Apple Opens iPhone's NFC chip to developers, enabling contactless data exchange in apps
TapTechNews August 14th news, Apple just released an announcement stating that it will open the NFC chip of the iPhone to developers to use the secure element to perform contactless data exchange functions in their own apps.
With the new NFC and SE (Secure Element) APIs, developers will be able to implement in-app contactless data exchange, which can be used for in-store payments, car keys, closed-loop public transportation, enterprise badges, student IDs, house keys, hotel keys, merchant points and rewards cards, and even event tickets, and in the future, it will also support identity documents.
TapTechNews reminds that this function will make its debut in a future beta version of iOS 18.1 and will be provided to developers in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States first, but will also support more regions in the future.
Apple also said that users can set a third-party application as the default contactless application through the Settings application on the iPhone.
Apple added: In order to incorporate this new solution into iPhone apps, developers need to sign a business agreement with Apple, apply for NFC and SE authorization, and pay the relevant fees..
Developers will soon be able to use the secure element to provide in-app NFC data exchange functions.
With the release of iOS 18.1, developers will be able to use the secure element in the iPhone to provide NFC contactless data exchange functions in their own apps without going through Apple Pay and the Apple Wallet. Using the new NFC and SE (Secure Element) APIs, developers will be able to provide in-app contactless data exchange for in-store payments, car keys, closed-loop public transportation, enterprise badges, student IDs, house keys, hotel keys, merchant points and rewards cards, and even event tickets, and in the future it will also support identity documents.
User safety and privacy have always been regarded by Apple as the top priority. This new solution aims to empower developers to provide a safe and secure way to provide NFC contactless data exchange functions in their own iOS apps. The NFC and SE APIs utilize the secure element, which is a certified industry benchmark chip that can securely store information on the device side. Apple invests a lot of resources to design solutions that protect user safety and privacy, and uses a number of Apple proprietary hardware and software technologies, including the Secure Enclave, biometric verification, and Apple servers, when performing contactless data exchange. To use the contactless data exchange function brought by the above APIs in an app, users can directly open the app or set this app as the default support in iOS settings, and double-click the side button of the iPhone to initiate the data exchange.
In order to incorporate this new solution into iPhone apps, developers need to sign a business agreement with Apple, apply for NFC and SE authorization, and pay the relevant fees. This will ensure that only authorized developers who meet specific industry and regulatory requirements and commit to complying with Apple's long-term safety and privacy standards can use the relevant APIs. The NFC and SE APIs will be provided to developers in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States through the upcoming iOS 18.1 developer resources, and will also support more regions in the future. Developers and users will continue to enjoy the easy, safe and privacy-protected experience brought by Apple Pay and the Wallet app.