Before you start

The 2027 Santa Fe manual lists these points before registration.

Register your phone in 4 steps

From the Hyundai Digital Key section of the 2027 Santa Fe owner's manual:

1. Turn on the vehicle with a smart key and keep the smart key with you 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 Bluelink app, select Digital Key > Set Up Digital Key and register the key by following the guidance on the phone screen. A phone without Ultra Wide Band (UWB) goes screen-up on the wireless charging pad, which Hyundai calls 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 key is saved.

Hyundai says saving can cancel if the phone comes off the pad, the infotainment system screen is changed, 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. To register a different phone, delete your current phone key first. An active digital key can be shared with another phone through the Bluelink app; our Blue Link page covers the connected services.

NFC phones vs Ultra Wide Band phones

Your phone maker can tell you whether your phone supports Ultra Wide Band. Here is how each type works, per the 2027 Santa Fe manual.

From the Hyundai Digital Key section of the 2027 Santa Fe owner's manual, read October 26, 2026. Hyundai says UWB phone keys work only while the phone and vehicle are connected by Bluetooth, and that Remote Start, Panic or Frunk/Trunk open may not be available depending on the country or vehicle type (hybrid, plug-in hybrid or electric). Doors re-lock after 30 seconds if no door is opened.

With Two Press Unlock set, the first touch of an NFC phone or card key on the driver's pad unlocks only the driver's door; touch it again within 4 seconds to unlock all doors. You cannot lock with a 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 a touch does not work, move the phone more than 4 inches from the door handle pad and try again. A first-time shared key can take longer: hold it on the door handle pad until the doors respond.

Digital key messages on the cluster

From the instrument cluster messages in the 2027 Santa Fe owner's manual, read October 26, 2026.

Register and use a card key (if equipped)

The 2027 Santa Fe manual registers a card key this way:

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.
3. With the engine on, place the card key on the wireless charging pad.
4. Select Vehicle > Digital Keys > NFC Card Key > Save from the Settings menu.

Use it like an NFC phone: hold it on the door handle pad for more than 2 seconds, or place it on the charging pad, press the brake and press Engine Start/Stop. Only one card key can be registered, and once registered it cannot be registered to another vehicle (it can be re-registered to the original one). Hyundai says the card can be damaged by impacts, long exposure to high temperature or direct sunlight may make it malfunction, and it should be taken off the pad after starting, and should not sit between a charging phone and the pad, for example on the back of a phone case. Keep it away from credit cards and phones when you use it.

Link your phone key to a driver profile

You can link a registered phone key to Driver 1 or Driver 2 so the vehicle applies that profile's settings, such as vehicle settings and audio preferences. In the 2027 Santa Fe manual, select Setup > User Profile > Profile Settings > Link Digital Key (Smartphone), choose "Link" and follow the on-screen messages. To unlink, deselect Link Digital Key (Smartphone) in Profile Settings.

A card key cannot be linked to a profile, and one phone cannot be linked to both Driver 1 and Driver 2 at once; the most recent link wins. Hyundai says the profile is applied when the linked phone is used on the outside door handle pad, and works only when the vehicle is off or was started remotely.

Deleting keys

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

Deleting a key in the vehicle also deletes it from the phone, and the reverse. Deleting the Blue Link app does not remove the key from the phone; manage it in the phone maker's digital key app.

Buying a used Santa Fe with Digital Key

If any phone or card key is still registered, the 2027 Santa Fe manual says a "Digital key registered" message appears once on the infotainment system when the Engine Start/Stop button is in ON after the doors are unlocked. Check for it, delete the previous owner's phone and card keys, and let Hyundai Customer Care Center know you bought a used vehicle. If a card key came with the vehicle, make sure it works. If the Digital Key system needs repair or replacement, Hyundai notes the registered keys can be deleted.

When a digital key may not work

The 2027 Santa Fe manual lists these conditions:

• The phone battery or the vehicle battery is discharged
• NFC or Bluetooth is turned off on the phone
• A credit card is near the phone, or the phone has a metal, thick or wireless-communication case (remove it)
• The card key is in a wallet or card holder, or overlapping other cards
• Electronic interference from other vehicles or objects
• Other phone functions, apps or wireless earphones are running, such as calls, audio or NFC payment

Hyundai also cautions that carrying a registered UWB phone within the vehicle's Bluetooth range for a long time can drain the low-voltage battery; turn off the digital key's passive entry feature in the phone's wallet app to prevent that. A phone in a back pocket or bag can weaken the Bluetooth connection or delay locking and starting. If the cluster shows "Check user authentication system", you can schedule service online to have it inspected, and our service specials are worth checking first.

Hyundai of Goshen service hours

From Hyundai of Goshen's website, October 27, 2026. Holiday hours can differ.