Digital Key

jimbethesda · 11-17-2021, 01:40 PM

Having a very specific issue. If I unlock my car with my Apple Watch, the car defaults to the Guest driver profile, I have to manually change it to my profile. If I unlock the car with my iPhone, it defaults to my profile.

The key on my watch isn't a different key, it's the key from my iPhone that's on my watch too.

I called the Genius line, and they basically said I'm doing everything correctly and I guess it just doesn't work. They will add it as a "suggestion". Feels like more of a bug than a suggestion for a new feature.

Anybody else experience the same thing, or better yet, have a solution?

forza1976 · 11-17-2021, 01:46 PM

I "believe" this is how I accomplished fixing your scenario.

Unlock the car with the watch.

The profile shows guest.

Select your profile "Jim"

Type in your pin

It then assigns that profile to your watch.

I think that is the process...

jimbethesda · 11-17-2021, 01:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by forza1976

I "believe" this is how I accomplished fixing your scenario.

Unlock the car with the watch.

The profile shows guest.

Select your profile "Jim"

Type in your pin

It then assigns that profile to your watch.

I think that is the process...

Yes, that does work, but is a pain.

If I use my phone to unlock the car, it's on my driver profile automatically. The watch should too.

I'm now using my phone to unlock the car, and only using my watch to lock it.

Seems like a bug. The added convenience of using my watch to unlock the car quickly becomes more work if I have to manually switch to my profile.

edit..I see you said that process then assigns it to my watch. It does not. It only switches to my profile that one time.

forza1976 · 11-17-2021, 02:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimbethesda

Yes, that does work, but is a pain.

If I use my phone to unlock the car, it's on my driver profile automatically. The watch should too.

I'm now using my phone to unlock the car, and only using my watch to lock it.

Seems like a bug. The added convenience of using my watch to unlock the car quickly becomes more work if I have to manually switch to my profile.

edit..I see you said that process then assigns it to my watch. It does not. It only switches to my profile that one time.

Yeah, I let it sit for 10 mins and you are right, goes right back to Guest. Really annoying because my phone has no issues...

jimbethesda · 11-17-2021, 02:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by forza1976

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimbethesda

Yes, that does work, but is a pain.

If I use my phone to unlock the car, it's on my driver profile automatically. The watch should too.

I'm now using my phone to unlock the car, and only using my watch to lock it.

Seems like a bug. The added convenience of using my watch to unlock the car quickly becomes more work if I have to manually switch to my profile.

edit..I see you said that process then assigns it to my watch. It does not. It only switches to my profile that one time.

Yeah, I let it sit for 10 mins and you are right, goes right back to Guest. Really annoying because my phone has no issues...

Yeah. Took me a little bit to figure out it was the watch only. At first I thought it was just an intermittent issue. 100% every time I use the watch, it doesn't work, but 100% of the time I use my phone, it defaults to my profile automatically.

I emailed the Genius team, hopefully I get a better response that way. Not hopeful though.

'Cane · 11-17-2021, 04:33 PM

Just a suggestion, as this is the cure to many iOS/Watch OS issues, try restarting your watch by pressing and holding both the Digital Crown and the Side Button until you see the Apple logo (I'd say to do the same with your iPhone, but it seems to be working fine).

jimbethesda · 11-17-2021, 04:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 'Cane

Just a suggestion, as this is the cure to many iOS/Watch OS issues, try restarting your watch by pressing and holding both the Digital Crown and the Side Button until you see the Apple logo (I'd say to do the same with your iPhone, but it seems to be working fine).

That didn't work, but a good suggestion. I'm the tech support person for my family, and I've trained them to reboot everything before asking me for help. Now they say "I rebooted already, can you help me with …."

jimbethesda · 11-18-2021, 10:49 AM

Email back from Genius says they are still researching it.

I'm not hopeful, the current implementation of the Digital key is only on a few model years, and some cars have had it removed.

Version 2 is coming soon using ultra wideband, which is really a game changer. It will work the same as having the fob. I doubt BMW will spend any time fixing this issue that only affects a small subset of cars and an even smaller subset of customers that even care. I hope I'm wrong.

smuttana · 10-25-2022, 02:57 PM

Realized I'm having the same issue as I messed around with the settings on the car, phone, and watch. Seems like a simple fix, but as you said doesn't impact enough users it seems like

CC M3C X · 10-25-2022, 03:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimbethesda

Email back from Genius says they are still researching it.

