Apple has, over the years, shown interest in automated payment systems and has invested heavily in the industry. Apple Pay has been a testament to this since 2014, but the company is also targeting other innovative platforms, including launching a unique credit card. If you know how NFC has worked for the iPhone, you must also be curious about its compatibility with iPads.
So, do iPads have NFC? The iPad does not support NFC due to hardware incompatibility issues. The feature is only possible if the device has an NFC chip and a supporting antenna. Only the iPad Air 2 and Mini 3 feature the chip, but they don’t have the antennae, eliminating any chances of iPads running the software. The chip is specifically for the safe storage of the user’s details and serves no other purpose.
Thanks to the debut of iOS 8.1, you can now make contactless payments provided that you have an iPhone 6 or version 6 Plus. Apple Pay is available for newer phone models, and users with iPads are also anxiously waiting for the system to launch on their devices. If you are one of the eager tablet owners, the following is the most recent information from Apple.
iPad Air 2 and Mini 3 have NFC chips but cannot make NFC transactions. The process is only successful if the device has a corresponding antennae hardware that works with the chip. Therefore, the absence of the antennae makes it impossible to make contactless transactions through your iPad.
The NFC chip’s primary role is security, serving as safe storage for your payment details. Apple has not yet confirmed whether any iPad model will support NFC, but for now, users can enjoy using the platform through their phones.
NFC technology is one of the most impressive inventions by Apple. It lets customers make transactions through their credit cards via Apple Pay or other digital systems, but the method is contactless.
It is handy for small businesses, as it helps them accept purchases without necessarily buying the required hardware from affiliate finance companies. The pioneer Apple device to facilitate this short-distance transaction method is the iPhone.
With time, users started hoping that the technology would transfer to other Apple devices like the iPad. Surprisingly, Teardowns revealed NFC chips inside two commonly used tablets, the iPad Mini 3 and Air 2.
Some were certain that Apple finally incorporated the NFC into iPads, but there is more to it. Besides having the chip, the tech only works if there is a complementary antenna to ease the entire process.
This chip is the exact version that the iPhone 6 uses to facilitate wireless Apple pay services, and it would make sense that the iPad would also support contactless payments. Unfortunately, none of the iPads features this additional hardware, leaving them out of the equation. It is confusing for many users because what’s the need for the chip if it doesn’t serve the intended purpose?
Generally, the chip’s primary role is security. It offers safe storage for the user’s payment-related information. Although you cannot utilize it for contactless transactions, Apple Pay can use this secure data to facilitate all your online payments.
Besides this, the chip doesn’t have any other NFC-related role on your device unless Apple decides to incorporate the antenna to make it a fully-fledged device for non-contact transactions. For now, you may have to stick to using the capability on your iPhone and enjoy the convenience of safer and faster transactions.
Does the iPad Pro Support NFC?
Making manual payments can be tedious, explaining why users prefer making automated transactions instead. With wireless transaction methods like NFC, you can settle your expenses quickly and conveniently. The technology is available on certain iDevices, but in this case, the focus is on one of the most commonly used tablets, the iPad Pro.
The iPad Pro doesn’t support NFC because it lacks the necessary hardware to activate or run the system. The firmware on the iPad isn’t designed to handle the process since the device lacks the antennae required to transfer data at a range of about ten centimeters.
Furthermore, the iPad Pro doesn’t have an embedded NFC chip, unlike other iPad models like the Air 2. Therefore, hardware incompatibility is mainly why the Pro cannot run NFC, unlike the newer iPhone versions.
Depending on your iPad’s version, it probably has an NFC chip, but it is dormant. Some individuals may also confuse Apple Pay with NFC, but the programs are different, however much they perform similar functions. Transactions and data transfers are usually from one device to the next but being an iPad owner leaves you off the list of Apple users that can access contactless payment methods.
For your iPad Pro to become NFC compatible, it must have the required hardware present in iPhones. It is imperative to have a working chip that facilitates the information transfer, and the tablet should have a corresponding antenna similar to the one NFC uses with phones. Moreover, the program will need powerful software, particularly the latest version, to run the system.
Unlike the phone, the iPad Pro has a massive display, but NFC would still work as a reliable payment device if it meets all the above conditions. Some users may ask about the essence of accessing NFC on an iPad Pro.
As much as an iPhone is portable and convenient, you may accidentally leave it behind but have your tablet, which would be a handy backup. Therefore, you can use it to pay for items and sort other bills, and it helps that NFC transactions and data transfer procedures are safer payment modes.
Additionally, the program has made settlements easier, faster, and contactless. With the NFC, you don’t need to carry around your credit cards, and the software does other tasks like payments for access to premises and much more.
Near Field Communication is still new in the industry but is highly sort after as innovators try to explore it further. Hopefully, Apple may change its mind in the future and allow NFC access with iPad Pro models.
How Do I Turn on NFC on My iPad?
