Samsung is making it easier to unlock your car with your watch. The company has partnered with Chinese electric vehicle giant BYD to turn Galaxy Watch into digital car keys. If you own a compatible Galaxy Watch and a BYD EV, you can now unlock your car just by tapping your watch on the door.
Your Galaxy Watch now serves as the key for your BYD EV
To unlock a BYD EV, you must be in China and have either a Galaxy Watch 7, Watch 8 series or Galaxy Watch Ultra. To use it, you’ll need two apps installed on your watch. These are the Samsung Smart Card app v5.1.38 or newer, and the BYD Auto app v9.3.0 or newer. Once set up, the watch uses NFC to communicate with the car. According to BYD, the door unlocks in about a second.
This isn’t BYD’s first step into digital keys. Its cars already support unlocking via Bluetooth, Cloud Key, and UWB. But this is the first time a Chinese automaker has added support for Galaxy smartwatches specifically, giving Samsung a clear edge over other Wear OS devices.
Digital keys can also be shared with friends or family, letting them unlock the car with their own phones or watches. The system supports Android, iOS, and Huawei’s HarmonyOS, making it accessible across a wide range of devices.
The new feature may be the result of growing ties between the two companies. Earlier this year, Samsung chairman Jay Y. Lee visited China and met with BYD executives in Shenzhen. That meeting focused on strengthening partnerships in the EV space, and this smartwatch feature may be one of the first outcomes.
Right now, the feature is limited to the Chinese market, but there’s a good chance it could expand to other regions in the future. If it does, it could make Galaxy Watches even more useful, especially for drivers looking to leave their keys behind.