Samsung Electronics Australia has today announced that Digital Key, a feature that can transform Galaxy smartphones into hands-free smart keys for their owners’ cars,​ will now be available on Samsung Wallet in Australia.

Built to function like its physical counterpart, Digital Key is first launching with compatible[1] BMW vehicles and will allow Australian users to lock and unlock their car doors, start their engines and share their Digital Keys with multiple drivers via their smartphones. Integrated with NFC and Ultra-Wide Band (UWB) capabilities, Samsung Wallet’s Digital Key offers a simple and quick way for users to interact with their car doors by walking up to it, without taking their phone out of their pocket.

After registering a car key on Samsung Wallet, users can utilise the NFC and UWB features on their smartphones to unlock the car door. They can then place their smartphones on the compatible vehicle’s wireless charging pad to start their car’s engine once the Digital Key is recognised and authenticated.

Digital Key will run on the latest Android S(13) OS or higher software with compatible Galaxy devices. Residing in the embedded Secure Element (eSE) of Samsung devices, Digital Key can only be activated on Samsung Wallet for Samsung users.

“The Samsung Wallet Digital Key solution helps simplify the everyday experience for our customers and provides them with convenience and peace of mind through a central and secure hub within their smartphones,” said Garry McGregor, Vice President of Mobile Experience at Samsung Electronics, Samsung Electronics Australia.

“Our launch partnership with BMW allows Australians to use their Galaxy devices to seamlessly unlock car doors, start their engines and even share their Digital Keys, thereby offering our customers greater flexibility and convenience. We look forward to working with more car manufacturers in the future and onboarding them onto Samsung Wallet Digital Key.”

Digital Key is now available on Samsung Wallet. For more information about Samsung Wallet, visit Samsung.com/au.

Eligible smartphones must run the latest Android S(13) OS or higher software. Compatible Samsung devices include:

• Galaxy S20 series: all models apart from S20FE
• Note 20 Series: Note 20, Note 20 Ultra
• Galaxy S21 series : S21, S21+, S21 Ultra, S21 FE
• Galaxy S22 series : S22, S22+, S22 Ultra
• Galaxy S23 series: S23, S23+, S23 Ultra
• Galaxy Z-Flip: Z-Flip 5G, Z-Flip3, Z-Flip4,
• Galaxy Z-Fold: Z-Fold2, Z-Fold3, Z-Fold4

[1] Compatible with selected models. For a list of compatible BMW models, visit https://www.bmw.c om/en-au/offers-and-services/bmw-connected-drive/bmw-digital-key.html

“When Samsung launched Samsung Wallet last year, we committed to building the experience through open partnerships with our business and service providers and ensuring access to the platform for as many people as possible,” said Jeanie Han, EVP and Head of Digital Wallet Team at Mobile eXperience Business, Samsung Electronics. “Over the past several months, we’ve worked hard to rapidly expand the availability of Samsung Wallet, bringing the platform to more potential users. We look forward to sharing exciting new developments in the year ahead.”

Last year, Samsung successfully launched the Samsung Wallet platform and expanded its services to 21 countries – Bahrain, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Kazakhstan, Korea[3], Kuwait, Norway, Oman, Qatar, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Vietnam, UAE, the U.K., and the U.S. Through collaboration with a variety of trusted partners and developers, Samsung Wallet will continue to grow and enrich consumers’ daily life.  

Regardless of where you live, protecting your personal data and information is vital. Samsung Wallet safeguards your data to help protect it from malware and other potential threats.

[1] Availability and launch of specific features and supported device models may vary by market and are subject to change.

[2] Exact timing and availability of the updates may vary by user and market.

[3] Samsung Wallet features were launched in South Korea under Samsung Pay.