NFCs have improved daily life by minimizing the hassles involved with conducting specific tasks. You may have heard that the iPad supports NFC and you may wonder how you may turn it off.
You cannot turn on NFC on any iPad because the tablets don’t support the software. The program entirely runs on iPhone 7 and later, but iPhone 6 uses it only for contactless payment. The iPad mini 3 and iPad Air 2 have embedded NFC chips for other uses besides data transfer and transactions.
The software on the iPad mini 3 and the iPad Air 2 is for data storage to enable Apple Pay to retrieve secure payment-related information. The NFC chip, in this case, doesn’t perform other tasks apart from offering safer data storage.
The iPhone fully supports NFC and is a unique construction for the handset. Although the phones have a similar design as iPads, tablets do not have the hardware to support the platform unless the manufacturer introduces it in the future. For now, iPads aren’t compatible with the technology, and the few models that come with the embedded software chip don’t utilize it for its intended role.
It is dormant, and there is no way to activate it, and it doesn’t serve a special duty in the device besides enhancing transaction security on digital platforms. Although it is clear that NFC is inactive in the iPad, you will be glad to know that it is simple to access it through your phone, as long as it has support. Since most individuals likely have an iPad and iPhone, it is worth knowing how to utilize the system, especially if you have an iPhone 7 or later.
Sadly, iPhone 6 users may require third-party applications to fully exploit the NFC perks like reading the Near Field Communication tags. However, both iPhone 6, 7, and better models feature the NFC chip and activating it is pretty straightforward.
From your phone’s home screen, go to settings and Control Center and on the open window, navigate downwards to find the NFC tag Reader tab and click the addition sign button beside it. You will easily access the NFC icon whenever you want to make payments or transfer data. Note that this procedure works for iDevices with the NFC on as a default, allowing you to place the phone close to another device running the software to initiate the intended action.
Alternatively, you can also use supporting applications on your iPhone 6 to run NFC. To activate it, locate the Settings to turn it on. Next, click More Networks, select NFC, and tap its switch on to begin. The latest iPhone models will detect the software near range and show notifications, allowing you to accept and follow the prompts to make transactions, share data, and perform other tasks like keyless access.
What Would NFC Support Mean for the iPad?
The iPad cannot handle NFC since it lacks the required hardware that supports the service. Users will have to keep using non-contact payment via their phones until Apple develops a way to back up the NFC chip in some iPads. Currently, here is what users are missing out on by Apple not supporting NFC on iPads.
NFC support for the iPad could be a game-changer in the finance and tech worlds because of the tablet’s design. Unlike the iPhone, an iPad would be an excellent device for users’ payment needs based on the display size and the number of owners who buy the gadget annually.
It would be an all-in-one option for all payment needs and an elaborate system for merchants to access services like goods registration and overall management. Apple would make a killing if it enabled NFC on the iPad and had a specific point of sale system collaborating with Apple Pay.
Apple has constructed some iPads with the same chips in NFC-enabled devices like the iPhone 6. However, the Air 2 and Mini 3 are only compatible with in-app Apple Pay purchases. The present chip is a step in the right direction because it is sufficient to help users make secure credit card payments, although not contactless like the NFC technology provides. If Apple makes a long-term decision based on the current market trends, the iPad may be a better option for NFC.
Many argue that Apple’s target consumers are small-scale businesses whose owners already have iPhones. Logically, these vendors may not find it necessary to buy another iPad when the iPhone already does the job.
On the contrary, the tablet has more enhanced features than the phone and may make a more convenient mode of payment. First, unlike the compact iPhone, it has a larger display, ideal for conducting other tasks in one device.
It can be a payment point to facilitate transactions and double up as an intricate system for merchants to manage everything business-related. Besides, some apps help users track sales and other aspects to help improve their businesses. If the iPad were compatible with NFC, it would be easier to handle transactions with the help of such applications.
It would even be better if Apple created a POS that works with Apple Pay to complement the iPad’s NFC capability. Luckily, the company maintains very secure modes of payment through all the apps, from Uber and Target, to many other services.
They all accept transactions via Apple Pay, allowing customers with iPads to securely pay for products with the Touch ID. Unfortunately, the Touch ID support in these newer tablets is exclusively for in-app Apple Pay but not retail stores.
Summary
NFC is gradually taking over the tech and finance world, making transactions faster and simpler. Apple incorporated it in the iPhone 6 and fully introduced it in the iPhone 7, allowing users to make transactions safely and comfortably.
However, the iPads seem to lag in this innovation since the company has not yet made them compatible with NFC. However, while the iPad Mini 3 and Air 2 show promise by featuring the NFC chip, it is still non-functional unless there is an antenna in the system to facilitate the process.
The case is different for iPads like the Pro since they don’t have the embedded chip or the antenna. Therefore, none of the tablets are compatible with NFC unless Apple features the hardware in their designs in the future.
