the vehicle. Now, BMW is setting an example again as the first to be certified.

Building trust

“Certifying digital key solutions at every point of the vehicle-to-device ecosystem is imperative as we work to increase adoption and build trust among consumers and the industry at large,” said Alysia Johnson, President of the Car Connectivity Consortium.

“Our entire membership has helped us progress toward this goal since we first launched the certification program in December, and we’re proud to designate BMW as the first automotive manufacturer to be CCC Digital Key™️ certified.”