Description of nfc. NFC technology, why is it needed in the phone. Contactless payments
NFC is a contactless communication system that allows data exchange between smartphones, tablets and laptops. With it, the user can access the connected device and exchange information without manual pairing, as is the case with the well-known Bluetooth function on the phone. Thanks to its speed and convenience, the technology has already become mainstream.
How NFC works on a phone
Without knowing the details, you can decide that NFC is an advanced Wi-Fi or Bluetooth technology. They have certain similarities. All three functions provide wireless communication and data transmission. The difference is that NFC works through electromagnetic fields, while Wi-Fi and Bluetooth use radio transmissions. That is why the range of NFC is much lower than that of the other two technologies.
There are two types of NFC devices: active and passive. Passive devices such as smart posters, product tokens, and contactless POS terminals store information for reading by active devices, but cannot access external information itself. Active devices read the tag and automatically start executing it.
Mobile payments
In a convenient way, you can pay for both the purchase of any little thing, and a serious purchase
Payment by mobile phone works on the same principle as conventional bank cards that support the contactless payment function. To make a purchase, now you just need to bring your phone to the terminal and, depending on the selected mobile application for storing bank card data (Samsung Pay or Android Pay), unlock the screen, enter a PIN code or use a fingerprint.
Wireless data transfer
Secure data transmission system is safe for both users
With the help of NFC and Android Beam, you can instantly share: web pages, contacts, photos, videos, directions in Google Maps, etc. Sending will begin after the application of one phone to another and a light touch on the screen.
NFC tags
Tags are easy to use
Tags are small chips that contain instructions for mobile devices. As soon as the phone is in close proximity to the tag, it automatically starts to execute the program written in the chip.
They can be used in different situations, here are the cases when they are really useful:
- Wi-Fi password tag. Guests just need to bring their phone to the tag left in a prominent place, so that the phone immediately recognizes the signal and connects to Wi-Fi on its own.
- A tag on the desktop that automatically puts the phone on silent mode, launching some of the applications it needs to work.
- Label by the bed for automatic translation phone in night mode.
Which Samsung Galaxy models support this feature
NFC is not uncommon. It is used on many modern phones and in almost the entire Samsung Galaxy line:
- Samsung Galaxy S9;
- Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus;
- Samsung Galaxy Note8;
- Samsung Galaxy S8;
- Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus;
- Samsung Galaxy C9 Pro;
- Samsung Galaxy C7 Pro;
- Samsung Galaxy C7;
- Samsung Galaxy C5;
- Samsung Galaxy A5 (2016);
- Samsung Galaxy S7;
- Samsung Galaxy S7 edge;
- Samsung Galaxy J5 (2016);
- Samsung Galaxy A9 (2016);
- Samsung Galaxy Note5;
- Samsung Galaxy S6 edge+;
- Samsung Galaxy A8;
- Samsung Galaxy S6 edge;
- Samsung Galaxy A7;
- Samsung GALAXY Note4 (Dual-Sim);
- Samsung GALAXY Note Edge;
- Samsung GALAXY Note4 (32GB);
- Samsung GALAXY S5;
- Samsung GALAXY Note3;
- Samsung GALAXY Grand 2;
- Samsung GALAXY Note II (LTE);
- Samsung Galaxy S III (LTE);
- Samsung GALAXY SIII.
The NFC sensor can be located anywhere under the back of the phone. For example, in the Samsung Galaxy S6 it is located in the central part, in the C5 Pro it is next to the camera, and in the Samsung Galaxy Note II it is under the logo.
Location in the central part Location in the camera area Location under the logo
In appearance, it resembles a flat antenna that does not take up space under the cover of a mobile phone. On many devices, this antenna looks like the photo below. Recently, people have begun to build them into phones that did not originally have this function, this is also possible.
NFC can be built into an older smartphone model
How to use NFC
To use NFC, it must be enabled. Just like Bluetooth, it must also be kept turned on until the end of the data transfer or any other use.
To transfer links, contacts, photos, any other multimedia files and pay using your mobile phone, the NFC function must be enabled on both devices:
- Launch the Settings app from the home screen or menu.
- Select NFC and payment.
