How to Open Your Car Door With Your Cell Phone

by Editorial Team
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Photo by A.C. Washington

If you've ever locked your car keys inside your car, you might have wished there was a way to open your car doors with an alternative technology, such as your cell phone. And as if to answer your prayers, the Internet is chock full of videos and articles on how to do just that. The bad news: With rare exception, you really can't.

Step 1

There are many videos and articles online purporting to demonstrate ways to use your cell phone to unlock a car door. One video, for example, suggests that you can hold a phone near your car while someone else uses a spare key to send the unlock signal via a phone call. Another video says you can "record" the unlock signal from your remote in advance and play it back from from your phone later. None of these are real; they are all hoaxes and have been thoroughly debunked online.

Step 2

If your car does not have a feature -- either built in or added as an aftermarket accessory -- that supports unlocking via phone, you regrettably cannot open your car doors with your phone.

Step 3

You do have options, though. Some car manufacturers offer services that let you unlock your car remotely, among other things. OnStar is one such service, and comes equipped on dozens of GM vehicles. In fact, there might be an app you can use to unlock your car remotely on your phone via a service like OnStar. Check out the myGMC app, for example, in the Google Play store for Android phones. There are also aftermarket systems you can install in certain vehicles to remotely operate the car from a phone. For details, talk to your auto dealer or visit an auto accessories retailer.

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