The British government is reportedly putting pressure on the Cupertino company to open up its NFC technology. The aim of the maneuver would be to allow an app developed for the United Kingdom to scan the chips contained in passports. This falls within the framework of adigitalization of the UK residency application processby people from the European Union. But for the moment, only the Android app would be functional. The iPhone's NFC chip is still too restrictive to offer the same functionality on the iOS side:
Thus, Secretary Sajid Javid of the British government went directly to see Apple in Cupertino to try to negotiate on the subject. As it stands, the app does not allow you to scan the chips integrated into the latest passports and read the person's information.
But the request was unsuccessful. Apple remains very closed with regard to NFC technology andCoreNFC, the tools allowing third-party developers to take advantage of it on iPhone.
However, withiOS 11, TheniOS 12, NFC has already opened up to uses other than Apple Pay, which for a long time remained the only functionality to benefit from NFC on iPhone.
For the moment therefore, despite some restrictions lifted thanks to the latest versions of iOS, NFC still does not allow this British app to work as it should.
This could change in the future, given that the UK is not the only actor lobbying. The Netherlands is also awaiting positive feedback from Apple on the subject, for the development of apps to scan the passports of the Dutch.
Also read:
- On iPhone XS and XR, even when the battery is empty, NFC can still be used
- Reading NFC tags becomes (more) practical with the iPhone XS and XR
- The Navigo ticket can be boarded on a smartphone, but not on the iPhone, for the moment?
- Extended NFC opening in iOS 12 to open... doors, and more!
- Apps for reading NFC tags with the iPhone are available on the App Store: inventory (iOS 11)
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By : Keleops AG
Editor-in-chief for iPhon.fr. Pierre is like Indiana Jones, looking for the lost iOS trick. Also a long-time Mac user, Apple devices hold no secrets for him. Contact: pierre[a]iphon.fr.
