How NFC works

You have to buy a brand new smartphone and, among other options, you have noticed a device with NFC connectivity. Intrigued, you immediately wondered what this technology is for and how it can help you when needed, but your skills in this regard do not allow you to give yourself an answer without informing yourself a little around. Well, I’m happy to announce that this is the best place to find all the information you need!

In fact, below I will explain how NFC works, the ways in which it can be used and how to use it on Android and iOS devices. Do not get upset, you do not need to be a technology guru to understand and use everything: just follow my tips and advice to succeed in your intent and to understand if the presence of NFC is fundamental on what your new one will be. purchase.

At this point, all you have to do is get comfortable, take a few minutes of your free time and read what I have to tell you about this interesting topic: I’m sure that, by the end of this reading, you will have perfectly mastered the notions of basis regarding NFC technology, and you will be able to put them into practice to the fullest. Having said that, I just have to wish you good reading and have fun!

Index

• What is NFC
• What is NFC for
  • Connecting audio devices
  • Data transfer
  • Authentication
  • NFC tag
• How is NFC used
  • Android
  • iOS

What is NFC

Before going into details on how to use NFC technology, it is good that you know perfectly the origin of the name and the first concepts on its basic operation. First of all,  NFC is the abbreviation for  Near Field Communication, which you can translate as ” communication in proximity “, and is a technology capable of connecting two devices, located a short distance from each other,  wirelessly.

Even if you have heard about it quite recently, NFC originates in the now distant 2004, when  Philips, Sony and  Nokia (later, LG  and  Samsung would also join the project  ) started the NFC Forum project. To be precise, NFC is the “son” of the much older RFID technology  ( identification on radio frequencies), which allows a device to send waves to a receiver for identification and possibly tracking. Although the dynamics within NFC are much more advanced, the purpose remains more or less the same: through NFC it is possible to identify two devices enabling them to transfer data, electronic payments and much more (I’ll tell you about it later in this in-depth study) by simply bringing them closer together.

Being a fairly slow communication standard, NFC is mainly used to transfer small amounts of data between two nearby devices: to be precise, two NFC devices can communicate with each other at a distance of no more than 10 cm, despite some implementations of this standard. require, for safety reasons, that the devices involved cannot be more distant than  3-4 from each other. The maximum connection speed that can be reached by such a type of connection is  424 kbits per second.

NFC-compatible devices (smartphones, tablets, some Bluetooth devices, and so on) have a built-in chip that can offer this type of connection. Furthermore, it is also possible to find on the market SIM and microSD with NFC chips, useful to prepare for this type of connection even devices that, natively, are not.

What is NFC for

Now that you understand what NFC is, it’s time to take a look at the branches of use of this interesting technology. Generally speaking, NFC is useful for exchanging data between two devices without using connecting cables, when these are within a short distance of each other.

Unlike other wireless communication methods (such as Bluetooth), thanks to all that NFC inherits from RFID, the identification, authentication and possibly the association between two devices equipped with this technology are completely automatic.  and do not require PIN, password or other recognition methods to be paired: this is the reason why NFC is used, as you will soon discover, also for some types of online payments: the short distance, as well as the simultaneous activation of transmitter and receiver, guarantee that operations via NFC are completed exactly by whom and how it is intended to be performed. In even simpler words, it is enough to “touch” two NFC devices so that they “recognize” each other and perform the required task.

I bet that, at this point, you are wondering if NFC is only an accessory chip and almost useless, or if it can find concrete use in some very specific scenario: I can tell you right away that, even if you may find it hard to imagine it, the fields of use of devices equipped with NFC are really many! Do not you believe it? Below I show you some NFC “tools” that could be very, very useful.

Connecting audio devices

Imagine that you have purchased a new pair of  Bluetooth headsets for your smartphone: to pair them, in the absence of NFC, you must perform the complete procedure provided by your device: activate Bluetooth, search for available devices and finally, to complete the procedure, enter the PIN that the earphones suggest to your ear.

If, on the other hand, your smartphone and your headset are equipped with NFC technology, the procedure becomes much simpler: just activate NFC on the smartphone, bring the headset that is already on, answer in the affirmative to the notification regarding the activation of Bluetooth, et voila, the pairing between the two devices is completed, all in less than ten seconds!

You can also repeat the same procedure for headphones or any other Bluetooth audio device (speakers, mini-speakers, etc.) with NFC connectivity. Keep in mind that NFC only takes care of the pairing procedure, while the audio transmission is done via Bluetooth.

Data transfer

How many times have you wanted to transfer a photo from your smartphone (or tablet) to that of a friend without using cloud or instant messaging services? I know you are thinking about Bluetooth but, between recognition and pairing, the process is just too boring. In a very similar way to what we saw a little while ago, NFC can also help with the movement of data from one device to another: just select the photo, the document, the contact or everything you are interested in transmitting, set up sharing via NFC and then touch the device on which you intend to transfer it: in this way, a Bluetooth connection is started “on the fly” and the data is transmitted automatically.

