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How to use NFC on Android

The NFC hype isn’t what it once was, but it’s still a handy feature you should take advantage of, or at least get to know. Near Field Communication is quite convenient for transferring data between two devices. But how does NFC work, and how do you use it? We’ll walk you through how to use NFC, as well as everything else you need to know about it.

Editor’s note: All instructions in this post were created using a Pixel 4a running Android 11. Keep in mind steps may differ depending on your specific smartphone and Android version.

What is NFC?

The name for the technology gives away how it works. You have two NFC-capable devices, and they can communicate with each other if they are close to each other (i.e., “near” each other’s “fields”). Communication occurs via radio frequencies.

NFC is mainly marketed as a payment method in the mobile scene, but it can also be used for transferring data, using tags, and more.

Do you have NFC?

It’s now hard to find a phone without NFC, as it’s become a standard. You can even find it on most cheap budget phones, but there are some ways to double-check if you aren’t sure.

Older phones made it more obvious, as this was a hot feature only some devices had. Some had NFC printing, usually found somewhere in the back of the device. You would see “Near Field Communication” printed on the battery on certain Samsung phones, but nowadays, you don’t ever see the battery. Things have changed.

Sony is one of the very few manufacturers still labeling NFC capabilities. On some devices, you’ll see the N-Mark on the back, the official symbol indicating that the device has NFC. The N-Mark also shows the exact location of the NFC chip.

Alternatively, you can skip all of the hardware fiddling and check your phone’s settings.

How to find out if your Android phone has NFC:

1. On your Android device, open the Settings.
2. Select Connected devices.
3. Tap on Connection preferences.
4. You should see NFC options.
5. If the option is there, the phone has the feature.

Depending on your device, these two options could be located in a different folder. If you can’t find them, open up the setting menu, tap the search icon on top, and type in “NFC.” If your phone has it, the option will show up.

Activating NFC

If your device has NFC, the chip needs to be activated. Sometimes it comes dormant by default, so look into the settings just to make sure.

How to activate NFC on Android:

1. On your Android device, open the Settings app.
2. Select Connected devices.
3. Tap on Connection preferences.
4. You should see the NFC option. Hit it.
5. Toggle the NFC option on.

Android Beam is dead!

We haven’t talked about sharing photos, videos, contacts, and other files using NFC, and that’s because Android no longer supports this feature. The feature was called Android Beam, and it used multiple communication tools for transferring files.

Android Beam died with the release of Android 10, and has since been replaced by Nearby Share. This tool is more similar to Apple’s AirDrop. It can transfer files to devices within close proximity, entirely wirelessly. Sadly, this also means you can’t officially use NFC to share files, photos, content, apps, and other files.

Pay with your phone!

No matter how common and how long the feature has been around, paying with your phone still makes us feel like we’re living in the future. This feature relies heavily on NFC communications, and it’s likely what most people have used it for since the death of Android Beam.

There are quite a few mobile payment solutions, with the most popular ones being Google Pay and Samsung Pay. There’s also Apple Pay, but the service doesn’t work with Android devices.

To make payments with your phone, you first need to sign up for one of the payment methods available. Samsung Pay is only compatible with Samsung devices, while Google Pay works on handsets running Android 5.0 Lollipop and higher. When you’re up and running, you can start making payments at supported retailers. Check the guides linked below to learn how to use each service fully.

Using NFC tags

Apart from sharing content with other NFC-capable devices, you can also use it to configure your phone’s or tablet’s settings with just a tap. You can do this by tapping a capable device against a programmed NFC tag.

An NFC tag is an unpowered chip, small enough to be embedded in items such as posters, movie passes, business cards, medication bottles, stickers, wristbands, key fobs, pens, hang tags, and more.

The microchip can store small chunks of data, which you can read with another device. Different tags have various memory capacities. You can store different data types on an NFC tag, such as a URL, contact info, or even commands and settings that the reading device could execute upon contact.

You’ll need an NFC tag-reading or tag-writing app, such as the Trigger app, to read data from or write data to the tags. Tags programmed using this app can only be read by devices that have this same app installed.

You can program an NFC tag to perform tasks such as open a web page, configure phone settings, or even send a text just by tapping the device against the tag. So, for instance, you may want to program an NFC tag for use when you reach the office, where you’d need your phone set to vibration mode, Wi-Fi set to on, and Bluetooth inactive. Just tap your device’s back against the programmed tag, and the device will perform the tasks programmed onto the tag.

Using the Trigger app, you can encode tags and perform tasks or adjust settings, such as the following:

• Wi-Fi and Bluetooth settings: Airplane mode, auto-sync, GPS on/off, mobile data on/off.
• Sound and volume settings: Sound profile, ringtone, ring/notification volume, notification tone, media volume, system volume, alarm volume, and vibrate when ringing.
• Display options: Brightness, notification light, auto-rotation, display timeout.
• Social media: Tweeting, checking in via check-in services such as Foursquare, Facebook, Google Latitude, Google Places.
• Messages: Autosync, sending email, composing SMS, send Glympse.
• Apps and shortcuts: Open app, close app, open activity, pause, open URL/URI, speak text, navigation, dock, car dock.
• Multimedia: Start/stop media playback, move to next media, play previous media.
• Alarms: Set alarm, set timer.
• Events: Create event, create calendar timestamp.
• Security: Activate the lock screen.
• Communications: Make a phone call.
• Automation: Create Tasker tasks

Other random capabilities

NFC capabilities expand far beyond payments and tags. While you can’t use it to transfer files anymore, plenty of other electronics and devices take advantage of the low-powered, close-proximity standard. You can find NFC functionality in specific cameras, monitors, laptops, Bluetooth speakers, smart home appliances, business cards, and more.

