If you rely on your car every day, you have probably had this moment:
You are in bed and suddenly think, “Did I lock the car?”
Depending on the make, model, and factory app, your car may not have the exact automation you want. If you forget to tap lock on the fob or in the app, your vehicle can stay unlocked.
There is a better way.
Does Your Car Support Automatic Walk-Away Lock?#
Sometimes yes, sometimes no. It depends on your vehicle and the features your manufacturer exposes.
That can mean:
- If you forget to lock it, it stays unlocked
- There is no scheduled nightly lock in your manufacturer’s standard settings
- There is no built-in “auto lock at home” option
For people who value routine and security, that gap gets annoying fast.
Common Workarounds Drivers Try#
Some drivers try to solve this with:
- iOS Shortcuts on iPhone
- Custom automations triggered through a manufacturer app shortcut
- Reminder notifications
Shortcuts can work. For example, you can schedule a nightly lock in the iOS Shortcuts app that triggers a vehicle lock shortcut at a set time.
But DIY flows usually mean more upkeep:
- Managing login sessions
- Handling occasional API hiccups
- Updating shortcuts when app behavior changes
If you like tinkering, that can be fine. For everyone else, it is one more thing to maintain.
A Simpler Option: Schedule a Nightly Lock#
Instead of remembering to lock your car every evening, you can schedule it once and let it run.
With BetterKey, you can create a recurring nightly lock for a compatible vehicle so it executes automatically at the same time each night.
Setup is simple:
- Open the Shortcuts app on your iPhone
- Create a new automation
- Set your nightly time
- Set the car(s) to lock via BetterKey
- Save it
Follow the full setup guide (step-by-step with screenshots) →
Nightly Lock walkthrough#
On your iPhone or iPad, use the Nightly Lock guide on Shortcuts for BetterKey (open the gallery). It walks through using BetterKey’s actions in Shortcuts, choosing Lock all cars or a single vehicle, and creating the Time of Day automation (including Run Immediately). On a Mac, Shortcuts may show “unknown action” for some steps; use your phone for setup and testing.
If you lock one car only, the guide includes the duplicate-shortcut path so the automation never has to ask which vehicle.
Once the automation is saved, your car locks on schedule with no reminders or manual taps.
Why Nightly Auto Lock Is So Effective#
The biggest win is not just security. It is mental relief.
- No more wondering if you forgot
- No walking outside in the dark to double-check
- A consistent security routine every night
It removes a small but persistent friction point from daily life.
Is This Worth Automating?#
If you have ever checked your car “just to be sure,” the answer is probably yes.
Nightly automatic locking is one of the simplest automations you can add to a car, and one of the most immediately useful. BetterKey keeps it reliable and low effort by building on iOS Shortcuts you already use.
Try BetterKey free for 1 week.