- Click the switch to enable NFC.
Switching on is done in three steps
How to share files
To transfer files, in addition to NFC, Android Beam must also be enabled:
- Open "Settings" from the home screen.
- Select NFC and payment.
- Tap Android Beam.
- Tap the switch to turn on Android Beam.
Activate Android Beam to work
To send an image or video, follow these steps:
How to set up Samsung Pay
Samsung Pay only works on Galaxy flagships and A-series smartphones. Unlike Android Pay, which is available for any smartphone starting with Android 4, Samsung Pay can be used even on terminals that do not support contactless payment. In this case, the proprietary technology of emulating the magnetic stripe of the card is turned on.
To work with the application does not require an Internet connection, all user data is stored on a special chip with a high level of protection. The developers took care of the safety of users by adding several levels of security when making purchases:
- Tokenization. This means that the application does not reflect card numbers. Instead, a token is stored in the phone - a digital code generated randomly.
- Fingerprint authorization. All purchases are confirmed by scanning the owner's fingerprint. No other person will be able to use the cards attached to the phone.
- Samsung Knox. A security system that monitors possible threats and attacks.
How to link a card to pay for purchases
- Launch Samsung Pay, click Launch.
Launch Samsung Pay
- Add your fingerprint or PIN to Samsung Pay to verify your payment.
Fill in the card details
- Confirm your actions via SMS.
Enter code from SMS
- The system may require you to add a personal signature, enter it. After that, the card will be ready for use. To pay the owner will only have to:
- Enable NFC.
- Unlock screen.
- Bring the phone to the terminal.
- Confirm your identity by touching the fingerprint sensor with your finger.
All this takes no more than 30 seconds, which is very convenient. Up to 10 cards can be added to one phone.
Analogues
Samsung is by no means the only company that makes phones with NFC. Today, this technology is present on many smartphones from operating system Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. However, manufacturers, as a rule, embed this module only in phones of a higher price category; budget phones often do not have it. Nevertheless, there are many phones with NFC. For example, the site of the Svyaznoy store presents about 150 models of smartphones with a built-in NFC module, of which only 68 models are from Samsung.
The easiest way to find out if a particular phone has this feature is to view specifications. Don't despair if it doesn't. The solution to this problem has already been SIM cards with built-in antenna. It can be used on any phone.
So, NFC is not just a fashionable, but also a very useful feature, which in the future may well replace conventional plastic cards to pay for any purchases. Don't Worry About Security Because Developers Worry About It mobile applications and, it is worth noting, very effective.
Most modern phones, smartphones and tablets are equipped with a short-range communication chip. With its help, payment for contactless payments is carried out, the exchange of various files with other similar devices. To use useful functionality, you need to know how to enable NFC on Android.
Technology Description
NFC is a microchip that allows data to be exchanged between two devices. The transmission of information is carried out only at a short distance due to radio frequencies. The chip is mounted directly "into the body" of a smartphone or tablet. The work is provided by a special application Android Beam.
Before you figure out how to enable the NFC function on Android, you need to determine the presence of technology on the device. You can determine the presence of a chip in the following ways:
How to turn it on
Enabling NFC mode on your phone is very simple. To do this, follow these steps in sequence:
Do I need to enable NFC on my smartphone when paying?
When making contactless payments through the terminal using a smartphone, you do not need to enter the application and turn on the mode. The chip will automatically start working when you wake up from sleep mode and release the lock.
The range of use of this technology is very wide: you can transfer all kinds of content, pay for services like a credit card, pay for travel and groceries, use it as a key card, etc. The use of NFC will be considered on the example of Android devices, because. they are the most actively equipped with the appropriate adapter.
Does my smartphone have NFC?
It is very easy to make sure that there is an NFC chip in your tablet or smartphone. For example, Samsung labels the batteries of its devices with the appropriate inscription:Sony puts the NFC logo directly on the cases of its devices, but it is best to check through the gadget menu. To do this, we do the following.
First step. Open settings.
Second step. Go to the settings section wireless networks, tap "More ...".
Third step. If there is an NFC chip, we see its settings section.
