Register your smartphone as a digital key

Genesis says digital keys work only on smartphones that support digital key functions, which the phone makers provide; available brands and models are on the phone makers' websites or owners.genesis.com. Install the Genesis Intelligent Assistant app and sign up for a Genesis account and service first. The 2027 GV80 manual then lists four steps:

1. Turn on the vehicle with a smart key, and have the smart key with you in the vehicle. The manual says registration does not start if a smart key is not in the vehicle.
2. Put the gear in P (Park) and select Setup > Vehicle > Digital keys > Smartphone key > My Smartphone Key on the infotainment system.
3. In the Genesis Intelligent Assistant app, select Digital Key > Set Up Digital Key and follow the guidance on the phone screen. A phone without Ultra Wide Band (UWB) goes screen up on the wireless charging pad (Genesis calls it the vehicle authentication pad), with the phone's NFC antenna touching the pad. A UWB phone can register anywhere inside the vehicle.
4. Press Save on the infotainment system. A message confirms the digital key is saved.

Genesis says saving may cancel if the phone is removed from the pad, the infotainment screen changes, the engine is turned off or the gear is shifted. If a phone will not start registering, move it to the left or right on the pad and try again. The NFC antenna location varies by phone: the manual points Samsung owners to Setup > Connections > NFC and contactless payments, Google Pixel owners to Setup > Connected devices > Connection preference > NFC, and says it is at the top of the rear on an Apple iPhone. To register a different phone, delete your current phone key first.

Locking, unlocking and starting

How you use a phone key depends on whether the phone supports Ultra Wide Band; the phone maker can tell you.

From the Genesis Digital Key section of the 2027 GV80 owner's manual (JX1), read October 28, 2026. Genesis says UWB phone keys work only while the phone is connected to the vehicle by Bluetooth, and that Remote Start, Panic or Liftgate open may not be available depending on the country or vehicle type (hybrid, plug-in hybrid or electric vehicle).

Unlocked doors re-lock automatically after 30 seconds unless a door is opened. You cannot lock with the phone key while the smart key is in the vehicle, the Engine Start/Stop button is in ACC or ON, or any door, the hood or the liftgate is open. If the phone key does not respond, move the phone more than 4 in. (0.1 m) away from the door handle pad and try again. A phone in a back pocket or bag can weaken the Bluetooth connection or delay locking and starting. Genesis also warns that the vehicle can be started when the registered phone is on the pad, so never leave unsupervised children in the vehicle and always take the phone with you.

Sharing a key and using a shared key

An active digital key can be shared with a different smartphone through the Genesis Intelligent Assistant app (in countries where the app is available). The manual says the first use of a shared phone key can take longer: hold it on the door handle pad until the doors lock or unlock. If its first use is on the wireless charging pad, the first start may fail. Once the shared key has locked or unlocked the doors, or started the vehicle from the pad, it is registered in the vehicle.

Linking a phone key to a driver profile

A registered phone key can be linked to the Driver 1 or Driver 2 profile, so the vehicle applies that driver's settings, such as seat and mirror position, cluster and head-up display settings, climate and navigation preferences. To link it, select Setup > User Profile > Profile Settings > Link Digital Key (Smartphone) on the infotainment system, select Link and follow the on-screen messages. To unlink, deselect Link Digital Key (Smartphone) in the same menu.

Genesis notes that one phone can be linked to only one of the two profiles, a card key cannot be linked to a profile, and the profile is applied when you lock or unlock with the linked phone on the outside door handle pad while the vehicle is off or remotely started.

Register and use the card key

Per the 2027 GV80 manual, to register the card key as a digital key:

1. Have both of your smart keys with you in the vehicle.
2. Select Setup > Vehicle > Digital Keys > NFC Card Key and check that Use is selected on the infotainment system.
3. With the engine on, place the card key on the wireless charging pad.
4. Select Setup > Vehicle > Digital Keys > NFC Card Key > Save.

Only one card key can be registered to a vehicle; to replace it, delete the existing card key first. A registered card key cannot be registered to another vehicle, though it can be re-registered to the original one. Use it like an NFC phone: hold it on the door handle pad for more than 2 seconds to lock or unlock, or place it on the charging pad, depress the brake and press Engine Start/Stop. With Two Press Unlock set, touching the card key on the driver's door handle unlocks only the driver's door; touch it once more within 4 seconds to unlock all doors. Genesis says to keep the card key out of direct sunlight and high heat, take it off the pad after starting, keep it away from credit cards and phones, and not leave it between a charging phone and the pad.

Deleting digital keys

Turn the vehicle on with a smart key and keep it with you, then use these infotainment menus from the 2027 GV80 manual.

Genesis says deleting a phone key in the vehicle also deletes it from the phone, and the reverse. Deleting the Genesis Intelligent Assistant app does not remove the key from the phone; manage it in the phone maker's digital key app.

Buying a used Genesis with Digital Key

If any phone key or card key is still registered, the 2027 GV80 manual says a "Digital key(s) active" message appears once on the instrument cluster when the vehicle is turned on after the doors are unlocked. When you buy a used Genesis, look for that message, delete the smartphone and card keys registered by the previous owner, and let Genesis Customer Care know about the used-vehicle purchase. Check that the card key that came with the vehicle works; if it does not, Genesis says to delete it, register your phone key and then register the card key again.

When a digital key may not work

The 2027 GV80 manual lists these conditions:

• The phone battery or the vehicle battery is discharged
• NFC or Bluetooth is turned off in the phone's settings
• A credit card is near the phone, or the phone is in a metal or thick case (remove a metal case or one that uses wireless communication)
• The card key is in a wallet or card holder, or overlapping other cards
• Electronic interference from other vehicles or objects
• The phone's screen is off or locked, or its mobile network is off or in airplane mode
• Other phone functions are running, such as calls, audio, apps or wireless earphones

Genesis also cautions that carrying a registered UWB phone within the vehicle's Bluetooth range for a long time can drain the low-voltage battery; turning off the digital key's passive entry in the phone's wallet app prevents that. If the cluster shows "Check user authentication system", the manual says to contact an authorized retailer of Genesis-branded products. You can schedule service online.

Genesis of Elgin service hours

From Genesis of Elgin's website, October 28, 2026. The website lists Monday to Saturday service hours and none for Sunday. Holiday hours can differ.