Using iPhone 12 NFC reader

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Using iPhone 12 NFC reader

Does the ability to read NFC tags on the iPhone need to be switched on in some way? Googling says that should be a control centre switch for it but there isn’t one on my iPhone (maybe it refers to older phones?) or maybe NFC is permanently on and is supposed to be automatically activated when a NFC enabled app is run and the phone is held next to a NFC tag?

I ask because I have a travel smartcard where you are supposed to be able to load tickets bought on the phone onto the card but the card isn’t responding. Before I return the card as faulty, I’m trying to work out if I’m doing something wrong.

thanks.

iPhone 12, iOS 14

Posted on Apr 27, 2021 11:34 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

Sparks0829

Community Specialist

Apr 28, 2021 12:17 PM in response to ytzabar

Hi there ytzabar,

Thanks for joining us in Apple Support Communities! We understand an NFC tag isn't scanning as expected on your iPhone 12. We're glad you're here, and we can provide some guidance.

We'd like to start by clarifying that you won't see the option to enable NFC scanning in Control Center on iPhone 12 because it's supported automatically.

"Supported automatically on iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR, iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max, and iPhone SE (2nd generation). Supported after turning on NFC scan mode from Control Center on iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X." Have a look at the number 14 in the footnotes at the bottom of this link:

iOS 14 - Apple

With that said, if the NFC tag isn't scanning automatically when using the associated third-party app, you'll want to follow all the steps in this support article, including ensuring your iPhone is updated to iOS 14.5 and installing any updates available in the App Store:

If an app on your iPhone or iPad stops responding, closes unexpectedly, or won’t open

If the issue persists after working through those steps, you'll want to connect with the app developer for more help. This link will help you get started:

How to contact an app developer

We hope this information is helpful.

Take care.

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Answer 2

ytzabar Author

Level 1

30 points

Apr 28, 2021 1:13 PM in response to Sparks0829

Thanks for confirming what I already surmised. Having updated to 14.5 and also deleted and reinstalled the travel app, the card started to respond to the app. I’m still not sure what caused the issue, particular as the card was read ok by a Samsung phone and the card reader at the railway station. Funnily enough, only after I did these two things, was the card successfully read by my iPhone for the first time.

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Using iPhone 12 NFC reader

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