Among all the icons that can display the screen of an Android, the “N” is one of the most enigmatic. Corresponds to NFC, one of the Wireless connections that most smartphones have. And allows the two DNIs to request the digital certificate and have mobile payments.
All mobile phones have different sections of the screen where the operating system displays information so that the phone owner knows what's going on on his device. If we look at the upper area, just where the operator's time and name is, different icons appear, each for Certain functions that are active at the time. This area is called “state zone”. And sometimes it shows information that can arouse curiosity.
The “n” of the state area implies that you have the active NFC
In addition to the clock (to the right) and the operator of your SIM (left), all Android place icons at the top of the screen to identify what works on the phone. If you have mobile data, you will see the type of connection (4G, 5G …) as well as the roofing power; With wifi, the wave icon appears; With Bluetooth A “B” and, obviously, if in your state area, an “N” appears that the NFC of your Android is activated. But be careful that the most modern mobiles generally do not show this icon if the NFC is activated.
The NFC is wireless connectivity with low distribution (it is for nearby communication, hence “communication close to the field” or communication on the ground of its name). Its main use is mobile payments: Whenever your Android gets closer to a dataphone to pay the account, you use the NFC. And if the “N” does not appear in the state area, you can have the deactivated option.
The fact that the active NFC spends an inappropriate quantity of battery, lack of risks (No one will make a card on the card to approximate a device on your phone) and allows you to extend the use of technology beyond the above-mentioned mobile payments. For example, to configure NFC labels, a very useful way to expand the possibilities of the phone.
That you do not like to have the “n” present in the state area of your Android and / or do you want to disconnect the NFC? If you usually pay with the mobile, it is better to keep itBecause it will be more comfortable and easy to make each fertilizer, but it is not a drama if you disconnect it. It's done like this:
- Access your Android settings.
- Even go “connected devices”.
- Enter “connection preferences”.
- Go to “NFC” and ignore it.
- You can also activate or deactivate it from quick settings, the buttons that appear when displaying the notification area. If you don't have the NFC, add it options, to the pencil icon.
- Alternately, You can write “NFC” in the parameter search engineMake sure a universal way of entering its configuration.
As we have said, that does not imply an inconvenience of having activated it because, if what worries you is the battery, the NFC barely consumes drums and, unlike Bluetooth, only spends the battery at the time of its use, that is to say when you make a mobile payment, for example. It also does not imply risk, so the most comfortable thing is to have it activated.
Cover image | Iván Linares
In Xataka Android | Complete guide to pay with mobile: what is necessary and how it works
A previous version of this article was published in March 2024. It was revised and updated again.
