Does NFC Work on iPhone and Android? What to Know

For an NFC Instagram keychain it matters that the other person's phone can read the chip. Fortunately most phones can.

iPhone

iPhones from the XS and XR onward read NFC tags automatically in the background, no app needed. You hold the phone near the tag and a notification appears to open the link. Older models such as the iPhone 7, 8 and X can read NFC through an app, so they need an extra step.

Android

Almost all Android phones from the past several years have NFC. Check in settings that NFC is on, then hold the phone near the tag with the screen on. Some budget phones don't have NFC.

Where is the NFC antenna?

Usually in the middle or near the top of the back. Move the phone slowly along the keychain if it doesn't respond straight away. The range is about four centimetres.

What if it doesn't work?

• Remove a thick case or a metal card behind the phone.
• Turn NFC on (Android) and unlock the screen.
• Turn the keychain so the front faces out and no keys or metal sit behind the chip, because metal interferes with NFC.
• Still stuck? E-mail us. Within 30 days of delivery we send a replacement or refund you.

Want to know how to put your link on the keychain? Read How to Put Your Instagram on an NFC Tag.