Volkswagen enables smartphone key for some electric IDs

A Galaxy smartphone in your pocket and a Volkswagen ID that opens without a physical key: that is now the experience offered to some European drivers. Since August 18, 2026, Samsung Wallet has been able to host the digital key for compatible ID.Polo, ID.Cross, ID.3 Neo, ID.4, ID.5, ID.7 and ID.Buzz models.

The process depends on the phone. Galaxy devices equipped with UWB — ultra-wideband, which precisely detects a nearby device — can trigger access without taking the smartphone out of your pocket. With NFC, a short-range communication technology, you need to hold the phone near the handle to unlock and start the car. The trunk can also be opened from the smartphone.

The rollout does not immediately eliminate the range's hardware limitations. The vehicle must have at least ID software 6.0.1. For the ID.4, ID.5, ID.7 and ID.Buzz, Volkswagen limits the feature to vehicles built from April 27, 2026; cars based on an older hardware platform are not compatible. Volkswagen also confirmed to heise online that Android smartphones from other brands and iPhone devices will be supported, without detailing the models concerned here.

The key is not just for the owner. It can be shared with friends, family or colleagues for permanent or temporary access, then removed at any time. If the phone is lost or stolen, Samsung Find allows the key to be managed or deleted remotely. Samsung says the data is protected by several layers of security, including its Knox platform, and that the system follows the standards of the Car Connectivity Consortium.

So what does this mean in practice? A French driver with a compatible ID can replace the physical key with their phone and provide temporary access without handing over a spare. But the benefit remains limited to newer vehicles and compatible hardware. Volkswagen is also arriving after BMW, Mini, Polestar and Volvo in this type of digital key; Tesla, for its part, already relies on its own app.