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Since taking delivery end of February, I've loved leaving the key FOB in the house and using the digital key feature on my iPhone 14 Pro Max - until yesterday...
The tech gods decided to make not function. IDK why. So I deleted the digi key from my Apple wallet and after trying to re-install the function via the app with the then current iOS I had on my phone and then again with the latest iOS update, I was stuck with the screen shot below.
Then I deleted and re-installed the MercedesMe app, same screen shot snafu below.
My local dealer MB Concierge team is stumped as well.
Any guidance or support on this one, folks?
Thanks.
This is the exact reason I'm not a fan of the digital key. More complexity than what is needed for the simple act of unlocking the car and starting the engine. It could be any number of things including the software both by MB and Apple. Could be the car or the phone itself. The key fob is a much simpler device and less likely to have an issue. It's simply more reliable. With the digital key, I'm not sure I would trust it enough to not bring the physical key as a backup when leaving home.
As far as things to try, if you have another phone such as one from your spouse, child, brother, sister, etc, you could try theirs to see if it's your phone. You could also factory reset your phone. None of these suggestions are easy, but you've done the easy things already.
I'm not entirely sure what's going on with the Digital Key, but MB seems to be screwing around with it. The W214 is so far the only model that officially had it from launch. Subsequent models like the CLE didn't get it and still don't have it. Supposedly there will be an OTA update to enable it on those vehicles. Seems they just don't have it sorted out yet.
I love digital keys. The ones I'm using to access my house and my gym work great. I don't carry physical keys anymore, except for the car key fob when I use the car, otherwise the key fob stays at home, but I agree with @L1Wolf it seems too fragile to rely on it with a car and potentially risk getting stuck away from home with the digital key not working and no backup to get into the car and start it. At my house I have keypads on the locks as a backup, so if somehow my phone is acting up, I can still get into the house.
Last edited by superswiss; Apr 4, 2025 at 12:39 PM.
Just to add. The iOS app was recently updated and they broke some things. The Trip Data feature disappeared for many of us after installing the update. It's now back. Appears it was some kind of a server side issue. They didn't push out another update for the app. It simply magically showed up again after several of us contacted Support. I just got a response back to my support ticket that the issue is resolved. Might be a similar thing with the Digital Key. The latest update of the app may have broken it.
Just to add. The iOS app was recently updated and they broke some things. The Trip Data feature disappeared for many of us after installing the update. It's now back. Appears it was some kind of a server side issue. They didn't push out another update for the app. It simply magically showed up again after several of us contacted Support. I just got a response back to my support ticket that the issue is resolved. Might be a similar thing with the Digital Key. The latest update of the app may have broken it.
Imagine your digital key is working fine for months or even years and you grow to trust it to where you do not take your backup key. Then an update happens on your phone that causes it to fail. It could leave you stranded. We use our phones for too much already and I don't believe using it as your car key is a good idea. Yes, it's convenient, but is it reliable.
Imagine your digital key is working fine for months or even years and you grow to trust it to where you do not take your backup key. Then an update happens on your phone that causes it to fail. It could leave you stranded. We use our phones for too much already and I don't believe using it as your car key is a good idea. Yes, it's convenient, but is it reliable.
Yep, that's exactly the problem. Everybody wants OTA updates and new features constantly, but more often than not it seems an update breaks a feature that was working fine before. Not having Trip Data in the app for a few days didn't stop me from anything, but if something as critical as the Digital Key stops working, because an update was installed overnight while you are on a road trip and then breaks the key, well that would be miserable if you didn't pack the key fob as a backup. I still remember several years ago Tesla had a server outage and everybody was locked out of their cars. Apparently their Bluetooth solution talks to the mothership to unlock and start the vehicle, or at least used to. That's even worse.
Last edited by superswiss; Apr 4, 2025 at 02:06 PM.
Great points and commentary, as usual, duly appreciated and noted.
Time for the ole fellow to go back in the left pocket...it's one thing getting locked out in your garage, it's a whole different story out on the road.
Thanks, all.
2025 E450 All Terrain Wagon, Nautical Blue Metallic, Macchiato Beige/Black Interior
Originally Posted by superswiss
Just to add. The iOS app was recently updated and they broke some things. The Trip Data feature disappeared for many of us after installing the update. It's now back. Appears it was some kind of a server side issue. They didn't push out another update for the app. It simply magically showed up again after several of us contacted Support. I just got a response back to my support ticket that the issue is resolved. Might be a similar thing with the Digital Key. The latest update of the app may have broken it.
Agreed. When the new version came out earlier this week, my Mercedes app would not communicate with the car and said something to the effect that there was a problem with the car communication, move car to a better location, blah, blah, blah. It had worked perfectly before the update.
Then, the next day, everything worked fine and has done so the rest of this week. So maybe it will fix itself for the OP (I hope so).
I just downloaded IOS 18.4 on my IPhone 16 pro and checked my digital key. Everything worked fine. I must say though that I’ve never had the guts to leave home without my fob and rely exclusively on the digital key.
I just downloaded IOS 18.4 on my IPhone 16 pro and checked my digital key. Everything worked fine. I must say though that I’ve never had the guts to leave home without my fob and rely exclusively on the digital key.
iOS 18.4 is not the issue. The issue is likely the just released 3.54.0 version of the app. You might still be running the previous 3.53.3 version.
I had the issue that the car was not communicating with the Mercedes App after the IOS Update the other day. Moved car to outside garage, and everything is now normal. Digital key was never affected.
