What is NFC?
NFC stands for Near Field Communication. Essentially, it's a way for your phone to interact with something in close proximity. It operates within a radius of about 4 cm and provides a wireless connection between your device and another. This allows for two-way communication, with both devices involved being able to send and receive information. This NFC connection does not rely on Wi-Fi, 3G, LTE or otherwise, and it doesn't cost anything to use.
While it's just now becoming popular in the States, if you live in the UK, you have probably been using NFC for years now without even realizing it. Do you know those three curved lines on your credit or debit card that allow you to make contactless payments just about everywhere these days? Well, that's NFC. The first high street retail chain to introduce was Eat, was back in 2008. Now, the same technology is available is most Android smartphones, meaning you can use services such as Google Pay,Samsung Pay to digitalize your whole wallet.
How does NFC work on Android?
NFC transmits or receives data via radio waves. It's an established standard of wireless communication, so if devices stick to the NFC protocols they'll be able to communicate with each other. It differs from Bluetooth in that it functions through electromagnetic induction. This means there can be a passive device, such as a poster or sticker, requiring no power source of its own that can transmit data when an active device, like your smartphone, comes into contact with it.
As an active NFC device, a smartphone can send and receive data over NFC. It encompasses the full range - three modes - of NFC:
- Reader/writer (e.g. for reading tags in NFC posters)
- Card emulation (e.g. for making payments)
- Peer-to-peer (e.g. for file transfers)
Some problems with NFC on Android
- Not all devices carry an NFC chip, but they are becoming more and more common.
- NFC chips are not all located in the same place, resulting in some exploratory rubbing between devices.
- Cross-compatibility between devices is not universal, especially when it comes to specific file types.
Make a payment
NFC can also be used to make mobile payments from your smartphone or smartwatch. Download Google Pay and Samsung Pay which is preinstalled in Samsung Device's via the link below, add your credit or debit card details, then use it in any store that has a contactless payment terminal.
Connecting with NFC tags
NFC tags are small physical “tags” or “stickers” containing NFC chips that can be programmed to provide any kind of information to your smartphone. Typically, an NFC tag contains links to a web address, but it can also be set to perform certain actions with your smartphone, like turn on the Wi-Fi, or turn down the ringer. Where NFC presents an advantage over current QR technology is that there is no need for a “scanner app”: the information is immediately available.
Is NFC safe?
NFC communication happens over the air, and there is no real protection against eavesdropping and what is often referred to as man-in-the-middle attacks. However, due to the very close proximity required for NFC to work, these vulnerabilities are not such a big issue. After all, a thief would have to be within centimeters of your deceive to skim your data via NFC. If you are using Google Pay, you can rest assured that your credit card number is never transmitted. Instead, an individual digital account number is used to identify your payment details.
There you have it. NFC provides the quickest way to set up connections between electronic devices and provides the fastest solution for file transfer between handsets in close proximity. NFC is great for when you’re out of credit, out of data, have no Wi-Fi or carrier signal, or don’t have a cable to do a PC transfer. It’s quick, easy, and bumping two phones together is fun.
