Our smartphones have covered the connectivity section for a wide range of technologies and perhaps the least known and used is NFC technology . In this article we will explain its operation and the possibilities that gives us Android to get the most out of it. Can you come with us?
What is the NFC
Near Field Communication (NFC) - Near Field Communication in Spanish - is a wireless communication technology standardized in 2004 by the NFC Forum, founded by Nokia, Philips and Sony. The main feature of this technology is that it operates at short distances and at high frequency, allowing the exchange of data between devices.
In terms of its physical operation, NFC bases its operation on magnetic induction . The communication between devices is produced by the exchange of information that causes the creation of two magnetic fields generated by spiral antennas integrated in the devices in question . The magnetic field used by NFC has a frequency of 13.56 MHz, frequency that does not imply any risk to health and does not require the regulation of any body, so it is not necessary to use licenses.
One of the main advantages of NFC technology is that it does not require the creation of two magnetic fields , it can use a single device to create a magnetic field, while the second acts passively using load modulation to transfer data. It may also happen that both devices create their own electromagnetic change . The first mode of operation is called passive , while the second is the active mode of operation .
All devices complying with the NFC standard must support both modes , so as users we do not have to worry about the mode of operation.
How to take advantage of NFC technology in Android
Android gives us a whole range of possibilities to use NFC technology in different ways. First we must consider that not all smartphones with Android incorporate NFC and although more and more, the number of devices with this technology is small compared to the total market for Android devices.
After informing us about the compatibility of our device with NFC, the next step is to activate it but we have already done it. On most devices we can access the NFC configuration in the section on Wireless & networks . Here we just have to check the box corresponding to NFC and Android Beam step, which we will talk about later.
With NFC and Android Beam enabled we can already take advantage of all the goodness of NFC in our Android. In the following sections we will see some of the most interesting functions that NFC technology provides
Compete data via NFC
To share data via NFC we must take into account some considerations:
- Both devices must have an NFC chip and have NFC enabled in the Android settings .
- No transfer can be made with any of the devices in sleep mode.
- We will receive a sound and haptic alert when receiving a transfer request via NFC.
- We must not separate the devices until the transfer has begun .
- We will receive an audible and haptic alert upon completion of the transfer.
Use Android Beam to share content
Android Beam allows us to share all types of content through the entire Android system , in addition to third-party applications if they have support implemented. Content ranges from images, videos, through contact information, web pages, YouTube videos, to applications. The steps to share content through Android Beam thanks to NFC technology are always the same regardless of content type:
- Open the content to be shared.
- Join the two devices on the back.
- The screen of the device initiating the transfer will display a preview of the content. Clicking on the screen will start the transfer.
- Upon completion of the transfer we will be notified by audio and a notification that will lead us to the correct application to open the received content.
Contents of small dimensions such as links to websites, YouTube videos, contact information, etc. will be transferred through the NFC protocol itself. For large files such as local videos Android Beam will establish a Bluetooh gateway , using the latter protocol to perform the transfer.
Using NFC Tags
NFC tags, commonly known by their English name, NFC Tags , are small passive NFC devices that can store small amounts of information that can be read by some active NFC devices such as a modern smartphone . These tags can contain links to web pages, contact information or commands and settings that can interpret a device and act accordingly to them.
Running these settings and commands allows us to make changes to the settings of our smartphone just by bringing it closer to an NFC tag. We can turn Wi-Fi on and off, change volume settings, screen brightness, start a playlist, set up a periodic action and an endless list of actions.
Stay tuned since in the next weeks we will prepare in Andro4all a tutorial in which we will teach you how to get the most out of these NFC tags.
CONCLUSIONS
As you have seen NFC technology has all kinds of uses and great potential. Its main utility at the moment is to share files between devices, but in the next few years will allow us to pay with our smartphone using it as a credit card or sign on the way to work . Even large event organizers can control the number of attendees using NFC-equipped step controls. As you can see there is a wide range of options thanks to the NFC that we hope will be used by all parties involved.