NFC not working? Here's how to fix it

NFC not working? You're not the only one. In fact, it's a common problem. We regularly get questions about it. Reason enough to write a blog about it. In this article we list the most common causes and how they can be solved.

Where does the problem lie?

Should NFC not work, the first thing to do is to rule out a number of possibilities. The problem could be in the NFC tag or in the phone. To check this, I recommend scanning the NFC tag with another phone. Does the task then perform? Then you know the problem is caused in the cell phone. Is the task not performed? Then chances are that the NFC tag is no longer working. In this situation, the chip may have suffered damage, causing the antenna to fail. In this case, you will have to replace the broken chip for a new one.

Should the problem be in the phone, there are a number of causes you should consider. We cover the most common causes below:

NFC does not work because the feature is turned off on Android

This problem occurs only with Android users. In fact, with Apple, the NFC function is always set to 'on' by default. It is not possible for iPhone users to set the NFC function to "off. Since NFC takes hardly any battery life for the device, Apple has chosen to keep the feature always on. This is a different story with Android. Here you can turn the NFC feature off or on. NFC is not working and you have an Android? Then first check your settings to see if the NFC function is off.

The application you scan with does not work

Do you have an iPhone 10 or older? Then you need to use an application to scan the NFC tags. Some applications don't always work very well. Make sure you use the right application to scan the NFC tags. We recommend using 'NFC tools' or 'NXP Tagreader'. Are you in doubt if it's because of the application? Then download another application to see if it works with that.

Apple blocks the task

Android has opened everything up to NFC. With Apple, this is a little different. In fact, they have not yet set up everything. One example is the business card. As soon as you scan an NFC business card with an iPhone, the task will not be performed. This is because Apple must then allow access to the contact information on the device, but they don't do this. Fortunately, this can be bypassed with a QR code. Some tasks are blocked by Apple. This may be the reason why NFC does not work.

NFC no longer works on your phone

Another cause may be that the NFC chip in your phone has stopped working. Although this is rare, we see it happen sometimes. It could be that the antenna is broken, which means you can no longer read the NFC tags. This is actually the worst-case scenario. You will have to buy a new phone to be able to read NFC tags again.

The NFC tag is empty

Of course, it is possible that something went wrong during programming. In this case, chances are that the NFC tag is still empty. You can check this by scanning the chip with another phone with NFC and see if a task is performed. Is this not the case? Then chances are the chip is empty. Program the chip and test if it works then. When programming, make sure you actually write the task on the tag. After you set the task, you also need to write it. This step is often skipped.

The message "No supported application for this NFC tag.

"No supported application for this NFC tag" is an error message that appears when a device attempts to read data from an NFC tag, but the device is unable to find a compatible app or service that can process that data. This means that the NFC tag is not configured in a way that is compatible with the device and the device is unable to read or process the data on the tag.

There are several ways to resolve the "No supported application for this NFC tag" error message:

1. Check if your device supports NFC: Make sure your device supports NFC and that it is enabled.
2. Use the right app: Install an app compatible with the NFC tag and try reading again.
3. Format the NFC tag: If the NFC tag is damaged or corrupted, you can format it. This removes all data from the tag and makes it ready for use again.
4. Try another device: Sometimes a device is unable to read certain NFC tags, so try another device.
5. Contact the supplier: If nothing works, contact the supplier of the NFC tag for help and support.