One of the main points of contention between EU regulators and Apple has been the restricted use of NFC in iPhones for payments, keys and other functions that Apple requires via Apple Pay or the Wallet app.
It looks like we have more to look forward to from iOS 18.1 than just Apple Intelligence, as Apple has announced that it will allow developers to use NFC and the Secure Element chip in iPhones for these functions starting with this release. The changes are global, and using these features requires developers to “enter into a commercial agreement with Apple, request permission to use NFC and SE, and pay the associated fees.”
Apple says developers will be able to use in-app contactless transactions for “in-app contactless transactions for in-store payments, car keys, closed-loop transit, corporate badges, student IDs, house keys, hotel keys, merchant loyalty and rewards cards, and event tickets.” Support for contactless transactions for government IDs will be available in a later update.
Users will be able to make contactless transactions within apps and will be able to set a default app in Settings, so that it opens when you double-click the side button (this currently opens the iOS Wallet app on the card by default).
This change will be available in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States in an upcoming developer beta of iOS 18.1, and will be available to users (once apps are approved) when iOS 18.1 is released this fall.
