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How to Read NFC Tags on iPhone

by Kaushal

NFC tags are simple passive devices that store information that can be read by any NFC reader or even iPhone. The information can be your contact details, a website URL, your social media handles, your ID, etc. These tags come in all shapes and sizes, ranging from keychains to implants. Depending on your use case, you can put them around the house, in the kitchen, in your car, or wherever you want to access it. Let’s understand how you can read NFC tags on iPhone in more detail.

How to Read and Scan NFC Tags on iPhone

NFC has existed on iPhones since iPhone 6 but you could only use it to make payments with Apple Pay. The ability to read NFC tags only came to the iPhone 7 and above (if the iPhone is updated to the latest iOS 14).

If you have an iPhone XR or a newer model including the iPhone SE 2nd gen, you can read an NFC tag without actually activating NFC on your iPhone. On the other hand, older iPhones, mainly iPhone 7, 8, and X require you to manually activate the NFC to scan a tag.

Read the NFC Tag on iPhone XR and newer

To scan an NFC tag on the latest iPhones, follow these steps:

1. Locate the NFC tag.

2. Bring your iPhone near the NFC tag and tap the top left corner of your iPhone with the tag gently.

3. The iPhone would instantly read the contents of the tag and show a pop-up message. Tap on the pop-up to take action.

Tip: Check out the best tips to customize the home screen on the iPhone.

Read NFC Tag on iPhone 7, 8, and X

Unlike the newer iPhones, iPhone 7, 8, and X do not have the capability of scanning tags in the background. You need to manually enable the NFC scanner and then bring your iPhone near the tag to scan it.

To scan an NFC tag on iPhone 7, 8, and X, follow these steps:

1. Swipe up from the bottom of the iPhone screen to bring up the Control Center.

2. Find and tap the NFC reader button on the bottom as shown in the screenshot below. It will activate the NFC reader and you can tap the top left corner of your iPhone on the tag gently. The iPhone will scan the tag and display the stored information.

nfc scanning on iPhone 7 in Control Center

Note: If the NFC tile doesn’t show up, go to Settings > Control Center and add the NFC tile to the list of active tiles. Also, know the meaning of various icons in Control Center of iPhone.

Read NFC Tag on iPhone 6, 6s, and SE (gen 1)

On older iPhones, you can use NFC only for Apple Pay. You cannot read NFC tags on such phones.

What Else Can You Do With NFC Tags on Your iPhone

There is plenty of cool stuff that you can do with NFC tags on your iPhone. The first thing you can try is customizing the rewriteable tags using an app on your iPhone. You can also use NFC to automate a set of tasks that would trigger whenever you read an NFC tag on your iPhone. I use it all the time to create pre-defined timers in the kitchen while cooking. Check out the other 20+ things that you can do with NFC tags.

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