Starting with iOS13, iPhones 7 and newer can read and write NFC tags. With this new feature, iPhones apps can write NDEF information such as URLs and text.
iPhones also enjoy native tag access to take advantage of features available on different NFC chips. This means that developers can create applications to access functionality beyond the basics offered by the NDEF standard.
iPhones (7 and newer) installed with an earlier OS (iOS12 or older) can only read NFC tags. This is summarized in the table below:
| iPhone Model | iPhone XR, XS, XS Max | iPhone 7, 8, X | iPhone 6 and older |
|---|---|---|---|
| OS | iOS12 | iOS11 or iOS 12 | (doesn’t matter) |
| Writes NFC Tags? | NO | NO | NO |
| Reads NFC Tags? | YES | YES | NO |
NDEF Record Type
|
No app needed
(a.k.a. Background reading) |
App required | |
|
App required | App required |
Below are the URI messages that can be read .
| URL Scheme | Example |
|---|---|
| Website URL (HTTP/HTTPS) | https://www.example.com |
| mailto:user@example.com | |
| SMS | sms:+14085551212 |
| Telephone | tel:+14085551212 |
| FaceTime | facetime://user@example.com |
| FaceTime Audio | facetime-audio://user@example.com |
| Maps | http://maps.apple.com/?address=Apple%20Park,Cupertino,California |
| HomeKit Accessory Setup | X-HM://12345 |
For more information, please refer to the CoreNFC documentation by Apple.