The good news, however, is another: this procedure can be used not only between two smartphones, two tablets or in general two portable devices, but is also widely used on devices that usually do not have such immediate “sharing” features, what could be digital cameras or printers. In other words, there are some cameras that allow you to move one or more photos through a combination of NFC and Bluetooth and, in the same way, you can start print jobs on some printers created specifically for the purpose.

Authentication

As I have already told you several times, NFC is mainly a method for two devices to identify and recognize each other. This is why, in addition to using the “classic” smartphones, it is possible to find real authentication tools (Smart Cards, small USB dongles, etc.) equipped instead with NFC chips and can be used to confirm one’s identity and unlock functions of the device. Just to give you an example, there are some external hard drives equipped with NFC connectivity which, thanks to a Smart Card to be brought close, can unlock and make the stored encrypted data readable, without the need to enter any password.

Another scenario in which authentication via NFC is widely used is that of  payments through the smartphone: using the NFC chip installed on the latter, it is possible to initiate money transfers directly from the pre-configured account, simply by touching the device. at POS. For example, payments via Android Pay and Apple Pay take advantage of NFC technology (I’ll tell you about this later).

NFC tag

In my opinion, using NFC tags on a compatible device can be really useful. To begin with, let me explain what it is: an  NFC tag is a kind of “electronic tag” with a  programmable NFC chip inside  (via a smartphone app or PC program) to do something when an NFC smartphone or tablet reaches the minimum connection distance. An NFC tag can be used in different scenarios: here are some of them.

• Commercial establishments– the owners of shops or entire shopping centers can place NFC tags in “strategic” points, so as to send links or information for promotional purposes on the smartphones of those who approach them. Clearly, the NFC functionality must also be active on the smartphone.
• Museums and  places of tourist interest – it is possible to place NFC tags that give the visitor information of interest, such as a short story about the work he is viewing, the link to the map of the structure or other similar suggestions.
• Business cards– it is possible to program an NFC tag to transmit your contact information: in this way, you just need to touch the tag to the smartphone of a potential customer (who must in turn be equipped with active NFC) to send a personal vCard.
• Automatic operations– NFC tags can also be programmed, if necessary, to perform automatic operations on your device. For example, you can place an NFC tag that sets the smartphone to Silent mode, on your workstation or on your bedside table, you can use one that activates or deactivates the Wi-Fi connectivity at the entrance of the house or, even, combine a tag NFC with an automation app such as Tasker or IFTTT.

On the market, you can find NFC tags of different shapes and colors, some stickers, others in the shape of a keychain. However, I advise you to pay attention to the space available on the tag: to store the simplest operations, as little as 100 bytes may be enough, while for other data, for example for a personal business card, it may also take more than  800 bytes. Below I propose a choice of NFC tags available on Amazon.

How is NFC used

Now that you have learned the basics of NFC technology and have taken a look at the various cases in which you can use it, you are perfectly able to determine whether or not it is for you. How do you say? Is your judgment positive and you can’t wait to get a device equipped with this technology? Perfect, you couldn’t have given me better news!

Before you get your hands in your purse, let me give you some information on how NFC can be exploited on both  Android and iOS. Although both operating systems belong to the world of smartphones and tablets, there is a fundamental difference between them: while on Android it is possible to carry out practically all the operations I have listed above, and to activate or deactivate the functionality, on iOS it is not possible. manually check NFC: it is always active and can be used for payments with  Apple Pay and, for example, to detect NFC tags.

Android

Do you have an Android terminal and want to take advantage of NFC technology for data transfer? Nothing could be simpler: to activate it, open the Settings screen by tapping the appropriate icon in the app list, scroll to the Wireless and Networks section and press the Other or  Additional Settings item  (varies depending on the operating system). On the next screen, move the switch next to  NFC to  Enabled: in this way, your device is prepared to transmit/receive data via contact.

To activate the transfer of app contents (links from the browser, videos from the YouTube app, contacts from the address book and so on), press the Android Beam item and move the switch located at the top right of the screen to  Activated: in this way, to move data from one device to another, simply pull them together and tap  Yes on the confirmation window that appears on the screen of both devices. Similarly, you can enable payments by contact with the POS by touching the  Touch & Pay item, activating the appropriate switch at the top right and then choosing the app to use (eg Samsung Pay).

iOS

As I have already explained to you previously, the only way you can officially use NFC on iOS is  Apple Pay , the payment service made available by the big bitten apple, and now more and more widespread in our country. In other words, you can use your iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch to make payments in NFC-enabled stores by simply touching your device to the POS. I invite you to consult my guide on how to use Apple Pay in Italy for more information on this.

How do you say? Did you or do you want to jailbreak your iPhone and hope to be able to take advantage of the NFC features like an Android device? So I have good news for you: there is a tweak, such  NFCWriter, which allows you to create, manage and exploit NFC tags. NFCWriter costs  3.99 dollars, does not unlock the sharing capabilities of the files and, above all, is only compatible with devices that have NFC chips, which are:  iPhone SE, iPhone 6  and above,  iPad Pro,  iPad of the 5th generation,  iPad Air 2,  iPad mini 3 and later.