What does NFC support mean in a smartphone? How to use NFC on your phone to pay. Advantages and disadvantages of modern technology

Wireless Fidelity, also known as Wi-Fi, is far from the only technology wireless communication, which is supported by modern mobile devices. To transfer data over short distances, in particular for exchanging files between phones, today Bluetooth is usually used - a wireless network specification that allows communication between devices at the physical level. However, there are other technologies that are still less in demand in everyday life, but are rapidly gaining popularity, such as, for example, NFC, which will be discussed in this article.

What is NFC and what is this technology for?

So, what is NFC for, where is it used and how to use it? NFC or Near Field Communication is a technology wireless transmission data intended for data exchange between electronic devices located at a small (up to 10 cm) distance from each other. Currently, NFC is used in industrial and banking sectors, medicine and science. Examples of the use of technology can be found in Everyday life, for example, paying for goods and services using an NFC-enabled smartphone, which in this case plays the role of a bank payment card.

The use of Near Field Communication in various areas will be discussed in more detail below. We will also learn what NFC is in a smartphone, but now let me say a few words about how it works. Data exchange between devices supporting the technology is carried out using NFC modules, which are electromagnetic coils. Being coupled, the coils alternately generate an electromagnetic field, under the influence of which a current arises in them, which is then converted into a transmitting signal.

However, one should not assume that the exchange is always carried out directly. If you use NFC to transfer files from smartphone to smartphone, they will be transferred via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, but NFC will only serve to identify devices. You should also distinguish between active and passive NFC operating modes. Active is the mode in which the electromagnetic field is generated by both devices, passive - only when the field is generated by one of the devices. An example of the second mode is writing or reading data from NFC or RFID tags.

How to find out if your phone has NFC

Near Field Communication technology is supported by many different types of devices, including mobile phones. NFC on a phone is what it is hardware component, which is responsible for pairing with other NFC devices. It is usually located on the inside of the back cover, but if the battery is non-removable, its location is often marked with a logo on the case itself.

There are several ways to check whether a smartphone supports NFC technology. Some manufacturers mobile phones, such as Sony, mark their products with the appropriate logo or sticker with the text NFC, others, such as Samsung, place the “Near Field Communication” mark on the battery. You can also look for mention of NFC in the documentation that came with your phone.

There are sites dedicated to the subject that provide information on which phones have NFC, for example, on the page nfc-ukraine.com/article/2013/06/29/1-0 there is a table with several hundred NFC-enabled devices. Finally, what is most correct is to open the settings, go to the “ Wireless network", select "More" and see if there are NFC and Android Beam items there.

What actions can you perform using NFC?

So, what NFC is is more or less clear, let’s now move on to examples of its specific use. The scope of application of this wireless communication technology is quite extensive. So, NFC is used:

  • When paying for goods and services (payment card emulation).
  • When identifying a person (electronic documents).
  • When transferring data from device to device.
  • To access private data (like an electronic key).
  • When reading information from NFC tags.
  • For translate Money from phone to phone.
  • When interacting with “smart” household appliances, etc.

How to use NFC on your phone? After making sure that the NFC function is available on the device, you should first activate it, for which in the settings you need to check the NFC item “Allow data exchange when combining a tablet (phone) with another device.” In this case, the Android Beam option should be automatically activated. If it doesn't, enable it manually by clicking on it and selecting Yes.

Let's consider the simplest example of using a function - to transfer data. With NFC turned on and both devices unlocked, open the content you want to share on your phone, then bring the devices closer back covers(possible at a distance of up to 10 cm). After the devices detect each other, a notification “Tap to transfer data” will appear on the screen of the sending gadget. Tap on the display and wait for the transfer to complete, about which you will be notified by a sound signal.

In a similar way, through NFC, you can exchange links to web pages, applications in Google Play and YouTube videos.

