Here’s how NFC works on Android and how to get the most out of it

Did you know that NFC, even if it doesn’t look like it, remains a big unknown? many users They don’t know what that ‘N’ symbol is they have on the toolbar and it almost looks like the Nespresso logo.

It is one of the most useful technologies that we have in our phones and in many other devices, therefore, We will tell you what NFC is and what you can do to get the most out of it on your Android mobile.

What is NFC?

First, and as almost always, we start with a theory. NFC stands for near field communication -near field communication, in Spanish-. As you can imagine, it’s a technology that allows two devices to communicate, but it’s not something like Bluetooth.

Here, really, the areas of NFC-enabled devices must be very, very close. The radius of action is between 15 and 20 centimetersbut the most normal thing is that you have to place your device about three or four centimeters from the other device for communication to be established.

This technology works, simplifying a lot, by induction and there are two types of protocols:

• Asset: both devices have their own magnetic field to transfer data.
• Passive: only one device generates the magnetic field and the other harnesses this energy to transfer data

You might think that a practical use is to send data from one device to another like photos or videos, but that’s not really something we recommend because currently it doesn’t make sense .

Having the ability to use Telegram to send large amounts of lossless data, files through services such as Wetransfer and other options, it is not worth using NFC. Besidesthe throughput that can be achieved is minimal, with a maximum of 848 Kbit/s. However, there are other very interesting uses which we will discuss below.

Activate NFC on your Android phone

Before going into practice, Let’s see how to activate NFC on your mobile. Virtually all mobiles from recent years have, by default, the NFC symbol ‘N’ in the quick actions menu.

Swiping up from the top edge brings up that shortcuts and notifications menu, and you might have to scroll sideways to find it, but it’s usually there.

If you don’t see it, it’s probably “hidden”. In this quick actions menu, you will see the little icon of a pencil or something like that. If you press, new “buttons” are unlocked. Find the NFC and drag it to where the rest is.

Anyway, what is not missing is to find the NFC options in the ‘Settings’ section of your terminal. Here the name will vary between brands and may be in “Connect and share” or in “Bluetooth and devices”…something like that. It is usually among the first cards in the “Settings” section and always in the communication area.

And again, depending on each brand, you will have several options such as seeing where your device’s NFC is (physical NFC, we mean), activating or deactivating certain options such as not automatically connecting to unknown sources (very useful for improve security) and stuff like that.

The best uses you can give to NFC

Now yes, given all this, we will tell you What are the best uses you can make of your mobile’s NFC? because, as soon as you start including NFC in your everyday life, you will surely create an “almost automated house based on cards”.

Pairing a camera/video

There are cameras, especially those from Sony, that have the NFC icon on one of the sides or at the bottom. It means you can connect the camera to the mobile to quickly transfer images and videos.

And you will tell me “but you told me that the speed is very slow” and yes, but what we do with NFC is pair the devices simply by “pushing” them together, then the data transfer takes place using Bluetooth or WiFi Direct technology.

What NFC does in this case is make pairing easier.

pair of headphones

And basically that’s also what we can do with some headphones. NFC is a technology that requires quite a bit of space inside the device, so it would be rare to see it in true wireless headphones where size matters most.

However, in some headband headsets we can see the NFC icon, which means that we don’t need to hold down the power button for several seconds, go to the mobile’s Bluetooth and search for the earphones and connect them. Simply, we bring the headphones to the back of the mobile… and that’s it.

Of course, pay with your mobile

It’s becoming more and more normal as users who didn’t know they could pay with their cellphones or watches are seeing others paying with their devices and they’re starting to wonder, but yeah, Paying with your mobile is one of the best ways to take advantage of NFC.

On any Android you have the possibility of setting up Google Pay (now called Google Wallet where, in addition, you can insert several cards so you don’t have to take your wallet out at all), but there are also models that have their own models, like Samsung with its Samsung Pay (which is also on your Galaxy Watch, by the way).

In addition, when you install a banking application, in the mobile payment configuration section, it will give you the possibility to choose the default application (Google Pay, that of your bank and even payments with the SIM card, although it depends on the mobile).

Login to checkout

And another of the uses that I like the most is to identify myself at the ATM to carry out operations in the bank itself. It depends on the ATM and your entity, but basically it’s a matter of unlocking the mobile, installing your bank’s application and, by bringing the device closer to the NFC zone of the ATM, you access your account. It’s simple, quick and you don’t have to take out your wallet and search for the card.

Create contact cards with your data

This is very useful because you can customize an NFC tag (and stick it on the mobile, in the wallet or place it in a custom-made wooden card) with your data. Instead of handing out contact cardsyou can create these labels with your name, phone, address and social networks so that when you scan them with your mobile, all this information appears directly.

Connect to Wi-Fi without entering a password

If you receive people at your house, or if you change mobiles a lot, this will suit you if you are looking to change routers or look for signal extenders. And, there are models – like this WiFi Mesh from Huawei – that have an NFC surface so you can easily connect to the network.

You don’t need to enter passwords or anything, just bring your mobile closer to this NFC area, the warning will appear to start the connection and that’s it, you already have a Wi-Fi connection without having to enter a complex password.

Automate home routines

Here is one of my projects for 2023: create a house with several “hidden” NFC cards to automate routines. On Amazon, there are many NFC tag packs that are very, very cheap and you can customize for different actions.

This is to customize the action of the mobile when scanning the NFC card so that it performs certain actions or opens applications. I’ll leave you some ideas that I have in mind.

The first is to put a label on my “photos” board. At home I have a studio with projectors that I control with Amazon Echo and smart plugs and when I go to record, edit or take photos, it bothers me a lot when notifications come in and my mobile vibrates. What I’m going to do is place an NFC sticker somewhere on the table so that when I put the mobile down it activates silent mode.

Another one I thought of is putting a sticker on the Xiaomi fryer so that it automatically opens its app with the recipes. Since I usually don’t have Xiaomi Home in the dashboard (I have few apps in sight), it saves me looking for it. And another free idea: a sticker on the fridge for me to open the note from Google Keep in which I have the shopping list.

As a replacement for QR

And, finally, something you won’t be able to do unless you’re running a business, but which I’ve only come across a few times and find very comfortable: NFC tags with restaurant menus or museum itineraries.

Instead of a QR code (although many people have gotten used to it due to the pandemic and not physically placing the menu on the tables), an NFC area that opens a web page. In the cases I comment on, the information page of a museum or the menu of a restaurant. It’s more comfortable than a QR Also, if it’s in high traffic areas or on a table in a bar, it wears out.

And so far. We hope you have found it useful and you have learned how to get the most out of your mobile’s NFC. As you can see, you can do a lot of things both thanks to the compatible devices and what you put together yourself with the customizable stickers.

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