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The Future. One of the most-used features on the iPhone these days is the NFC chip — the technology that allows users to make contactless payments with Apple Pay. Now, that tech will be open to third-party developers, who can retrofit its use for any contactless applications. Expect there to be a new app gold rush to take advantage of the accessibility.
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Soon, your iPhone could be the technological equivalent of a Swiss Army Knife.
- Following an antitrust investigation by the EU, Apple will let third-party developers offer in-app NFC transactions using the Secure Element” with the rollout of iOS 18.1, according to The Verge.
- That means developers can offer any number of uses for the tech, including “in-store payments, car keys, closed-loop transit, corporate badges, student IDs, home keys, hotel keys, merchant loyalty and rewards cards, and event tickets,” per Apple.
- Additionally, the tech will allow government IDs to be digitally scannable through the tech sometime in the future.
Developers in the US, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, and the UK will get first dibs on the access. But, they’ll need to “enter into a commercial agreement with Apple, request the NFC and SE entitlement, and pay the associated fees.”
As an added bonus, iPhone users will also be able to set a default contactless payment platform other than Apple Pay when they double-click their phone’s side button — the main purpose of the NFC chip.
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