Guide
How to check NFC on your phone and read a tag
A step-by-step guide to NFC Enable: find out whether your phone has NFC, switch it on, and read what is stored on a tag.
Before you tap a transit card, set up an access badge or start a tag project, it helps to know two things: does this phone have NFC at all, and is it switched on? NFC Enable answers both and then reads simple tags. Here is how to use it.
Step 1 — Check the status
Open the app, tap Start, then Check status. After a short Checking… the status panel tells you one of three things, with a colour cue:
- NFC is supported and enabled — you are ready to scan.
- NFC is supported but disabled — go to step 2.
- The device has no NFC — no setting will change that, and the app says so plainly.
Step 2 — Switch NFC on
Open the gear and choose Open NFC settings. This jumps to the system screen that controls the radio. Turn NFC on, come back, and tap Check status again. The How to use page shows the same path if you need it later.
Step 3 — Read a tag
Tap Scan tag and hold the tag close to the phone. A successful read shows Tag read OK with:
- the tag's UID and technologies,
- NDEF type and size, and whether it is writable or can be locked (when the tag reports it),
- the number of records and their content for text, URI or MIME records.
If nothing happens, move the tag slowly around the back of the phone. Use Stop scan to cancel a session. The last tag you read stays under Last tag.
In a browser
There is a web version, but browsers are limited here: NFC works only in some Android browsers that support Web NFC, on a secure page. Other browsers show Web NFC not available in this browser. For the full status check, the settings shortcut and richer tag details, use the Android app.
What the app does not do
NFC Enable reads and reports. It is not a payment wallet and not a bulk tag writer. It also shows public device details — model, Android version, screen size and the like — which are handy in a support chat, without asking for extra permissions.
Settings hold the language (eight to choose from) and sound effects. Find screenshots on the NFC Enable page; the store button below shows where the app is live.
