Do we have digital key?
Member
Joined: Dec 2024
Posts: 179
Likes: 26
From: Agoura Hills, CA
2025 CLE53 | 1969 Camaro Pace Car
I've never had a car with a digital key, so I guess I don't know the full benefits of it, but, I still need to carry my house key, so it's really not an issue to carry the car key with my house key. You don't have to pull the key out of your pocket, it's got Keyless GO, and if you leave the car and leave the car unlocked for even a short amount of time, you get a notification that the car is unlocked and you can lock it from the app if you want. And on another note, I left my phone on the wireless charger and when I went to leave the car it wouldn't let me leave without getting my phone (if I wanted it)... So I guess without ever having a digital key, this is working fine for me...
Out Of Control!!
Joined: Nov 2018
Posts: 11,403
Likes: 5,325
From: San Francisco Bay Area
2019 C63CS
I've never had a car with a digital key, so I guess I don't know the full benefits of it, but, I still need to carry my house key, so it's really not an issue to carry the car key with my house key. You don't have to pull the key out of your pocket, it's got Keyless GO, and if you leave the car and leave the car unlocked for even a short amount of time, you get a notification that the car is unlocked and you can lock it from the app if you want. And on another note, I left my phone on the wireless charger and when I went to leave the car it wouldn't let me leave without getting my phone (if I wanted it)... So I guess without ever having a digital key, this is working fine for me...
- A keyring is a bunch of additional clutter to carry around, so having to only carry the phone is very convenient.
- If you lose your physical keys they are gone, unless you have something like an AirTag on it and manage to find them in time. Replacing a key fob runs around $1000 these days.
- Anybody in possession of a physical key can use it if they know where it goes. Digital keys can require biometric authentication on the device and if you lose the device you can remotely deactivate the keys to prevent anybody from gaining access.
- You can easily share digital keys to give access to guests in your home, or lend your car to somebody w/o having to hand out physical keys that they could lose. You just send them a digital key that's valid for a certain amount of time and after that they can't use it anymore.
- You can track and manage who enters your home etc. and during which times they can. For example if you have a maid, you can control that their key only works on the days they are scheduled to clean your house.
Last edited by superswiss; Dec 17, 2024 at 05:48 PM.
Member
Joined: Dec 2024
Posts: 179
Likes: 26
From: Agoura Hills, CA
2025 CLE53 | 1969 Camaro Pace Car
Sometimes new technology is just for the sake of technology, but digital keys do have their benefits.
- A keyring is a bunch of additional clutter to carry around, so having to only carry the phone is very convenient.
- If you lose your physical keys they are gone, unless you have something like an AirTag on it and manage to find them in time. Replacing a key fob runs around $1000 these days.
- Anybody in possession of a physical key can use it if they know where it goes. Digital keys can require biometric authentication on the device and if you lose the device you can remotely deactivate the keys to prevent anybody from gaining access.
- You can easily share digital keys to give access to guests in your home, or lend your car to somebody w/o having to hand out physical keys that they could lose. You just send them a digital key that's valid for a certain amount of time and after that they can't use it anymore.
- You can track and manage who enters your home etc. and during which times they can. For example if you have a maid, you can control that their key only works on the days they are scheduled to clean your house.
Newbie
Joined: Oct 2024
Posts: 3
Likes: 1
It seems like all CLE models manufactured starting in April 2024 are getting a Digital Vehicle Key. MB just updated the manual:
https://www.mbusa.com/en/owners/manu...4-04-c236-mbux
https://www.mbusa.com/en/owners/manu...4-04-c236-mbux
Member
Joined: Dec 2024
Posts: 179
Likes: 26
From: Agoura Hills, CA
2025 CLE53 | 1969 Camaro Pace Car
It seems like all CLE models manufactured starting in April 2024 are getting a Digital Vehicle Key. MB just updated the manual:
https://www.mbusa.com/en/owners/manu...4-04-c236-mbux
https://www.mbusa.com/en/owners/manu...4-04-c236-mbux
My car is a MY2025, it has to have been built after April 2024, shouldn't it? I didn't get an email about it nor do I see anything on the app.
Member
Joined: Dec 2024
Posts: 179
Likes: 26
From: Agoura Hills, CA
2025 CLE53 | 1969 Camaro Pace Car
In the digital owners manual it mentions a digital key for vehicles built after April 2024. The manual says for requirements, You have received an email from Mercedes Me Connect, and, if you have selected the Digital Vehicle Key.
What does "you have selected the Digital Vehicle Key" mean? I don't see digital key as an option on the MBUSA website when building the car on the configurator and I don't see digital key listed, so how do I get a digital key, is it a software update?
Member
Joined: Dec 2024
Posts: 179
Likes: 26
From: Agoura Hills, CA
2025 CLE53 | 1969 Camaro Pace Car
It seems like all CLE models manufactured starting in April 2024 are getting a Digital Vehicle Key. MB just updated the manual:
https://www.mbusa.com/en/owners/manu...4-04-c236-mbux
https://www.mbusa.com/en/owners/manu...4-04-c236-mbux
MBWorld God!
Joined: Dec 2019
Posts: 32,224
Likes: 6,281
So I emailed Mercedes Me. The first reply was from someone who didn't know and just sent me instructions on how to set up the digital key, which included clicking on the Digital Vehicle Key "tile" in the app. I replied saying I didn't have that "tile" on my app. The next reply was "discovered that the necessary coding for this service is not available for your vehicle. I understand the statement on the owner's manual but the manual is not specified for each model of vehicle that all the functions mentioned in the manual may not apply to his specific model." Which doesn't make alot of sense since it's in the CLE manual. So what are they saying, it's on the CLE300 or CLE450 and not the CLE53?
