Electric vehicle maker Rivian will soon release a standalone Apple Watch app that lets drivers remotely control their car’s cabin, RivianTrackr reports. The app will reportedly let drivers unlock or lock doors, open or close windows, or sound the alarm from their wrist.
A representative for Rivian did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The decision to release an Apple Watch app follows a Rivian software update in December that enabled the Apple Watch to serve as a digital key for Gen 2 Rivian vehicles, such as the R1S and R1T. While the Apple Watch could essentially be used as a wristband key to access 2025 Rivian vehicles, it lacked the full functionality of the iPhone app.
Apple Watch Rivian access currently works through Apple’s digital wallet integration. But a standalone Apple Watch Rivian app would help achieve feature parity across devices, bringing the iPhone app’s existing remote capabilities to the smartwatch.
Additionally, the Apple Watch’s digital key functionality will work with Rivian’s Gen 1 vehicles. While the digital key currently only works on models released in 2025, the upcoming software update would reportedly enable it to work on models released between 2021 and 2024.
If the report is accurate, the standalone Apple Watch app will be released as part of Rivian’s planned 2026.03 software update, bundled with the version 3.9 update for the Rivian iPhone app.
Despite the rumored addition of a dedicated Apple Watch app, key parts of the Apple ecosystem are still unsupported by Rivian — as well as its rival, Tesla. Apple CarPlay doesn’t currently integrate with either company’s electric vehicles — though Tesla is reportedly hard at work to change that.
As Rivian continues to build out its network of features for the Apple Watch, it remains to be seen how the company will support other Apple devices and features for its vehicles.
