Rivian launches Apple Watch app with remote control feature

Rivian is preparing to release an Apple Watch app that will allow owners of the first versions of the R1T electric pickups and R1S SUVs (2021-2024) to control vehicle functions without a smartphone or physical key. It will be available with the update of the main Rivian app to version 3.9.

What is known

Using the Apple Watch, owners will be able to lock and unlock the vehicle, start it, sound the alarm, set the charge level, and adjust the cabin temperature. To use the watch as a key, the app must be running on the Apple Watch screen.

This is not a full-fledged digital key like the second-generation Rivian. In the new R1T and R1S (2025 model year and newer), the vehicle opens and closes automatically when the owner approaches or leaves with a smartphone in their pocket. For first-generation vehicles, the user will have to interact with the watch's screen.

To use the watch instead of a physical key, an Apple Watch with a SIM card is required, priced starting at $299 in the US.

The full-fledged second-generation Rivian digital key is compatible not only with iPhone and Apple Watch but also with Android devices, including Google Pixel and Samsung smartphones. The new Apple Watch app will also be available to Gen 2 vehicle owners.

The Rivian App 3.9 update has not yet appeared in the App Store but is expected in the coming weeks.

Source: Riviantrackr