[AbyssalPlain]

Yesterday we got home from a trip in which we'd been using Digital Key Plus with a single iPhone 13 Pro Max (no physical key). Apart from one event where the car failed to start (couldn't recognise ID - I had to lay the phone on the chargepad and enter the unlock code - not easy) it operated OK with passive unlock... Until we got home (after two damaging stone hits to the windscreen on the M25 and M4!)...

After unloading the car and having left my iPhone (the one with Digital Key Plus main ID) on the drivers seat, my partner closed the rear driver's side door and the car immediately locked. We could not open the car at that point. We had to go get a physical key. OK so this warranted a BMW roadside assistance call - mainly to witness the locked-in iPhone. 2 hrs later Nigel arrives with the laptop and Canbus cables. He finds numerous errors but whilst outside the car and with the drivers-side window down he closes the door with the physical key inside the car - the car locks itself. WHOOA. OK he says - time to get it on a truck to the dealer...

We think we may have put Digital Key Plus through an untested Use Case: My partner had a key assigned to her phone. Both phones were in the car when I revoked her access but not before the car got confused over which profile was in use. (it went through a phase of thinking I was a Guest and so I was having to type in my PIN). At one point the car requested I place the physical key near the key hotspot on the steering wheel Eh? I didn't even have the physical key with me doh!

No surprises where this leads - back to physical key only. Digital Key Plus over-hyped and untested in more complex scenarios. No guidance on two phones being in the car at the same time...

All of this occurred after a full firmware overwrite and update at Dick Lovett Swindon 3 days beforehand. (Done OTA using the car's 5G sim)

 

[khaost]

If you have an iPad or another iOS device, you might be able to open My BMW app, login with your BMW ID, and unlock the car from there.

 

[AbyssalPlain]

BMW Roadside Assistance was called. Their Technician hooked up to Canbus, saw the physical key get locked in the car too! Then requested a transporter to have the car taken to the dealer.

Now with Dealer and BMW investigating... a regional UK Tech Lead is coming to look at the car.

 

[phildas1]

Had something similar happen to me twice this week. Dropped my iX50 off at service and they left the physical key inside the car and the door locked. Got a call from them 1/2 hour later that they needed me to open the car for them via my app which I did. Same thing happened to me last night. Left my keys inside the car at my home and the car locked. Luckily I was at home with my extra key. Need to get this addressed by service. Has this happened to other people?

 

[AbyssalPlain]

UPDATE: After two weeks at the dealer, they have at last managed to replicate the fault with passive entry and iPhone 13. Hopefully it'll lead to a firmware update that is a fix for all owners. After me complaining about BMW UK being unable to supply an EV courtesy car, I ended up with an M8 Competition which was fun for a couple of days but starts to become a liability

 

[cmtham1999]

Any update on this? Happened to me but dealer has no answer.

 

[electric_journey]

@AbyssalPlain Interesting stuff. Thanks for sharing.

Just to add though, that the manual tells owners not to rely only upon the digital key via smartphone and to always carry the key card or physical key on your person as well.

Makes sense, especially if the car breaks down, gets towed away and you need to hand the tow truck driver a key for the car.