NFC or abbreviation of Near Field Communication, in short is the communication of adjacent devices. How to use NFC varies depending on the purpose.
For now, almost all smart phones can use NFC, both Android and iOS devices.
What is NFC?
NFC technology is not only available on smartphones, other tablets and laptops also have NFC. The NFC function on these devices is essentially the same.
The system used by NFC is a development of RFID radio technology (Radio frequency identification). It’s just that, if the radio signal can be captured remotely, NFC can’t.
The maximum distance an NFC device can be read by a reader is 4 inches or 10.16 cm. Beyond that distance, the device will not be read. Whatever process you do will fail.
When viewed from only one point of view, it may be inconvenient because it has to be at close range. However, currently NFC is more widely used for financial transactions. So, instead of the short distance, this is actually considered an advantage because transactions can be more secure.
See also: How to find out if your cellphone is bugged
How Does NFC Work?
It has been mentioned above that NFC is a development of RFID technology. So, although it can only be in close proximity like bluetooth, the two work systems are different.
When using NFC, you don’t need to do pairing like on bluetooth.
Each device will automatically detect the presence of each other, after entering a radius of 10.16 cm. Once the device goes out of the radius, the connection will also be automatically disconnected.
When using NFC, even if there is no pairing, you don’t have to worry about wrong transactions. Exist prompt which will be sent to the user to ensure there are no errors in the transaction.
What are the requirements for devices that can use NFC technology?
There are several terms or conditions for using NFC technology. On each device or operating system, these terms and conditions are different.
1. Android
Especially for Android devices, only devices with operating system 4.0 or higher can use it. For this Android phone, there is also a beam feature that allows easy exchange of files or web pages.
2. iPhone
For iPhone users, the NFC feature can be enjoyed from iOS 13 and above. This operating system from Apple is available on mobile phones and iPads starting from 2022.
3. Tablets
On the tablet following the operating system used. If the tablet is iPad it means iOS 13 and if Android is on OS 4.0.
4. Laptops
On laptops, NFC is only available in the latest releases, but also not all have NFC features on their laptops. To find out, please look at the laptop specifications and check manually in the device section.
How to Find NFC on Android Phones, iOS and Tablets
To determine whether the gadget has NFC technology or not, it’s easy.
For Android, iOS, and tablets, you can enter the settings menu, then do the following:
- Go to settings
- Open app settings
- In the search section above, type “NFC”
If the search results show NFC, it means that your device has this technology.
How to Find NFC on Laptop
To find NFC on a laptop, the method is certainly different, you need to go to the device manager and follow these steps:
- Click start
- Type “Device Manager” in the search bar
- Select device manager
- Look for the “Proximity device” menu and double click it
- See if the arrow is down or up next to “Proximity device”
- If the down arrow means it is not active and select “Enable” to activate it
At this point, you can already use NFC on a laptop just like on a smart phone. If there is no “Proximity device” option, then there is no NFC feature on the laptop.
How to Use NFC
Using NFC is very easy, and its functions are also quite a lot. How to use NFC depends on what needs you need, for example for:
1. NFC To Check E-money Balance
Checking your e-money balance with NFC is very easy. How to use NFC to check balances are as follows:
- Download the e-money application on Playstore or App Store
- Turn on NFC on the device
- Open the e-money application that has been downloaded and installed
- Stick the e-money card to the back of the phone
After pasting the card, the e-money balance will automatically appear on the application screen. Usually one application can be used to view various balances from e-money cards. So, if you use more than one, it’s easy and you don’t need to change apps.
2. Using NFC for Payment
How to use NFC for payments is no less easy than checking your balance. On all devices the use is almost the same, the important thing is that NFC is turned on.
Here’s how to use the Samsung A51 NFC as an example, please listen, yes:
- Go to phone settings
- Select Connection
- Swipe right on the NFC Payment button
After that, just hold the phone close to the NFC reader, then the payment will be automatically deducted. If you want to change this method, you can do this by selecting the “Tap and Pay” setting in the NFC menu.
How to use NFC on iPhone is the same. Once activated you just stick the back of the phone on the reader.
3. How to Use NFC for Online Purchases
To use NFC for online purchases, at the beginning the way to activate it is the same as usual. The only different steps are when you pay for goods purchased online.
Online purchases don’t have a reader machine, so you can stick the card to the back. The part of pasting the card that fits is in the area around the camera, yes.
4. Using NFC to Share Media files
How to use NFC for various media files is similar to infrared when compared to old phones.
For how to use NFC on Xiaomi and other phones to share media, it’s the same, yes, the steps are:
- Go to settings
- Search for NFC and activate it
- Open the beam feature which is usually under the NFC menu
- Open the file you want to share
- Press send and close each part of the phone
A small note, to be able to do file sharing with NFC, the beam feature on both phones must be active, yes. If one of them is not activated then it cannot and is not detected as well.
In addition to the benefits of using NFC above, there are actually many other NFC functions. This technology was developed several years ago. So its function is not limited to payment only. Other NFC functions include:
- Connect wifi fast
- An alarm function that can only be turned off when you’re playing with your phone
- Automatic driving mode settings on iPhone
Hopefully the above method of using NFC, ranging from checking e-money balances to payments, can be useful. Using NFC is easy because you just have to paste it. However, there is still a password that ensures safe transactions.
