NFC stands for Near Field Communication, a technology that many mobile phones and smart watches have and that thanks to a chip, they are allowed to communicate wirelessly at short range. Of course, iPhones have a chip that allows this.
Now though, The use of NFC on the iPhone is quite limited. Even more so if we compare it to the uses we can give it on Android. However, that doesn’t mean it isn’t useful, because it is very useful. Furthermore, the situation could change significantly in the short to medium term, and for the better.
Which iPhone models have NFC
There are not a few, but the vast majority of smartphones with an NFC chip. In the case of the iPhone, this would not be an exception and From an iPhone 6, they all have this sensor. Of course, in these it is limited only to payments through Apple Pay, while for the rest of the uses that we will see you will need to have a “6s” model or later.
Where is NFC on an iPhone
First of all, let’s say that you will never see the NFC chip. East a very small element located inside the iPhone. Although its location is unspecified and may vary with each generation, it is usually added to the upper internal part of the device.
This location is essential to have it in a good situation when using it. Likewise, and despite short-range communication technology, being inside the terminal does not reduce its range. That is, the iPhone’s chassis itself does not interfere with its functionality.
How to use NFC on an iPhone
It doesn’t matter if you search your app library or do a crazy search in settings. You won’t see a tool as such called “NFC”. Useless. THE Uses of NFC on the iPhone are somewhat limitedbut despite this, they represent a great utility.
- Payments via Apple Pay: Just like having a contactless debit or credit card, the iPhone can be your own card thanks to the NFC chip. It all starts with adding the card in the “Wallet” app, then double-tapping the side button, select the card, perform facial recognition and bring it close to a dataphone.
- Car key: With the arrival of iOS 13 in 2019, Apple announced a new function that allows you to open certain vehicles without using the key, using the iPhone itself and taking advantage of the device’s NFC sensor.
- NFC tags: These are a type of stickers that can be stuck on any object so that when you bring the iPhone closer, a previously configured action is performed. It’s possible to do this with the iOS “Shortcuts” app itself, but there are also third-party apps that take advantage of this and you can create all sorts of actions; from turning on smart connected lights to sending a WhatsApp message.
- MagSafe case recognition: If you have a MagSafe compatible iPhone and have used an original Apple case, you will have noticed that when you put it down, an animation appears which precisely reflects the colors of the case in question. This happens thanks to an NFC tag that these cases have and which communicates with the iPhone sensor.
The future of NFC could be much more open in payments
The European Union has been investigating possible monopolistic practices by Big Tech for some time now, and what does NFC have to do with it? Well, a lot. The European Commission began investigating iPhone NFC in May 2022 for interpreting a possible abuse of Apple by limiting payments to its own platform (Apple Pay).
The idea is that other payment platforms can also be used on the iPhone thanks to NFC technology, although this also involves certain risks for security reasons, which Apple has unofficially used as an excuse not to open up to other services. For now there is no resolution in this regard, but in the future they may be forced to do so, so the NFC of an iPhone can be used for payments on any platform .
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