When using NFC to pay for goods and services, things are a little more complicated. The NFC module itself is useless here; for this you will definitely need a physical or virtual bank card and the corresponding application. You should also ask whether the bank whose services you use supports NFC. If yes, find out whether the banking client application has an NFC connection option, how to connect it correctly, and what types of cards are supported.

There are also third party applications, supporting technology and working with bank cards. In Russia, these are Qiwi and Wallet from the developer CardsMobile. Among banking applications in Russia one can note Alfa-Touch from Alfa-Bank, in Ukraine - Privat24 from Privat-Bank.

NFC tags deserve no less attention. These devices are small portable media small-volume information attached to surfaces or embedded in various devices and items such as: keychains, business cards, posters, stickers, posters, billboards, product shelves, and so on. They serve the same purposes as barcodes and QR codes, that is, to read certain data from them. NFC tags can contain both simple information (phone numbers, addresses, identification codes, etc.) and various commands, for example, a command to send an SMS, Wi-Fi distribution, turning on a device, launching applications.

To work with NFC tags, you will also need the appropriate applications. Thus, the Yandex.Metro application can be used to obtain information about the number of remaining trips on the Metro card, and AnyTAG NFC Launcher or NFC Actions can be used to program your own tags and manage them using them various functions and devices.

To scan an NFC tag, follow these steps: By activating on NFC phone and opening the scanner application, place the gadget over the tag at a distance of 1-10 cm. The phone will scan the tag and offer to open its contents.

Conclusion

Now you know in general terms what NFC means and where this technology is used. In post-Soviet countries, Near Field Communication, however, has not yet become widespread due to the relatively small number of communication devices that support it. However, the NFC function is very promising and will certainly be one of the most popular in the very near future.

Many people have heard about this technology, but not everyone knows what NFC is, why a corresponding module is needed in a smartphone and what benefits it can bring to its owner.

By the way, in Samsung smartphones this opportunity appeared quite a long time ago - back in 2011. Already the very first Galaxy Note already included (though optionally) an NFC adapter, just like its “contemporary” Galaxy S2 (I9100). And the joint Samsung Nexus S had one back in 2010.

What is NFC?

The full decoding of this abbreviation is Near Field Communication, which can be translated as “near field communications.” It must be said that the range of the NFC antenna is actually very limited and usually does not exceed 10-20 cm.

This technology allows contactless data exchange through induction magnetic field, and both passive exchange (say, card - terminal) and active (two smartphones) are possible.

The technology is found widely outside mobile technologies, for example for transport cards or access cards for closed areas, which lean against the turnstiles.

Data transfer

Initially, there was no particular benefit from NFC technology in smartphones. For example, it made it possible to transfer data between two devices with almost instantaneous detection of the receiver, but it was associated with two inconveniences at once:

  1. Data transfer speed is almost at the level of the infrared port.
  2. The need to keep smartphones in close proximity to each other.

Thus, as a means of data transmission, NFC was clearly inferior to the more convenient and quick solutions- Bluetooth and WiFi Direct.

Contactless mobile payments

NFC support in smartphones has become a really useful thing, however, only with Android release 4.4 KitKat, where full support for contactless emulation appeared bank card with MasterCard PayPass and VISA PayWire technologies.

Previously, it was only available for Nexus smartphones using the proprietary Google Wallet application (does not really work outside the US).

However, thanks to Android 4.4 KitKat and later versions, this moment enough have already been released around the world large quantities applications that allow you to use a smartphone instead of a payment card.

By the way, with the help of special software, a smartphone can even be turned into a payment terminal that can accept MasterCard PayPass and VISA PayWire cards for payment.

Perhaps the most multifunctional application that allows you to issue a contactless bank card or connect an existing one.

Release of a new card:

  1. Tinkoff - prepaid MasterCard PayPass, there is the possibility of simplified identification for expanding limits and payments abroad. Using the card and SMS notifications is free. Disadvantage: lack of transaction history (only in SMS and upon request to hotline jar). Free replenishment on the bank’s website and in many terminals.
  2. “Russian Standard” is a virtual MasterCard PayPass without identification and with low limits. It is useless when paying abroad. There is a transaction history.

