Rivian Launches Apple Watch App with Vehicle Controls & Digital Key Integration

Rivian has significantly expanded its digital ecosystem with the rollout of a dedicated Apple Watch application, arriving just weeks after its proximity-enhancing Digital Key update. This new app extends core functionality from Rivian's iPhone application to the Apple Watch, providing owners with convenient wrist-based control and monitoring capabilities. Designed as a companion rather than a replacement, the app brings essential vehicle interactions to wearable devices.

Optimized Interface for Compact Displays

The engineering challenge of adapting Rivian's feature-rich interface to the Apple Watch's compact display is addressed through thoughtful design. The app presents critical vehicle controls through scrollable pages navigated via the Digital Crown, including:

• Quick Controls: Four customizable shortcuts for frequent actions
• Climate Management: Adjust cabin temperature remotely
• Battery & Range: Real-time state of charge and estimated range
• Security: Gear Guard status and alarm activation
• Location Services: Vehicle positioning on a map

Interface elements intentionally mirror the iPhone app's structure, maintaining consistency across platforms. This reduces cognitive load for users switching between devices.

Hands-On Functionality

During testing, the Apple Watch app demonstrated reliable performance with near-instantaneous response times for commands like door locking/unlocking and climate preconditioning. Setup requires no additional authentication—updating the Rivian iPhone app automatically propagates the companion watch application through Apple's ecosystem integration.

The standout feature is the customizable watch complication, enabling battery percentage display directly on watch faces. This single-tap access point combines status monitoring with quick entry to the full application—particularly valuable for range awareness during travel days.

Digital Key Implementation by Generation

The Digital Key functionality varies significantly between vehicle generations:

Feature	Gen 1 Vehicles	Gen 2 Vehicles
Unlocking Method	Manual tap in app	Passive proximity detection
Drive Authorization	Requires app open on watch	Seamless entry and drive
Hands-Free	No	Yes

Gen 2 owners benefit from true hands-free entry where authenticated devices unlock vehicles when approaching—similar to smartphone-based systems but extended to wearables. Configuration requires initial setup in the mobile app.

Practical Considerations

The app addresses real-world scenarios:

1. Phone-Free Access: Retrieve items from vehicles without carrying your phone
2. Remote Preconditioning: Warm/cool cabins before reaching parking locations
3. Charge Management: Set target charge levels while away from the vehicle
4. Security Alerts: Receive intrusion notifications and activate alarms instantly

Availability and Ecosystem Strategy

The update is live in the App Store (version 4.2+), requiring iOS 16/watchOS 9 or newer. Android users currently lack equivalent Wear OS support, highlighting Rivian's prioritization of Apple's ecosystem. This follows Rivian's pattern of leveraging platform-specific capabilities—earlier Digital Key implementation used Apple's U1 chip for precision location.

For developers, Rivian's API architecture enables this feature parity. The same vehicle commands accessible via iOS SDK endpoints power the watchOS interface, demonstrating scalable backend design.

Final Assessment

Rivian's Apple Watch integration delivers tangible quality-of-life improvements through:

• Redundancy: Secondary access method when phones are unavailable
• Contextual Awareness: Glanceable information without device retrieval
• Platform Consistency: Familiar interactions across Apple devices

The absence of equivalent Android support remains a limitation, but iOS users gain a polished extension of Rivian's digital experience. As automakers increasingly embrace platform ecosystems, Rivian sets a high bar for wearable integration that balances functionality with constrained interface realities.