Which phones can tap an NFC stand? iPhone and Android

Short answer. iPhone XS and later read NFC tags with no app. They show a banner, and the guest taps it. Android phones with NFC usually read tags while the screen is unlocked, unless NFC is switched off in Settings. Older iPhones and phones without NFC need a QR code.

Phone by phone

Phone	What happens on a tap
iPhone XS, XR and later, and iPhone SE from the 2nd generation	Reads the tag with no app. A banner appears and the guest taps it. If the phone is locked, it asks them to unlock it first.
iPhone 7, 7 Plus, 8, 8 Plus and X	The guest has to turn on the NFC reader from Control Center first. Guests may not know that, so point them to the QR code.
Older iPhones, and iPhone SE 1st generation	Not on Apple's list of supported models. Treat them as QR only.
Android with NFC	Usually looks for tags while the screen is unlocked, unless NFC is off in Settings. From Android 17, Android's documentation says a web link from a tag shows a notification the guest has to act on.
Android without NFC	Nothing happens. Needs a QR code.

We don't quote a percentage of phones in the UAE that have NFC. The only figure we traced was an official's remark from about 2013, and we found no current one.

When a newer iPhone won't read a tag

Apple gives examples of when background reading is off. Any of these can explain an "it did nothing" moment:

the phone has not been unlocked since it was restarted
the camera is in use
Apple Pay Wallet is in use
an app is already using NFC
Airplane Mode is on

Background reading also only works while the iPhone is in use, so a guest needs to wake the phone first. Notice the camera on that list. A guest with the camera open to scan will not get the tap, and the QR code is right there for them instead.

How to turn on NFC on Android

Samsung Galaxy

Settings, then Connections, then NFC and contactless payments.

Google Pixel

Settings, then Connected devices, then Connection preferences, then NFC, then Use NFC. If a Pixel has no NFC setting, it has no NFC hardware.

Other Android phones

Menus differ by brand. Search for "NFC" in the Settings app.

Where to hold the phone

The NFC antenna is in a different place on different phones. Google says it could be near the top or the middle of the phone. So if nothing happens, move the phone slowly over the tile before giving up. Thick or magnetic cases can also get in the way.

Why a link sometimes opens an app

If an installed app has claimed a link, iPhone opens that app instead of the browser. So a review link may open the Google Maps app rather than a web page. Nothing is wrong: the guest is still in the right place.

Why a stand should have a QR code too

A QR code covers the phones and moments NFC misses. iPhone's built-in Camera scans QR codes with no extra app, and so do Pixel's Camera and Quick Settings. Kyvo's counter stand carries both for this reason. NFC or QR compares them.

Where this comes from

The phone facts here come from Apple's, Google's and Samsung's own documentation, and the advice is our reading of them. Phone makers change these things, so check the links below if you are making a decision on this.

Which phones can tap?