You can also store discount cards from a variety of stores in the application without having to carry them with you every time.

It is possible to work on a rooted smartphone (a warning about disclaimer is issued).

This application also allows you to pay for smartphone purchases using VISA PayWire. To activate payment via NFC, the smartphone must have “clean” non-rooted firmware.

If you identify the “Standard” level and above, payment for goods and services abroad is available.

The contactless payment function appeared in this Android program relatively recently. Upon activation, a separate contactless card is generated and attached to the wallet. When paying, the payment is debited from the main balance.

Can work on smartphones with active mode root.

"Corn"

In the application for the popular Russian payment system There is also support for contactless payment, and while the Kukuruza cards themselves are issued on MasterCard plastic, the virtual NFC card in the application is VISA PayWire.

In order to use contactless payment in the application, the user must have an active “Kukuruza” card and a non-rooted smartphone. Note that this function may not work on Chinese smartphones with NFC, which, according to the program, have a “strange” system that has been modified (due to the general crookedness of Chinese firmware).

Mobile application from Russian Standard Bank

In this application, it is possible to issue a contactless card for payments, and it is not at all necessary to be a bank client. However, there is no identification option even for existing customers, so the card has very limited limits and cannot be used to pay outside of Russia.

Mobile Privat24

This application may be useful for users of smartphones with NFC from Ukraine. Bank clients can create virtual card for contactless payments using a smartphone. The card is attached to one of the existing accounts in any currency.

Emulation of electronic travel documents

Modern cards for travel on public transport (for example, the Moscow metro) are often based on NFC technology. Therefore, with the help special programs you can easily copy them and use your smartphone instead of a travel card.

Other uses

A smartphone with NFC module support can also be used as a terminal for reading/writing contactless cards. There are programs that allow you to unlock your smartphone screen using a contactless smart card.

On September 9, Apple announced iPhone smartphones 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, one of the features of which was the NFC chip and the technology based on it Apple Pay. In the presentation, the main emphasis was placed on the possibility of contactless payment for purchases using a smartphone, but in fact, the capabilities of NFC do not end there and have long been successfully used in Android smartphones to perform many different tasks, from paying for a trip on the subway to automating your smartphone.

Instead of introducing

NFC stands for Near Field Communication or “near contactless communication”, in Russian. At its core, it is a small chip that can be built into a smartphone for the purpose of transmitting data over very short distances at a very meager speed. NFC is very close to RFID technology, which has long been used to tag products in supermarkets, but is based on its more recent ISO/IEC 14443 (smart cards) standard and is designed for use in wearable electronics (read: smartphones) and performing secure transactions (read: payment for purchases).

As with the ISO/IEC 14443 standard, NFC has a range of only 5–10 cm, but the difference is that the NFC chip is capable of acting as both a tag and a reader at the same time. In other words, a smartphone equipped with NFC can be either a smart card (a metro card, for example), which just needs to be brought to the reader to pay, or the reader itself, which can be used, for example, to transfer funds between smartphone cards and convert real cards with support for ISO/IEC 14443 standard in virtual.

But this is only “one of” and the most obvious application of NFC. Due to the fact that the NFC chip is capable of transmitting data in both directions and does not require device authentication, it can be used as a simple and more convenient replacement for Bluetooth. WITH using NFC, for example, you can share links, passwords, contacts and other data between smartphones by simply bringing them close to each other.

Introduced in Android 4.0, Beam technology further expands the scope of NFC, allowing you to quickly transfer entire files and folders between devices, which is achieved by pre-authenticating Bluetooth devices via NFC and then establishing a Bluetooth connection and sending files. As in the previous case, all that is required for the transfer is simply to bring the phones close to each other. IN Samsung firmware this function is called S-Beam and allows you to use not only bluetooth as a “transport channel,” but also Wi-Fi (one of the smartphones turns into an access point).

