How to Check NFC Support on Your Android Smartphone

NFC, or Near Field Communication, is a wireless radio communication technology, that allows users to use NFC tags that trigger a function on their smartphones when it is brought close enough (around 4 inches) to the tag. This technology is also used in Google’s Daydream platform to pair the controller with the phone, and automatically launch the Daydream app when you place your compatible phone inside the Daydream View headset. However, not all Android smartphones come with NFC capabilities. So, if the question in your mind is “does my phone support NFC”, here is how you can check:

Check NFC Support with Third Party App

Do I Have NFC (Free) is an app on the Play Store that does only one thing. As soon as you launch the app, it checks your phone for NFC capabilities and tells you whether or not your phone has NFC. I tested the app out on a Moto G3, and a Google Pixel, and the results were exactly as expected, as you can see from the screenshots below.

Checking NFC Support Natively

If you don’t want to install an app, just to check whether your phone supports NFC, or not, you can do it via Settings, as well. To check if your phone has NFC capabilities, just do the following:

Go to Settings. Under “Wireless and Networks“, tap on “More“. Here, you will see an option for NFC, if your phone supports it. If the option isn’t there, your phone does not have NFC capabilities. In my case, the Moto G3 does not have NFC capabilities, so the option does not appear in Settings, while the Google Pixel, which does have NFC, has the option, as well.

List of Phones that Support NFC

Here is a list of Android Phones that support NFC. Feel free to let us know about any discrepancies, or omissions from this list, and we will update it accordingly.

SEE ALSO: How to Totally Automate Android Using Tasker

Check if Your Android Phone Has NFC Capabilities

NFC is a technology that can be put to use in a myriad of ways, automating tasks from basic things like triggering an SMS, to opening a web URL, placing a call, or doing basically anything that you can program onto an NFC tag. Contactless payment systems, like Android Pay, use NFC functionality to allow making payments without touching your device, or having to swipe a card. The possibilities are endless. Anyone can buy NFC tags for cheap, and program them to do whatever they want, allowing for endless innovation.

So, does your Android smartphone have NFC capabilities, and if so, what use have you put it to? As always, if you know of any creative uses of NFC tags, do share them with us in the comments section below.