I'm not hopeful, the current implementation of the Digital key is only on a few model years, and some cars have had it removed.

Version 2 is coming soon using ultra wideband, which is really a game changer. It will work the same as having the fob. I doubt BMW will spend any time fixing this issue that only affects a small subset of cars and an even smaller subset of customers that even care. I hope I'm wrong.

Is version 2 that you mention going to be an OTA update or just something available in cars being produced from that time forward? TIA

jimbethesda · 10-25-2022, 04:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CC M3C X

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimbethesda

Email back from Genius says they are still researching it.

I'm not hopeful, the current implementation of the Digital key is only on a few model years, and some cars have had it removed.

Version 2 is coming soon using ultra wideband, which is really a game changer. It will work the same as having the fob. I doubt BMW will spend any time fixing this issue that only affects a small subset of cars and an even smaller subset of customers that even care. I hope I'm wrong.

Is version 2 that you mention going to be an OTA update or just something available in cars being produced from that time forward? TIA

It's not OTA, it's a hardware upgrade. Not sure BMW's plan to roll it out.

DO444 · 10-26-2022, 01:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimbethesda

Having a very specific issue. If I unlock my car with my Apple Watch, the car defaults to the Guest driver profile, I have to manually change it to my profile. If I unlock the car with my iPhone, it defaults to my profile.

The key on my watch isn't a different key, it's the key from my iPhone that's on my watch too.

I called the Genius line, and they basically said I'm doing everything correctly and I guess it just doesn't work. They will add it as a "suggestion". Feels like more of a bug than a suggestion for a new feature.

Anybody else experience the same thing, or better yet, have a solution?

If I had to guess there is something different between the key on the watch and the phone. It may be that although it works the same on apple devices, they are not 1:1 identical digital ID.

Could be why the car picks you up as guest with watch.
(I’m not a software engineer and only play one on the internets)

If that is the case, doesn’t seem there is anything you can do about it.
Hopefully BMW can fix it for those affected. Reading through the whole thread, doesn’t sound like they would if Ver.2 is superseding the whole thing anyway.

jimbethesda · 10-26-2022, 01:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DO444

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimbethesda

Having a very specific issue. If I unlock my car with my Apple Watch, the car defaults to the Guest driver profile, I have to manually change it to my profile. If I unlock the car with my iPhone, it defaults to my profile.

The key on my watch isn't a different key, it's the key from my iPhone that's on my watch too.

I called the Genius line, and they basically said I'm doing everything correctly and I guess it just doesn't work. They will add it as a "suggestion". Feels like more of a bug than a suggestion for a new feature.

Anybody else experience the same thing, or better yet, have a solution?

If I had to guess there is something different between the key on the watch and the phone. It may be that although it works the same on apple devices, they are not 1:1 identical digital ID.

Could be why the car picks you up as guest with watch.
(I’m not a software engineer and only play one on the internets)

Yeah. BMW could have easily allowed more than 1 key to be associated with a profile. Still a big fail by BMW IMO.

DO444 · 10-26-2022, 01:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimbethesda

Yeah. BMW could have easily allowed more than 1 key to be associated with a profile. Still a big fail by BMW IMO.

True true.
I’m guessing they just didn’t test it with the watch. It’s interesting from the point of view of inter business relationships. Long term, will BMW keep Apple?

I would think Apple could fix this for them in a jif, if it were inclined.

If the car magazines are right then the interior of future cars is an unsettled battleground. It’ll be difficult to beat Apple at making a UI, but I wonder if BMW will try?

If they’re not and are willingly handing over the interior tech to Apple /
Google. Then hopefully these issues get the full support of the respective tech companies when they arise.

Kinda outside your original post, sry.

BMWRacer523 · 10-30-2022, 07:49 AM

I used watch once, had this issue and gave up. I use the phone but find the current implementation less than great. UWB (aka digital key2) will make keys obsolete once and for all as it can precisely detect your location and unlock the door. It will even work off reserve power when your phone is off. UWB is meant to be interoperable so technically BMW should be able to support Android phones that have UWB chips in them but who knows if they will.