Another possibility is the use of passive NFC tags. These tags, in the form of small stickers, can be purchased for half a dollar each and reprogrammed using a smartphone. Each of them can contain 137 bytes of information (in the case of the most common and cheapest Mifire Ultralight C tag), to read which, again, you just need to bring your smartphone. In the tag you can write the password from home Wi-Fi and stick it on the router. Or a code word to which the smartphone will respond. You can organize the automatic launch of the navigator when you install the smartphone in the holder in the car, or enable silent and energy-saving modes when the phone is on the bedside table. A small shopping list of 137 bytes will also fit quite well.

In this article we will talk about all possible applications NFC is in practice, but since payment for purchases using it has been implemented almost nowhere in our country, we will talk mainly about automation based on tags.

Smartphone support

The first phone with integrated NFC support was Nokia 6131, released back in 2006. At that time, the built-in NFC chip was just a toy to demonstrate the capabilities of the technology created two years ago. The smartphone was equipped with software for reading NFC tags, but due to their then high cost and almost zero popularity of the technology, it was not suitable for any serious use this feature I didn’t claim a smartphone.

After some lull, NFC was popularized by Google, which released in 2010 samsung smartphone Nexus S and Google app Wallet, which allowed you to pay with virtual credit cards using NFC. The following year, Google became a leading participant in the NFC Forum and introduced Android 4.0 and a smartphone based on it Samsung Galaxy Nexus, which now boasted the presence of that very Beam function. Later the Nexus 4 appeared, and other manufacturers finally began to catch up.

Today, almost all smartphones produced are equipped with NFC. Even ultra-low-cost Mediatek chips have a corresponding module, so most new Chinese smartphones costing 5,000 rubles are also equipped with it. In any case, presence NFC chip It’s easy to check by the presence of the “Wireless networks -> NFC” item in the settings.

Playing with tags

Where can I get tags? As I said, the easiest option is to simply order them from China (dx.com, tinydeal.com, aliexpress.com). The cheapest tags, represented by Mifire Ultralight C with 137 bytes of memory, will cost about five dollars for ten pieces. You can also get branded tags from Sony (SmartTags), but in addition appearance and the prices, which will be three to five times higher, are no different. Another option: TecTile tags from Samsung with an even higher price tag, but also more memory (716 bytes). But here you need to be careful, the first version of the tags is only compatible with the NXP NFC controller, so they will not work with most smartphones.

It is quite possible to use tokens and subway cards as a tag for multiple trips. Often, part of the memory in them remains free for writing, so you can put any information there. But even if this is not the case, the tag can still be used as an action trigger, simply by setting the smartphone to react to the unique ID of the tag.

Without additional software, mobile operating systems have only limited support for “communication” with tags. The same Android does not offer any tools for working with them at all. All you can do is simply bring the tag to your smartphone so that the latter can read it. Depending on the type of data recorded in the tag, the smartphone can display this data on the screen (text type or not supported), open a web page (URI type), launch an application (special type android.com:pkg, supported only in Android) , open the dialer with the specified number (URI type "tel://") and perform some other actions.

There are no means in Android to change the tags themselves or the behavior of the smartphone in response to their detection, so we will have to acquire additional software. The three applications we will use are:

  • NFC TagInfo - a tag reader that allows you to obtain the most complete information about the tag and the data recorded in it;
  • NFC TagWriter is a proprietary application from leading tag manufacturer NXP Semiconductors;
  • Trigger - allows you to independently determine the reaction to a tag with the ability to transfer control to Tasker.

