Apple Car Key is reportedly getting ready to work with Xiaomi vehicles, and this time the evidence isn’t just beta code it’s showing up in Apple’s Wallet backend itself. MacRumors reported the discovery on August 26, 2026, marking the second clue in under two months pointing toward a Xiaomi integration.
The first hint came on July 8, when the identifier “XIA1” turned up inside iOS 27 developer beta 3, alongside “LCID,” widely read as a reference to Lucid. Beta code hints at intent; backend changes suggest Apple is actually building toward a release. That distinction matters: it’s the difference between Apple merely testing an idea and Apple preparing infrastructure to ship it.
What’s still missing is confirmation of which cars qualify. Xiaomi’s EV lineup includes the SU7 sedan and YU7 SUV, both plausible candidates, but neither Apple nor Xiaomi has confirmed compatibility, features, or a launch window. Apple Car Key itself can go pretty deep depending on implementation lock, unlock, remote start, key sharing, and passive entry via NFC, Bluetooth LE, or UWB, which lets a car sense an iPhone’s precise position without you touching your pocket. Whether Xiaomi enables that full feature set is entirely up to how it integrates Apple’s system.
Xiaomi isn’t the only surprise name showing up lately, either. Just days earlier, on August 21, similar backend references pointed to MG the SAIC-owned automaker also preparing Car Key suppor. None of those have official confirmation or launch dates any more than Xiaomi does, but the pattern is hard to ignore: Apple appears to be widening Car Key well past the luxury and premium brands it originally partnered with.
The bigger picture is the ecosystem angle. Xiaomi is one of Apple’s fiercest smartphone rivals, yet its cars may soon plug into Apple’s Wallet just like Porsche or Rivian. Apple named 13 automakers expanding Car Key support at WWDC 2025 Xiaomi wasn’t one of them, which is exactly why its appearance in iOS code stood out.
Nothing’s official yet, so don’t expect a Car Key on your SU7 this week.
M Adnan Akram is the founder and lead writer at Phoonomo, covering mobile technology with a primary focus on Apple and the broader smartphone industry, alongside emerging developments in AI. He follows product launches, spec leaks, and industry trends closely to keep readers informed with timely updates.
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