NFC stands for Near Field Communication, which is a set of short-range wireless technologies that allow wireless data transmission over short distances using radio waves. NFC technology allows users to make secure transactions, exchange digital content, and connect electronic devices with a touch. NFC transmissions are short-range, typically requiring a distance of 4 cm or less to initiate a connection. Android-powered devices with NFC simultaneously support three main modes of operation: reader/writer mode, P2P mode, and card emulation mode.
- Reader/writer mode: This mode allows the NFC device to read and write passive NFC tags and stickers.
- P2P mode: This mode allows the NFC device to exchange data with other NFC peers; this operation mode is used by Android Beam.
- Card emulation mode: This mode allows the NFC device itself to act as an NFC card. The emulated NFC card can then be accessed by an external NFC reader, such as an NFC point-of-sale terminal.
NFC can be used to make easy payments with mobile payment services like Samsung Pay, Google Pay, and Apple Pay. NFC can also be used to quickly connect with wireless devices and transfer data with Android Beam. NFC tags can range in complexity, from simple tags that offer just read and write semantics to more complex tags that offer math operations and have cryptographic hardware to authenticate access to a sector. The most sophisticated tags contain operating environments, allowing complex interactions with code executing on the tag.