NFC TagInfo

First, let's figure out what kind of tags we got. The Chinese usually don’t provide any details on this matter, and I’m generally silent about subway maps. Launch NFC TagInfo and bring your smartphone to the tag. Next, tap on the Tag Information item and see (screenshot “Reading the NFC tag”) what we have:

  • UID - unique tag identifier;
  • RF Technology is a standard supported by the tag. In this case, it is ISO/IEC 14443 Type A, that is, a regular RFID tag with support for the first version of the data exchange protocol (Type A);
  • Tag Type - the type (or better said, “model”) of the tag. In this case, NTAG203 is Mifare Ultralight C, the cheapest tag at the moment. The letter C means support for data encryption. There is also Topaz 512, which holds 450 bytes of information, and Mifare Classic 1K (716 bytes), used in TecTile tags and often in metro maps;
  • Manufacturer - tag manufacturer. NXP Semiconductors - 90% of all NFC tags are made by them (Mifare family).

Now we go back and go to the NDEF information menu. NDEF is one of the NFC standards that describes the format for storing information in the tag memory and transmitting it to the reader. A tag can contain multiple NDEF messages, each with its own ID and type, which the smartphone can use to determine how to interpret the data it contains. The type is specified in the format URI, MIME, or domain:service, if we are talking about some type specific to the reader (for example, the same android.com:pkg).

In the NDEF information menu, we are primarily interested in the lines Maximum message size (useful tag size), Is tag writable (write support) and Can tag be write-protected (write protection support). The last option allows you to block tag recording for all devices except ours. In addition, a tag can be permanently locked so that it can never be written down again. In this case, the penultimate option will indicate no.

What's inside the tag?

From a technical point of view, an NFC tag is a microcomputer like those found inside SIM and bank cards. It has its own processor, RAM and permanent memory, but there is no traditional power source. It receives electric current through electromagnetic induction, which occurs between the antennas of the reader and tag, just as it happens in wireless chargers and passive radio receivers. Thanks to the ultra-low level of energy consumption, the power of such a “transformer” is quite sufficient for the normal functioning of the microcomputer.

The antenna occupies about 99% of the tag area and transmits data at a frequency of 13.56 MHz at a speed of 106, 212, or 424 Kbps. The NFC standards define several data transfer protocols, including several implementations of the data exchange protocol (they are designated by the letters A, B, and so on), which can be supplemented by the manufacturer of the tag itself. For example, the Mifare family of tags implement a number of extensions over the standard protocol, which is why it is possible to catch incompatibilities between applications and the tag (but this is rare).

Data security is ensured in several ways:

  • Short range. Ten centimeters is a very private zone.
  • Anti-cloning protection with a unique serial number.
  • Possibility of overwrite protection and password protection of data.
  • Optional data encryption in memory and during transmission.

The leading manufacturer of NFC tags is NXP Semiconductors. They produce tags from the Mifare family, which have become so popular that compatibility with them is ensured not only by other tag manufacturers, but also by manufacturers of NFC chips for smartphones (at the tag emulation level). The family includes several different models, starting from the simplest Mifare Ultralight C and ending with Mifare DESFire EV1, which have a built-in file system with cryptography support and flexible access rights.

Go to the NDEF message menu. If the tag contains any data, it will all be displayed here, broken down into messages. The remaining NFC TagInfo options allow you to view information about the tag's memory: actual volume, dump in HEX and ASCII formats, access rights to memory pages, and so on. I recommend returning to these options after writing to the data tag.

We write the data

We will use NFC TagWriter to record data. Using the application is quite simple. Launch it, tap on Create, write and store, select New, then select the type of data to be written. The most useful types: contact, plain text, phone number, Bluetooth connection data, URI and application. The list even includes a web browser bookmark and an email message, but what they are needed for is not entirely clear.


Next, fill in the required fields (for example, the website address in the case of URI), click Next and get to the options screen (screenshot “NFC TagWriter: message options”). Here you can specify the application that will be launched after reading the label (Add launch application) and set protection against overwriting by a third-party device (Apply Soft Protection). The application will also take care to inform us about tag models that can accommodate this data (in this case everything is OK, NTAG203 is in the list).