Some examples of what you can do with NFC include starting a connection with a device, providing security credentials, programming settings, establishing connections, and more.

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What is NFC? Here’s everything you need to know

All of today’s smartphones are equipped with NFC technology. Whether you realize it or not, your phone is likely using NFC right now. But don’t worry — NFC uses minimal battery and processing power while offering a host of benefits that improve your device’s functionality.

Although it’s widely used in peer-to-peer payment and data-transfer apps, NFC has many more applications that can make your life easier. Read on to find out how you can fully take advantage of your phone’s NFC capability.

What is NFC on my phone?

NFC stands for near-field communication, and it allows phones, tablets, laptops, and other devices to share data with other NFC-equipped devices easily. It evolved from radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology. RFID is behind those security scan cards that get you into the office every day or bypass that tollbooth on your morning commute.

NFC is very much like RFID, but NFC is limited to communication within about 4 inches, which is why you have to hold your phone so close to the contactless reader if you’re using Apple Pay or Samsung Pay. Most people consider NFC’s small radius a major security benefit, and it’s one reason why NFC has taken off as a secure alternative to credit cards. The technology can be used for more than buying coffee at Starbucks, however. NFC can also transfer data like videos, contact information, and photos between two NFC-enabled devices.

How does NFC work?

Unlike Bluetooth, NFC doesn’t require any manual pairing or device discovery to transfer data. An NFC connection is automatically started when another NFC device enters into the previously specified 4-inch range. Once in range, the two devices instantly communicate and send prompts to the user. Listed below are some major ways we already use NFC between devices.

NFC payments

Mobile payments

As we gradually transition to a cashless world, mobile payments have become a popular transaction method. With bank cooperation and the biometric technology built into most modern smartphones, making a mobile payment is secure and convenient. Placing your smartphone within 4 inches of the contactless reader in a store will prompt your digital wallet or passbook to pop up and ask you to confirm payment. With Apple Pay, this means placing your finger on the Home button, which houses the Touch ID function, or double-pressing the Power button to scan your face with Face ID. It also works with Google Pay and Samsung Pay.

Sharing between Android devices

Android Beam, a now-deprecated technology, was introduced in Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich), allowing Android devices in close proximity to share content. When two enabled NFC devices got in range, a prompt appeared asking if you want to “beam” content like videos, contact information, or photos on-screen to the other Android device. The problem was the feature was not well-known and did not work well, so Google discontinued it with Android 10 in 2019. Google replaced Beam in 2020 with Nearby Share, an Apple AirDrop competitor. Nearby Share works with Android and Chrome OS, allowing data transfer via Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. Nearby Share lets you choose which protocol among Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy, WebRTC, and peer-to-peer Wi-Fi and who can see your phone in their lists.

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

NFC chips

Passive tags don’t require power and can be programmed with apps like Tasker to perform certain tasks when scanned. For instance, you can put one on your desk, and with a quick scan on the tag, you can set your phone to vibrate, disable GPS, or enable only work-related notifications, among other options. Passive tags do not connect with other passive devices and don’t process data from outside sources. Active NFC devices, like smartphones, can send and receive data and communicate with either active and passive devices.

Which devices have NFC?

The list of NFC-equipped devices is growing every day. To keep track of what devices are taking advantage of NFC technology, NFC World maintains a mostly up-to-date list of NFC-enabled phones. Many Android devices have NFC, and every iPhone since the iPhone 6 also packs the feature.

Every iPhone since the iPhone 6

For a long time, Apple restricted NFC-equipped devices to make purchases. However, the latest iPhone models, including the iPhone 12, 12 Pro, 12 Pro Max, and 12 Mini, also support NFC tags through the Launch Center Pro app. Version 3 of the app includes NFC triggers for iPhone XR, XS, and XS Max for actions via custom NFC stickers. The iPhone 7 and newer phones can use in-app NFC scanning.

Launch Center Pro for iPad has been retired, and the iOS version now supports both iPhone and iPad. For a full breakdown of all Apple devices that support NFC and their limitations in terms of Apple Pay, check this Apple support page.

Every device running Android 4.0 and later

If your device is running Android 4.4 or later, you can use Google Pay. If you have a Samsung device, you can also use Samsung Pay.

Android phones operating on Android 4.4 to Android 9.0 can also use Android Beam for a message or file exchange. You can pass a lot of information to others, like YouTube videos, contact information, specific webpages, and much more. To start Android Beam, just go to your phone’s settings. For Samsung Galaxy S10, navigate to Settings > Connections > NFC and Payment . From there, select NFC , and then scroll and tap on Android Beam . When using the beam feature, it’s best to place your phone near another device with an NFC chip. A notification will pop up, asking you to confirm whether you want to connect to the detected device.

What else can NFC do?

NFC is capable of so many tap-and-go functions — digital wallets like Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay cover just a tiny fraction of its capabilities. Music lovers can connect their device to speakers quickly through NFC, and you can also log in to your work computer with a tap on your phone, unlock your car door, or track your health and fitness stats.

This technology is in the process of overhauling public transportation — you can scan an NFC-enabled smartphone on some buses or use them as metro passes in some places. You can add money to a bus or metro pass directly through an app, always ensuring you have funds on your card. This technology is capable of supporting loyalty cards and student IDs. Finally, there’s also the possibility to implant an NFC chip into your body .

Clearly, you can use NFC tags for a variety of activities. One way to learn more about this technology is to consider creating NFC coasters to grant visitors access to your home Wi-Fi .

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