DeAnn Owens
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4 Hidden Uses for Your Key Fob

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thumb about to press the horn button on a black car key fob
Photo: The News Wheel

Your key fob is a vital tool that offers convenient access to your car. You already know you can use it to unlock and lock your car doors and sounds an alarm when you hit the panic button. But your key fob offers a few more surprising functions. Here is a look at four hidden uses for your key fob.


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Air out the cabin

Getting into a stuffy cabin is never fun, so use your key fob to lower the windows from afar.

“The trick usually involves pressing the remote’s unlock button, releasing it, then pressing it again and holding it down,” according to CNET.com writer Ed Rhee.

This doesn’t work on all car makes and models, but it’s worth trying to see if it works with yours!

Fold your mirrors

If you drive a new Chevy truck, you know that parking is challenging. Narrow spots in a garage or along a busy city street can be more accessible to you when you use your key fob to fold your Chevy truck’s mirrors in.

To do so, you can hold “the key-fob lock button for a full second to make the mirrors fold in,” advises Consumer Reports writer Mike Monticello.

Cargo access

When your arms are full, you need easy access to the cargo area. Your key fob can help provide that because it can unlock your truck or liftgate, according to Reader’s Digest writer Erin Kayata.

Spare key

If your car features a push-button start system, you may have abandoned a traditional key long ago. However, push-button start systems have their limitations, especially if your car battery dies or the fob breaks.

“Owners of cars with push-button start systems might not be aware that a mechanical key resides inside the key fob,” according to Monticello. “The key is typically accessed by pushing a button on the key fob and pulling the key out, although, on some remotes, the release isn’t obvious.”


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These tips will help you use your key fob to its fullest potential.