Click Next again and bring the smartphone to the tag. Voila, our data is in it. Now they can be read by any NFC-enabled smartphone. But what does this ultimately give?

Use cases

In fact, there are a lot of scenarios for using tags. For example, I use tags for storing passwords and home automation, others for automatically unlocking a smartphone and automatically starting a navigator in a car. Tags can be glued to a table, on a laptop, on a keychain, inside a book, on a business card, or sewn under clothing. Therefore, the range of their application is huge, and ultimately everything depends only on your imagination.

Home automation

The simplest and most obvious way to use tags is to simply stick them around the house in order to create some kind of automation system. There are many different options here. I will give you the most interesting and useful ones.

  • Home Wi-Fi password. We put a tag on the router and write the password into it using the InstaWifi application. It will be useful not only for those who often receive guests, but also for those who like to experiment with firmware.
  • Launch auto-sync or an application for exchanging data with a PC. The tag can be glued to a laptop or system unit and configured to launch an application for data synchronization (AirDroid, WiFi ADB and others).
  • Enable the access point. Again, we glue the tag on the laptop, then install the Trigger application. In it we add a new task, select NFC as a trigger, skip the selection of restrictions, select “Wireless and local networks-> Wifi zone”, skip the next screen (adding a switch) and on the last screen bring it to the NFC tag.
  • Turn on airplane mode at night. We glue the mark somewhere closer to the bed. Launch Trigger, new task -> trigger: NFC -> action: “Experimental -> Airplane mode”. Alternatively, instead of turning on airplane mode, you can set the data and Wi-Fi to be turned off by adding the appropriate actions to the task.

Automotive Automation

NFC tags will be very useful for those who use a smartphone as a car navigator. Just stick the tag on the smartphone holder and write down instructions for launching the navigator in it - and voila. Everything has become much easier. However, I would recommend going a slightly different route and complicating the setup by adding automatic switching on Bluetooth (for headset), GPS and turning off Wi-Fi.

To do this, we again need Trigger. Launch it, add a task, select NFC as a trigger. Add the action “Bluetooth -> Bluetooth On/Off -> Enable”. Add one more action: “Wireless and local networks -> GPS On/Off -> Enable”. And one more thing: “Wireless and local networks -> WiFi On/Off -> Turn off.” Finally, add the action “Application and shortcuts -> Open application -> select application”. We skip the screen for adding switches, on the next screen we bring the smartphone to the tag.

Now, after installing the smartphone in the holder, we will receive a smartphone fully configured for use in the car.

Unlocking your smartphone

Motorola has a pretty interesting smartphone accessory called the Motorola Skip. This is a clothing clip for quickly unlocking your smartphone without having to enter a PIN code or graphic key. The accessory is quite useful in some cases, but it only works with smartphones from the same company. Fortunately, a similar contraption can be assembled on your knee.

I won’t tell you how to make the clip itself - here everyone is free to show their imagination, you can stick an NFC tag on your hand - but instead I’ll tell you how to set up the smartphone to unlock when you touch it. There are several ways, but the simplest and most effective is the Xposed NFC LockScreenOff Enabler module. The module, like Xposed itself, requires root, but in addition to effectively solving the problem, it includes a super function - activating NFC when the screen is off.

The fact is that for security reasons, Android prohibits the use of NFC until the screen is unlocked (not just turned on, but unlocked), which negates many effective techniques for using it. NFC LockScreenOff Enabler solves this problem.

Business card

NFC tags can be used in combination with business cards. There are several companies on the market that produce them, but their price tags are such that it’s easier to stick tags on ordinary business cards yourself, and still have a lot of money in your pocket. You can write any information into a tag, including contact information (TagWriter supports this format), website address, or even the geographic coordinates of your office (the smartphone will automatically open maps to show the location). And the most important thing is that you don’t have to give the business card to the person, it’s enough for him to scan it.