Turn on NFC
Does your device support NFC? Amazing! It remains only to activate the function.First step. In the NFC settings menu (the path was indicated earlier), we activate the line "allow data exchange when combined ...".
Second step. Click on Android Beam and tap Yes. We do this if the Beam did not turn on on its own.
Important! If Android Beam is disabled, the ability to interact with other NFC devices and tags will be limited.
Instructions for transferring content via NFC
To transfer content via NFC to another device, we work in the following order.First step. Open the file (for example, a photo) that you want to transfer.
Second step. We lean smartphones / tablets with back covers against each other. Some removal is allowed (no more than 7-10 cm).
Third step. We are waiting for the devices to find each other. A notification about this will appear on the display of the sending device. It looks like this:
Fourth step. We tap on the screen. Content transfer starts.
As a rule, the system issues a sound notification at the moment of the beginning of the information transfer and after its completion.
Can not be transferred:
applications;
videos broadcast from the YouTube service;
web pages.
When trying to transfer the listed content, the recipient will receive a link to it in the corresponding service.
Interaction with NFC tags
The range of use of NFC technology is not limited to the transfer of user data. Using a device with such a chip, you can read and transmit information to special NFC tags and cards.
The NFC chip has an extremely modest size, which allows you to embed it anywhere. For example, in a price tag, headphones, a business card, etc. Such a chip may contain both information and commands that the device must execute upon contact with the tag (for example, turn off Wi-Fi, turn on wireless headset etc.).
To read information from this kind of tags or write your data into their chips, you need to install the appropriate application on your smartphone or tablet. For example, the Yandex.Metro program will allow you to find out the remaining number of trips on the metro card via NFC. By installing the NFC App Launcher application, it will be possible to configure the Android gadget to perform a series of actions by programming the NFC tag accordingly.
It seems that the days when you could notice the wide eyes of the seller at the checkout if you decided to pay for your purchase with a smartphone have already passed. Over the past few years, NFC technology has actively stepped into the masses (Apple played its role here with its iPhone), but its main advantage turned out to be that the function is available not only to expensive smartphones, but also to devices in the middle price segment. Let's take a look at some of them and see how this technology works.
NFC is a high-frequency wireless communication technology with a short (no more than 10 cm) range. It works thanks to radio frequency identification (RFID): using radio signals, data from transponders is read and written. The connection establishment time between devices does not exceed 0.1 seconds. The operating frequency for NFC is 13.56 MHz, the maximum data exchange rate does not exceed 400 Kbps.
How NFC works
NFC is based on electromagnetic induction: at a frequency of 13.56 MHz, the reader's transmitter, using an antenna, constantly emits a signal in the form of a sinusoid. The sensor also has an antenna, and when the sensor and reader are separated enough for NFC to work, a magnetic field is generated by an alternating current in the reader's coil. After that, the current is created in the second coil - the sensor. This energy is easily enough for the latter to work, so NFC is able to work with passive devices.
In passive mode, the reader creates an electromagnetic field, the NFC tag modulates it and generates a response. That is, the tag does not need to be connected to a power source or have a built-in battery, so its size can be reduced to a minimum.
In smartphones, the NFC antenna is usually fixed under the back cover for a more stable signal. It allows the device to become not only a means of payment and a travel ticket, but also a key or loyalty card of the store. Moreover, the technology is available, including to budget smartphones: there is an NFC chip, for example, in, and.
What is NFC for?
There are currently three main areas of application for NFC. The first and most common is card emulation for contactless payments. An NFC-enabled smartphone can pretend to be a bank card or a subway ticket. At the same time, bank card data is not stored in the phone's memory, but on a special chip, similar to that used in EMV standard cards. It encrypts all data, manages the authentication process and starts payment transactions. The means of payment may be , or more .
The second area of application for NFC is reader mode. In this mode, the smartphone acts as a scanner for NFC tags containing various additional information. Recently, NFC tags have begun to replace barcodes in Western stores. They can be found on food in supermarkets and, by bringing an NFC-enabled device, find out the expiration date and composition of the goods. NFC tags are also used to display interactive advertising information.
Many have heard about this technology, but not everyone knows what NFC is, why a corresponding module is needed in a smartphone, and what benefits it can bring to its owner.