DB_Cooper · 11-01-2022, 08:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimbethesda

Having a very specific issue. If I unlock my car with my Apple Watch, the car defaults to the Guest driver profile, I have to manually change it to my profile. If I unlock the car with my iPhone, it defaults to my profile.

The key on my watch isn't a different key, it's the key from my iPhone that's on my watch too.

I called the Genius line, and they basically said I'm doing everything correctly and I guess it just doesn't work. They will add it as a "suggestion". Feels like more of a bug than a suggestion for a new feature.

Anybody else experience the same thing, or better yet, have a solution?

Hilarious that it's called the "Genius" line lol.

11-17-2021, 01:40 PM	#1
jimbethesda Colonel 1856 Rep 2,305 Posts Drives: M3 (F80) Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Austin iTrader: (0)	Digital Key - Apple Watch Bug Having a very specific issue. If I unlock my car with my Apple Watch, the car defaults to the Guest driver profile, I have to manually change it to my profile. If I unlock the car with my iPhone, it defaults to my profile. The key on my watch isn't a different key, it's the key from my iPhone that's on my watch too. I called the Genius line, and they basically said I'm doing everything correctly and I guess it just doesn't work. They will add it as a "suggestion". Feels like more of a bug than a suggestion for a new feature. Anybody else experience the same thing, or better yet, have a solution? __________________ 2001 330Ci (sold) 2007 335i (sold) 2008 E90 M3 (sold) 2015 M3 (sold) 2022 G83
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11-17-2021, 01:46 PM	#2
forza1976 Major General 3399 Rep 6,593 Posts Drives: BMW Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: 49417 and 60610 iTrader: (13) Garage List 2022 BMW M3X [10.00]	I "believe" this is how I accomplished fixing your scenario. Unlock the car with the watch. The profile shows guest. Select your profile "Jim" Type in your pin It then assigns that profile to your watch. I think that is the process...
	Appreciate 1 BMWRacer5232520.50 Quote

11-17-2021, 04:33 PM	#6
'Cane Major General 8619 Rep 5,409 Posts Drives: 2022 Aventurin/SS G82 xDrive Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: South Florida iTrader: (0) Garage List 2022 M4 Comp AWD [8.00]	Just a suggestion, as this is the cure to many iOS/Watch OS issues, try restarting your watch by pressing and holding both the Digital Crown and the Side Button until you see the Apple logo (I'd say to do the same with your iPhone, but it seems to be working fine).
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11-18-2021, 10:49 AM	#8
jimbethesda Colonel 1856 Rep 2,305 Posts Drives: M3 (F80) Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Austin iTrader: (0)	Email back from Genius says they are still researching it. I'm not hopeful, the current implementation of the Digital key is only on a few model years, and some cars have had it removed. Version 2 is coming soon using ultra wideband, which is really a game changer. It will work the same as having the fob. I doubt BMW will spend any time fixing this issue that only affects a small subset of cars and an even smaller subset of customers that even care. I hope I'm wrong. __________________ 2001 330Ci (sold) 2007 335i (sold) 2008 E90 M3 (sold) 2015 M3 (sold) 2022 G83
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10-25-2022, 02:57 PM	#9
smuttana Lieutenant 347 Rep 539 Posts Drives: 21' G80 M3 Comp Join Date: Aug 2016 Location: Philadelphia, PA iTrader: (3)	Realized I'm having the same issue as I messed around with the settings on the car, phone, and watch. Seems like a simple fix, but as you said doesn't impact enough users it seems like __________________
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10-30-2022, 07:49 AM	#15
BMWRacer523 Lieutenant Colonel 2521 Rep 1,773 Posts Drives: G80 M3 Competition xDrive Join Date: Aug 2021 Location: NJ iTrader: (0)	I used watch once, had this issue and gave up. I use the phone but find the current implementation less than great. UWB (aka digital key2) will make keys obsolete once and for all as it can precisely detect your location and unlock the door. It will even work off reserve power when your phone is off. UWB is meant to be interoperable so technically BMW should be able to support Android phones that have UWB chips in them but who knows if they will.
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