Samsung Wallet GM Digital Key: Cars, Phones and Setup
Samsung Wallet now supports Digital Key for selected Cadillac EVs in the United States and Canada, with exact vehicle, Galaxy phone, software and UWB limits.
Direct answer: Samsung Wallet Digital Key now supports selected Cadillac electric vehicles in the United States and Canada: the 2025-2027 LYRIQ, 2026-2027 OPTIQ and 2027 VISTIQ. You need an eligible Galaxy phone, current software and a supported vehicle setup. The phone can lock, unlock and start the vehicle after registration, but passive approach unlocking requires compatible Ultra-Wideband hardware and availability still varies by phone, vehicle, country and rollout.
Samsung announced the General Motors expansion on October 6, 2026. Cadillac is the first named GM brand in the rollout, and Samsung says more GM models will follow before the end of the year. Until those models are named in a current compatibility list, do not assume that another GM vehicle is already supported.
Which GM and Cadillac vehicles support Samsung Wallet Digital Key?
Samsung's current Cadillac list covers these model years:
- Cadillac LYRIQ: model years 2025, 2026 and 2027
- Cadillac OPTIQ: model years 2026 and 2027
- Cadillac VISTIQ: model year 2027
The launch is limited to the United States and Canada. A matching nameplate is not enough by itself: the model year, vehicle software, account setup and the availability offered to that exact vehicle still matter. Keep the physical key available during registration and until the digital key has been tested for the exact doors and start procedure you use.
Which Galaxy phones work with Cadillac Digital Key?
Samsung Canada's current Cadillac-specific support page requires Android 16 or later and lists these Galaxy phones:
- Galaxy S26, S26+ and S26 Ultra
- Galaxy S25+, S25 Ultra and S25 Edge
- Galaxy S24+ and S24 Ultra
- Galaxy S23+ and S23 Ultra
- Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, Z Fold8, Z Fold7, Z Fold6 and Z Fold5
Digital Key support and hands-free UWB operation are not identical lists. Samsung's 2026 developer matrix identifies UWB on Plus, Ultra and Edge Galaxy S models and recent Fold models, while the Cadillac support page also lists the base Galaxy S26 as Digital Key-compatible. That means owners should not infer passive approach unlock from the general phone list alone. Check the exact connection type shown during vehicle registration.
If the phone or vehicle uses NFC instead of UWB, the normal interaction is different: the phone is placed near the supported door area to lock or unlock, then on the vehicle's wireless charging pad for start authentication. With supported UWB hardware, the vehicle can recognize the phone as it approaches and lock again when it moves away.
How do you set up a Samsung Wallet car key?
- Update the phone: install the current supported Android release and update Samsung Wallet or its Digital Key component through the normal Galaxy Store path.
- Start with the vehicle owner path: install the car manufacturer's app or use the registration message supplied for the vehicle, then sign in with the account that owns or controls the vehicle.
- Bring the physical key: sit in the vehicle with the physical key and follow the vehicle's own digital-key menu.
- Open registration from the vehicle app: choose the Digital Key registration option. Samsung Wallet should open to complete the phone-side steps.
- Test before relying on it: confirm lock, unlock and vehicle start using the documented door and phone positions for that exact setup.
If the registration option does not appear, first recheck the exact Cadillac model year, Galaxy model, Android version, Samsung Wallet update and United States or Canada account/vehicle scope. Do not factory-reset the phone, delete an existing key or assume a hardware fault only because a staged rollout has not appeared yet.
How does key sharing work?
The vehicle owner can share a registered Digital Key from Samsung Wallet, assign the recipient's permissions and later withdraw access. Samsung's support flow requires owner authentication before sharing. The recipient also needs a supported device and must accept the key through the offered message or wallet flow.
Sharing a digital key is access control, not just sending a file. Review the recipient and permissions before sending, remove access when it is no longer needed and do not publish screenshots that expose vehicle or account details.
What should you do if the Galaxy phone is lost?
Samsung says a Digital Key can be suspended or deleted remotely through Samsung Find on a computer. Use the current Samsung account recovery and lost-device path, then confirm the vehicle no longer accepts that phone's key. Keep the physical key and the vehicle manufacturer's official support route available as the fallback.
Samsung says the key is stored in the phone's embedded Secure Element and protected by Samsung Knox. That security design does not remove the owner's responsibility to protect the Samsung account, screen lock and sharing permissions.
What remains unclear?
- Which additional GM models Samsung plans to add before the end of 2026.
- The exact rollout timing for every eligible vehicle identification number, account and phone.
- Whether every phone on the broader Cadillac support list receives the same UWB hands-free behavior.
- How vehicle-side setup screens and door behavior differ across LYRIQ, OPTIQ and VISTIQ model years.
Bottom line
The useful change is narrow and practical: eligible Galaxy owners in the United States and Canada can add selected Cadillac EVs to Samsung Wallet and use a phone as a vehicle key. Confirm the exact model year, phone, Android version and UWB or NFC behavior, keep the physical key during setup and test the complete lock-unlock-start path before treating the phone as the everyday key.
For more Galaxy platform and device updates, browse Erawish Samsung coverage.