Turning on the computer

This is a kind of development of the idea of ​​tags on a system unit and a laptop. The idea is to create a setting that will allow you to turn on your computer using an NFC tag without taking into account where the tag itself is located. For example, you can stick it in the hallway, so you can turn on the car even before you take off your shoes. The method is based on the WoL function, which allows you to turn on the computer by sending packets to the Ethernet port, and the Android application Wol Wake on Lan Wan, which does this via the Internet.

How to setup? First, open the router control panel and configure forwarding of ports 7 and 9 (WoL ports) to our home machine. It is very important to specify the MAC address instead of the IP, since the latter may be given to another device. Next, we go to noip.com, register and receive a free domain, which we will use to reach the router from the outside. If you have a static IP, you can skip this step.

Next, install Wol Wake on Lan Wan on your smartphone, click the Add New button and enter an arbitrary name, the computer’s MAC address and the previously obtained domain in the window that opens, and click Save. Just in case, we check the settings. Next, install Tasker, go to the Tasks tab, create a new task, select Plugin -> Wol Wake on Lan Wan as an action and select the previously created WoL profile. Save.

Now we need to link this task to NFC. To do this, launch Trigger, add a task, select NFC as a trigger, and “Scheduler -> Scheduler Task” as an action (the developers translated Tasker as “Scheduler”), then select the task created in the previous step in Tasker, skip creating switches and At the last stage of setup, we bring the smartphone to the NFC tag.

This is all. If everything is configured correctly, then when a tag is detected, Android will give control to Trigger, it, in turn, will launch a Tasker task, which will activate the profile we need in the Wol Wake on Lan Wan application, it will send the WoL packet to the router, and it will redirect it to MAC address of the computer, LAN card which... Oh well. In general, everything should just work :).

conclusions

NFC technology has a lot of applications, and I'm sure that within five years NFC tags and payment terminals will be everywhere, from advertising posters to supermarkets. And I hope that at least this time Russia will not lag behind the rest of the world by fifty years.

Most modern phones, smartphones and tablets are equipped with a short-range communication chip. It can be used to make contactless payments and exchange various files with other similar devices. To use useful functionality you need to know how to enable NFC on Android.

Description of technology

NFC is a microchip that allows data exchange between two devices. The transfer of information is carried out only on a short distance due to radio frequencies. The chip is mounted directly into the body of a smartphone or tablet. Provides work special application Android Bim.

Before you figure out how to turn it on NFC function on Android, you need to determine the presence of the technology on the device. You can determine the presence of a chip in the following ways:

How to turn it on

Enabling NFC mode on your phone is very simple. To do this, you need to perform the following steps sequentially:

Do I need to enable NFC on my smartphone when paying?

When making contactless payments through a terminal using a smartphone, you do not need to go into the application and turn on the mode. The chip will automatically start working when you wake up from sleep mode and remove the lock.

Recently, one can increasingly hear mention of a certain NFC technology in the context of electronic payments via smartphone. Many people use it without knowing either the name or the principle of operation. There are a lot of rumors around NFC that touch on the security of personal data, money, and sometimes health. It is to explain such questions that this article was written.

NFC on a phone - what is it, how does it work and where is it used?

The NFC abbreviation is literally translated into Russian as “near-field communication”. From the name you can immediately draw a conclusion about one of the main features of NFC - data is transferred at a very close distance, up to 10 cm. Of course, nothing prevents you from exchanging information at a distance of several centimeters via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, but here it is worth understanding the details .

The operating principle of NFC is based on the phenomenon of magnetic field induction, through which short-range high-frequency data transmission is realized between two devices at a frequency of 13.56 MHz.

One of the reasons for the existence of this technology is the need for security. It is logical that it is physically difficult to “hack” a contact that occurs in a small area, unlike the rest wireless connections. But why is such technology needed if it cannot be used to communicate with a device located even ten meters away? It's simple: NFC has a completely different focus. From the obvious - contactless payment by holding a smartphone to the terminal. But this is far from the only area in which NFS can be used.