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Out Of Control!!
Joined: Nov 2018
Posts: 11,403
Likes: 5,325
From: San Francisco Bay Area
2019 C63CS
So I emailed Mercedes Me. The first reply was from someone who didn't know and just sent me instructions on how to set up the digital key, which included clicking on the Digital Vehicle Key "tile" in the app. I replied saying I didn't have that "tile" on my app. The next reply was "discovered that the necessary coding for this service is not available for your vehicle. I understand the statement on the owner's manual but the manual is not specified for each model of vehicle that all the functions mentioned in the manual may not apply to his specific model." Which doesn't make alot of sense since it's in the CLE manual. So what are they saying, it's on the CLE300 or CLE450 and not the CLE53?
MBWorld God!
Joined: Dec 2019
Posts: 32,224
Likes: 6,281
A bit of an unfortunate wording, but what they were getting at is that many features described in the owner's manual depend on how the vehicle was configured when ordered. So that's what they meant. It's not specific to a given model. For example if you order your car w/o Driving Assistance then the whole Driving Assistance chapter in the owner's manual does not apply to your specific vehicle. The Digital Key is an optional feature as well, but in the USA at least MBUSA has decided to include it in the basis options where available, but technically it's still an optional feature.
Member
Joined: Dec 2024
Posts: 179
Likes: 26
From: Agoura Hills, CA
2025 CLE53 | 1969 Camaro Pace Car
A bit of an unfortunate wording, but what they were getting at is that many features described in the owner's manual depend on how the vehicle was configured when ordered. So that's what they meant. It's not specific to a given model. For example if you order your car w/o Driving Assistance then the whole Driving Assistance chapter in the owner's manual does not apply to your specific vehicle. The Digital Key is an optional feature as well, but in the USA at least MBUSA has decided to include it in the basis options where available, but technically it's still an optional feature.
Out Of Control!!
Joined: Nov 2018
Posts: 11,403
Likes: 5,325
From: San Francisco Bay Area
2019 C63CS
Which is in line with the current CLEs not having it, no? If it indeed gets added to the CLE later in the production cycle then the configurator will eventually get updated. The configurator is always behind. Get a hold of the DOG for the latest standard equipment and optional equipment.
Member
Joined: Dec 2024
Posts: 179
Likes: 26
From: Agoura Hills, CA
2025 CLE53 | 1969 Camaro Pace Car
Which is in line with the current CLEs not having it, no? If it indeed gets added to the CLE later in the production cycle then the configurator will eventually get updated. The configurator is always behind. Get a hold of the DOG for the latest standard equipment and optional equipment.
MBWorld God!
Joined: Dec 2019
Posts: 32,224
Likes: 6,281
Out Of Control!!
Joined: Nov 2018
Posts: 11,403
Likes: 5,325
From: San Francisco Bay Area
2019 C63CS
Member
Joined: Dec 2024
Posts: 179
Likes: 26
From: Agoura Hills, CA
2025 CLE53 | 1969 Camaro Pace Car
Correct. Specifically as far as I know the 206 and 236 are missing the UWB radio hardware. The Digital Key uses Ultra-wideband (UWB). That's also why it needs an iPhone 11 or newer, because the older iPhone hardware is missing UWB support, and why it's not offered on Android as there are practically no Android phones aside from the Pixel and some high-end Samsung models that support UWB. UWB can precisely determine the location of two objects relative to each other and whether they are moving away or towards each other. This is key to the Digital Key experience as it can determine where exactly the phone is relative to the door and prevent relay attacks. The complication with UWB is that it is illegal in certain countries, so in those countries the Digital Key can't be offered at all. iPhones for example automatically turn off the UWB radio if you travel to any of those countries. It's legal in the USA, so not sure why MB didn't include the necessary hardware upfront, but the 206 came out quite a while ago and the 236 is based on it. The first model with Digital Key support was the 214, so the hardware has to trickle down first.
MBWorld God!
Joined: Dec 2019
Posts: 32,224
Likes: 6,281
Correct. Specifically as far as I know the 206 and 236 are missing the UWB radio hardware. The Digital Key uses Ultra-wideband (UWB). That's also why it needs an iPhone 11 or newer, because the older iPhone hardware is missing UWB support, and why it's not offered on Android as there are practically no Android phones aside from the Pixel and some high-end Samsung models that support UWB. UWB can precisely determine the location of two objects relative to each other and whether they are moving away or towards each other. This is key to the Digital Key experience as it can determine where exactly the phone is relative to the door and prevent relay attacks. The complication with UWB is that it is illegal in certain countries, so in those countries the Digital Key can't be offered at all. iPhones for example automatically turn off the UWB radio if you travel to any of those countries. It's legal in the USA, so not sure why MB didn't include the necessary hardware upfront, but the 206 came out quite a while ago and the 236 is based on it. The first model with Digital Key support was the 214, so the hardware has to trickle down first.
Out Of Control!!
Joined: Nov 2018
Posts: 11,403
Likes: 5,325
From: San Francisco Bay Area
2019 C63CS
You'll have to look at the build sheet I guess. As far as I can see, in Europe the Digital Key preparation is part of the Premium package and the Premium package is standard on the 53. So effectively the Digital Key is standard in Europe. At least technically it's already available. Why it's not available on US-spec vehicles is a mystery.
MBWorld God!
Joined: Dec 2019
Posts: 32,224
Likes: 6,281
You'll have to look at the build sheet I guess. As far as I can see, in Europe the Digital Key preparation is part of the Premium package and the Premium package is standard on the 53. So effectively the Digital Key is standard in Europe. At least technically it's already available. Why it's not available on US-spec vehicles is a mystery.
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