By the way, in Samsung smartphones this opportunity appeared a long time ago - back in 2011. Already the very first Galaxy Note already included (albeit optionally) an NFC adapter, just like its "contemporary" Galaxy S2 (I9100). And the joint Samsung Nexus S had one back in 2010.
What is NFC?
The full decoding of this abbreviation is Near Field Communication, which can be translated as “near field communications”. I must say that the range of the NFC antenna is actually very limited and usually does not exceed 10-20 cm.
This technology allows for contactless data exchange by induction of a magnetic field, and both passive exchange (say, a card-terminal) and active exchange (two smartphones) are possible.
The technology is found widely outside of mobile technology, such as for transit cards or gated cards that lean against turnstiles.
Data transfer
Initially, there was little benefit from NFC technology in smartphones. For example, it allowed to transfer data between two devices with almost instantaneous detection of the receiver, but it was associated with two inconveniences at once:
- The data transfer rate is almost at the level of the infrared port.
- The need to keep smartphones in close proximity to each other.
Thus, as a means of data transmission, NFC definitely lost to more convenient and faster solutions - Bluetooth and WiFi Direct.
Contactless mobile payments
True, NFC support in smartphones became a really useful thing, however, only with the release of Android 4.4 KitKat, where full-fledged support for contactless bank card emulation with MasterCard PayPass and VISA PayWire technologies appeared.
Previously, it was only available for Nexus smartphones using a proprietary google apps Wallet (does not really work outside the US).
However, thanks to Android 4.4 KitKat and later, a fairly large number of applications have already been released around the world that allow you to use a smartphone instead of a payment card.
By the way, with the help of special software, a smartphone can even be turned into a payment terminal that can accept MasterCard PayPass and VISA PayWire cards for payment.
Perhaps the most versatile application that allows you to issue a contactless bank card or connect an existing one.
Issuing a new card:
- Tinkoff is a prepaid MasterCard PayPass card, there is a possibility of simplified identification for expanding limits and payments abroad. Using the card and SMS-informing is free of charge. The downside is the lack of transaction history (only in SMS and upon request on the bank's hotline). Free replenishment on the bank's website and in many terminals.
- Russian Standard is a virtual MasterCard PayPass without identification and with low limits. Useless when paying overseas. There is a history of transactions.
Also in the application, you can store discount cards of various stores without having to carry them with you every time.
It is possible to work on a rooted smartphone (a warning about the removal of responsibility is issued).
This application also allows you to pay for smartphone purchases using VISA PayWire. To activate payment via NFC, the smartphone must have a “clean” non-rooted firmware.
When identifying the level "Standard" and above, payment for goods and services abroad is available.
The contactless payment feature has appeared in this Android app relatively recently. Upon activation, a separate contactless card is generated, which is attached to the wallet. When paying, a write-off is made from the main balance.
It is possible to work on smartphones with active root mode.
"Corn"
In the application for the popular Russian payment system there is also support for contactless payment, and if the Corn cards themselves are issued on MasterCard “plastic”, then the virtual NFC card in the application is VISA PayWire.
In order to use contactless payment in the application, the user must have an active "Kukuruz" card and a non-rooted smartphone. Note that this function may not work on Chinese smartphones with NFC, which, according to the program, have a “strange” system that has been modified (due to the general curvature of Chinese firmware).
Mobile application from Russian Standard Bank
In this application, it is possible to issue a contactless card for payments, and it is not at all necessary to be a bank client. However, there is no possibility of identification even for existing customers, so the card is very limited in terms of limits and cannot be used for payments outside of Russia.
Mobile Privat24
This application may be useful for users of smartphones with NFC from Ukraine. Bank customers can create a virtual card for contactless payments using a smartphone. The card is attached to one of the existing accounts in any currency.
Emulation of electronic travel documents
Modern cards for public transport (for example, the Moscow Metro) are often based on NFC technology. Therefore, with the help of special programs, they can be easily copied and used as a smartphone instead of a travel pass.
Other use cases
A smartphone with NFC module support can also be used as a terminal for reading/writing contactless cards. There are programs that allow you to unlock the smartphone screen using a contactless smart card.
