Android 12 can now be used as a key in some BMW and Ford cars

Android 12 introduces a number of new features, including the new Material You interface. But Google also benefited from this Google I/O 2021 To talk Android Auto and cars. The first information is Android Auto is now integrated into more than 100 million vehicles. Of course, you can still use Android Auto separately on your smartphone in non-compatible cars, but more and more car manufacturers are adopting it.

This wasn’t the biggest announcement in this space: It looks like the partnership between Samsung and Google goes well beyond the WearOS and Tizen merger. Google just announced this Google Pixel and Samsung Galaxy smartphones running Android 12 can be used as keys in select BMW and Ford car models – are currently the only two brands explicitly mentioned by Google.

Android 12 creates a universal car virtual key system

Concretely, this system will allow you to: leave your physical key at home altogether because Android 12 will be able to unlock and start the car. In some carsThe technology will be based on Ultra WideBand (UWB) This means you won’t even have to take your smartphone out of your pocket. For others, everything will depend on the NFC function and you will have to show the smartphone to the reader.

Besides BMW and Ford We’re almost certain that Google is already working with other manufacturers to offer this functionality on as many models as possible. After all, we’re already used to paying with smartphones, so why not use them as car keys? We can note that this is not the first time it has been possible to store a virtual car key on a smartphone.

For example, Tesla vehicles allow this through the official application. What’s new is that Google now offers a standardized interface in Android 12 that automakers can adopt at a lower cost. What do you think about this feature? Share your opinions in the comments.