Examples of using the NFC chip:

  1. Transfer media files, contacts or settings between smartphones.
  2. Cashless payment. Perhaps the most popular option for using the system, which is widely used in Russia. There are also various options: paying for travel, providing personal data by touch, etc.
  3. Reading information. NFC tags in smart cards and other objects allow you to instantly enter information into your smartphone, for example, from a business card. NFC chips are small enough to be built into almost any item.
  4. Some Sony TVs have a function One Touch Mirroring, which allows you to display video from your phone's memory on the TV screen.
  5. Access control to various services or objects where a device with an NFC chip is used instead of a key.

The first phone equipped with NFC appeared back in 2006 (Nokia 6131), but such devices became widespread only in recent years, and now NFC can be found not only in flagships, but also in mid-price segment models, and even budget smartphones.

Benefits of NFC

  • Instant connection setup. NFC allows devices to connect without additional manipulations, entering settings, etc., just bring two gadgets with NFC chips close to each other.
  • Safety. As already mentioned, the short range makes the hacking process much more difficult, but this does not mean that NFC does not have other means of protection. In addition, if you lose your bank card, the risk of losing the money on it is much higher than if you lose your phone, where the funds are protected not only by a password, but also by the need to confirm access to the gadget itself.
  • Ease of use. You can add several bank cards to your smartphone’s memory and pay with them from one device; in addition, NFC works not only with bank cards, but also with transport and discount cards.

Which devices support NFC

Majority modern smartphones has support for this technology, but old or completely budget solutions may be deprived of it. Some manufacturers put the name of the technology on the surface of the device’s body, but there is a more effective way to check whether your smartphone has it:

  1. Open the device settings menu.
  2. Go to "Wireless Networks" or "Connected Devices".
  3. Open "More".
  4. Find NFC.

And of course, you can always just google the name of your smartphone adding NFC next to it, and everything will become clear.

How to pay by phone

Here we will consider the most popular way to use NFC - card emulation. Using emulation, you can create a virtual duplicate of the card and pay from your phone, as if using MasterCard PayPass or Visa Paywave cards, which are simply applied to the terminal to write off funds.

Smartphones with an NFC chip running on Android OS make contactless payments using Android applications Pay, which can be downloaded from Play Market at the following link. Phones from Samsung work with branded Samsung app Pay, which is usually preinstalled in operating system from the box. The operating principle of both applications is completely identical.

A user who has never used a password, gesture, or fingerprint to unlock a device will be forced to set up secure access to the device when launching Android Pay for the first time. This is a prerequisite for using contactless payment.

How to use Android Pay:


If you have connected more than one card, you must first select the one that will be used for payment, if it is not installed by default. Transactions are confirmed when the smartphone is unlocked using a code, pattern or fingerprint scanner. Payments in the amount of more than a thousand rubles, at the request of the seller, may need to be confirmed by entering a PIN code from a bank card in the terminal or by signing.

For quick access to NFC, pin the activation icon for this function in the notification shade so as not to look for it in the jungle of settings every time you need to pay.

How to pay with a smartphone on the subway or bus? This is done in a similar way: launch Android Pay, confirm authorization and pay for the trip by touching the smartphone to the turnstile. In the same way, you can pay for entrance to museums, exhibitions and similar places, without having to stand in line for a ticket.

Share data and files via NFC

To transfer files from smartphone to smartphone via NFC, the Android Beam assistive technology (or Samsung Beam on devices from the same manufacturer) is used. Let's figure out how to send files via NFC:


In a similar way, you can transfer other information, for example a list of contacts, which makes life much easier when moving from an old smartphone to a new one.

Conclusion

Since most smartphones have long been equipped with an NFC module, today the basis is being formed for changing the electronic payment system. And despite the fairly high popularity of NFC as a payment method, the demand for this technology (relative to its potential) is very low. In the future, NFC may become an integral part of our lives, just as smartphones themselves once became, since paying with your phone is really convenient.