NFC Expert Smartphone as payment method
NFC is ISO 14443 compliant and integrates many contactless cards, including bank cards that support MasterCard PayPass or VISA PayWave. The plastic card contains a microprocessor with an OS and a payment application for interacting with the data of a specific client. As soon as the card is inserted into or swiped across the terminal, it receives power to run the operating system. In the case of contactless cards, power, as we have already said, is obtained using the electromagnetic field of the reader.
With the advent of contactless cards, in fact, not necessarily a card can act as a payment instrument, but a smartphone, watch, key fob, and so on – it’s not the form that matters, but the presence of the necessary set of functions. Indeed, in smartphones with NFC support, as well as in plastic cards, there is a microprocessor. From Android 4.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tvf5bvNuD_4
To manage contactless applications remotely, smartphone manufacturers and service providers connect to TSM, a service that provides access to secure data on NFC-enabled terminals. It remotely controls the Secure Element chips in smartphones, while the smartphone itself is a kind of modem operating through a secure communication channel.
When making purchases over 1,000 rubles, you may be asked to enter a PIN code or sign a receipt – everything depends on the bank.
NFC Tags
This is another common way to use NFC on a smartphone. NFC tags have become very popular in shopping and advertising areas: they are embedded in posters, billboards, placed on goods in stores. Usually these are small stickers, the cost of which does not exceed 50 rubles. The costs are minimal, but what an effect! From getting more details about a concert or merchandise to a link to a trailer for a new movie.
You can create your own NFC tags, upgrade them and then use them in your daily life. As a rule, third-party software like NFC TagWriter is used for this. The application is quite simple and allows you to write many types of data to the tag – from a contact and a phone number to a web browser bookmark.
In fact, NFC tags are a real gift when it comes to automation. For example, you can stick a tag on your laptop and use the Trigger app to set the hotspot to turn on by selecting “Wireless & LAN” as the action. The simpler solution is to write the Wi-Fi password on the tag, stick it on the router, and then whenever guests ask for the password, send them to the NFC tag. Or else: set a mark near the bed and make it so that when touched on the smartphone, airplane mode is turned on (again using Trigger).
It will also be useful for motorists – they wrote down the algorithm for starting the navigator on the label, pasted it on the smartphone holder, and every time you install the device in this place, the navigator will start automatically.
And there are still very, very many such examples of the use of NFC tags. Often, the emergence of new cases is not limited by technology at all, but by the user’s imagination.
Checking the device for NFC
Would you like to try the technology in practice, but don’t know if this is possible on your device? Let’s check.
To do this, carefully open the back cover of a smartphone or tablet, in a situation where it can move away without damage and inspect the gadget’s battery.
In the presence of NFC development, you will see this abbreviation there. If the cover of the phone/tablet is not removable, then the corresponding icon or abbreviation will be located on the outside.
If for some reason you do not want or cannot remove the cover, you can make sure that such a communication method is available in the device settings.
Find the “Wireless networks” tab, then “More …” and if NFC is available on the device, then there will definitely be a corresponding item.
Open all doors
Someone implements this at home, but mostly the use of NFC for user identification and control is typical for enterprises and organizations. Turnstiles and locks are configured in such a way that with the help of a label, which is a pass, they decide whether to give its owner permission to enter or not.
With NFC in a smartphone, all the doors really open – if not literally, then figuratively for sure. In fact, the user receives a universal tool that, despite the speed limits, finds its application in a variety of situations. Here we are faced with another problem – the degree of prevalence of technology among service providers. The only thing that an ordinary user can do in this case is to use NFC as often as possible to show its relevance.
NFC activation
If you found it on your device, you must also activate access to NFC technology. You can do it like this:
- go to the “Settings” section and then “Wireless networks”, “More …”, where earlier you could make sure that NFC is available;
- confirm by clicking on the item “Allow data exchange when combining {amp}gt; device name {amp}gt; with another”;
- Android Beam is immediately activated on an Android smartphone. If this does not happen, click on it and select “Yes” so as not to disrupt the system;
Conclusion
Today, NFC is a modern solution for sending information. But not all smartphones support this technology. If your phone is not modified, then you can purchase a special antenna yourself. Install it under the cover of the gadget or take the spare parts to a service where a specialist will do everything for you.
Another way to get to know NFC personally is to buy a special accessory. Today, many companies offer to purchase memory cards, SIM cards, where the NFC is built in.
The prevalence of NFC has not reached impressive results, but this is not for long. Now it is mainly used for monetary transactions, although there are other areas of application. The main advantage of the modification is safety. Its principle of operation excludes accidental transfers of data and money to other devices.
Perhaps the best part about NFC is that the technology is available to a wide range of users. More and more manufacturers do not leave their smartphones without NFC, so it is available in devices like
(for $321.99 with code Mi5SGBS until 31.12) and
, and in flagships like
. The diversity is also pleasing
What about Apple and its iPhone 7, you ask? Alas, the manufacturer limits the operation of the NFC chip in its smartphone, and it can only be used for the Apple Pay payment system. In the fall, however, it launched in Russia, so at least some plus.
How do you use NFC in your daily life? Share your experience with us in the comments.
What should I do if the device does not support NFC?
Don’t worry if you don’t find the built-in function, there is a way to connect NFC to your device. But you can only do this if the panel cover on the back and the SIM card slot on your smartphone/tablet are removable. Installing NFC in this case is not difficult.
The best solution is to install a special module – an external communication device. It is compatible with almost all smartphones, easy to use and gives you access to NFC without buying a new phone.
Main types: chips, SIM cards, external devices, stickers. The last of them are of two types: passive – which do not allow data to be exchanged, and active – use Bluetooth and Wi-fi communication channels for transmission, which significantly increases energy consumption.
These stickers are attached to the outer shell of the phone, which is also not very practical.
The most popular are the following:
- NFC SIM. Now available for purchase from most mobile operators. You can find out about the availability of such a SIM in the communication salon. You only need to install the finished card in your phone or tablet. This type of module is the most affordable and easy to install.
- NFC antenna. The second way, for which you will need to purchase an NFC antenna. You can do this in the communication salon. Next, the antenna is attached to the SIM card and inserted into the device.
As you have already seen, installing the module is quite simple and safe: you do not need to download additional applications or programs. However, these services do not completely replace the Android Pay app, but are just some of its many features.
An NFC tag is a miniature device in the form of a chip that can be attached almost anywhere: from the phone to being inserted under the skin!
We will not use such radical methods, but it is worth noting that contacts, settings, a URL and other data and commands can be placed on the chip. All gadgets can support the tag.
In order to read data from such a device, you need to find a specialized official application on Google Play and then, after installation, you can give the tag various commands for execution.
NFC communication
The technology can also be used to transfer files.
To transfer data, you need to do the following steps:
- make sure that you have completed the activation of NFC and Android Beam;
- unlock the device, exit the “sleep mode”;
- check device detection with each other;
- connect;
- transfer data between devices;
- a specific beep will sound at the end.
Advantages and disadvantages of NFC
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNhIXoqt3P0
The main advantages are:
- low price;
- small dimensions of the device;
- high transmission speed;
- support on almost all mobile devices.
It is worth highlighting the cons:
- relatively small range;
- Not all devices are equipped with an NFC chip.
So, thanks to these notes, you have learned quick and easy ways to check your device for the ability to transmit information and interact with other technical means using Near Field Communication. By following the simple instructions in this article, you can also find out for yourself if your smartphone has this technology, integrate NFC into your phone and transfer the necessary files at high speed.