I had this is a number of months ago. No matter what I tried I could not get the digital key to work. It had worked for a few months prior. I even tried another iPhone, still did not work. Ended up having to bring the car in for service. They updated software and resolved the problem.
Since taking delivery end of February, I've loved leaving the key FOB in the house and using the digital key feature on my iPhone 14 Pro Max - until yesterday...
The tech gods decided to make not function. IDK why. So I deleted the digi key from my Apple wallet and after trying to re-install the function via the app with the then current iOS I had on my phone and then again with the latest iOS update, I was stuck with the screen shot below.
Then I deleted and re-installed the MercedesMe app, same screen shot snafu below.
My local dealer MB Concierge team is stumped as well.
Any guidance or support on this one, folks?
Thanks.
Hey I had same issue recently just fixed it 3 days ago, been trying to use this feature since I purchased the vehicle in June. Mercedes Daytona had it for 2 weeks just about trying to figure it out. They updated the system modules related to nfc and something else, the service manager 2nd down from top was also unable to connect to phone, only after updating the modules was he able to connect his phone to vehicle for digital key, he then removed his phone from my vehicle. I attempted to use my phone for digital key and kept getting same error I was getting for months, same error your receiving, I have iPhone 16 Pro max, as well as service manager, his phone worked not mine.. so I called apple seeing as it was my phone apparently the issue.. they told me go in your phone, hit settings, general, transfer or reset phone, hit RESET, then hit RESET ALL SETTINGS.. only settings will be reset.. nothing else.. I then went into the Mercedes me app, activated the digital key.. BOOM paired with no issue. Try this let me know how u make out.
Since taking delivery end of February, I've loved leaving the key FOB in the house and using the digital key feature on my iPhone 14 Pro Max - until yesterday...
The tech gods decided to make not function. IDK why. So I deleted the digi key from my Apple wallet and after trying to re-install the function via the app with the then current iOS I had on my phone and then again with the latest iOS update, I was stuck with the screen shot below.
Then I deleted and re-installed the MercedesMe app, same screen shot snafu below.
My local dealer MB Concierge team is stumped as well.
Any guidance or support on this one, folks?
Thanks.
sorry if I posted duplicate. I tried quick reply submitted and didn’t see my original post.. here goes again.. I purchased my vehicle in June 2024, been trying to resolve this issue since then, past 2 weeks Mercedes had my 24 E350 and service manager 2nd from top at Daytona Mercedes updated some modules because he too couldn’t connect his phone to my vehicle.. once he updated some modules he was able to set up digital keys on his phone with my vehicle, so he then wiped his keys and had me add the vehicle back to my account and again, same error, same issue.. I took vehicle home since I know the digital keys worked but just not on my phone.. manager and myself both have iPhones 16 Pro Max. I called apple and they told me to go to SETTINGS in my phone, tap GENERAL, then tap TRANSFER & RESET IPHONE, then tap RESET, then tap RESET ALL SETTINGS.. this will ONLY reset settings nothing else. After that I unenthusiastically went into Mercedes me app allowed all settings. You’re going to get a bunch of pop ups. Just hit allow to each pop up.. I clicked on activate digital key went thru the set up, put phone in charging cradle with the key fob in the vehicle with me and ignition on, it paired with no issue. 🤦🏻♂️🤦🏻♂️🤦🏻♂️ Thank you Apple Support. Try this an let me know how it works and anyone else having same issue. Since June of 24 I haven’t been able to set this up until 3 days ago using this method from apple. Oh and Go BIRDS!! E A G L E S EEAAGGLLEESSS FLY EAGLES FLY
I’m getting this error in Mercedes Me app in phone. Contacted to dealership but they could not able to solve it and asked me to contact customer support. If someone know about it or know solution for this, please help. Thank you
Last edited by Mukul Soni; Oct 2, 2025 at 03:43 PM.
I’m getting this error in Mercedes Me app in phone. Contacted to dealership but they could not able to solve it and asked me to contact customer support. If someone know about it or know solution for this, please help. Thank you
try from your car to delete all digital key and re-initiate the setup there.
I also had similar issues last Oct a couple of days after the iOS 18 update, and it was super frustrating. hope you fix yours soon.
I just got this new car last week and first time I’m trying to pair my digital key and getting this message in app.
I’ll follow your suggestion, hope it will work. I tried login with another iPhone 14 Pro iOS 18 and it’s still showing same issue. I guess it’s something related with app and car syncing. Thanks for your help though.
If you only remove it from your Apple Wallet, it'll still be in the car's system, re: when you check the digital key status from the phone app. It was only after this step that I can re-setup my digital key by initiating the "pairing mode" from the MB app
Last edited by helmsleyl626; Oct 3, 2025 at 05:15 PM.
Did you also open it from the MB app's digital key setup which then open up in Apple Wallet? Or did you only initiate it from the car and put it on? I remember seeing similar error message as you when I only did the latter.
Last edited by helmsleyl626; Oct 3, 2025 at 02:41 PM.
2025 AMG E 53; 2018 GLC300 4Matic; 2003 360 Modena
I have only tried it from the MB app digital key setup which then opened up the Apple Wallet. Since it worked at one time, I think your help of the Remove All Digital Vehicle Keys is the trick. I didn't know it existed and didn't think to look for it via MBUX. Thanks very much for the reply with pictures. I'll report back.
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Try this.
