BYD Becomes First Chinese Automaker to Support Samsung Galaxy Watch as a Digital Car Key

The traditional car key continues its slow fade into history, and BYD is leading the charge—at least in China. The electric vehicle giant has become the first Chinese automaker to officially integrate Samsung Galaxy Watch support, allowing drivers to use the popular smartwatch as an NFC digital car key.

With this new feature, BYD owners can unlock their cars simply by tapping their Galaxy Watch on a designated spot near the car door. The process uses NFC (Near Field Communication), the same wireless tech behind tap-to-pay systems, and is said to work in just one second.

The feature supports Samsung’s latest wearables, including the Galaxy Watch7, Galaxy Watch8, Galaxy Watch8 Classic, and the ultra-rugged Galaxy Watch Ultra. To use the digital key, users must have a compatible BYD EV, update their smartwatch to the latest Wear OS, and install two key apps:

Samsung Smart Card App (v5.1.38 or newer)

BYD Auto App (v9.3.0 or newer)

Once everything is set up, owners can easily create and activate a digital car key via the app. There’s even the option to securely share the digital key with family members or friends.

This move expands BYD’s existing support for Samsung smartphones and signals a deeper commitment to smart connectivity for EV owners. While BYD is first in China to support Galaxy Watches, other global automakers like BMW, Hyundai, and Kia already offer similar functionality with Apple’s CarKey system.

As the automotive world races toward smarter, keyless convenience, BYD’s partnership with Samsung highlights a growing trend: turning your wrist into your wallet, phone—and now, your car key.