Apple is notoriously restrictive when it comes to NFC reading and writing on iPhones. While iPhones have been NFC-compatible since the 6 and 6+, this functionality was limited to payments via Apple Pay. That all changed in iOS 11 when the ability to write to third-party NFC tags was introduced.

Since then, NFC has seen some major compatibility changes, including the ability to interact with NFC tags directly from the home screen. With the recent launch of iOS 14, Apple has taken this compatibility a step further, introducing a dedicated control center module that gives you access to the NFC tag reader and writer on demand. Let’s take a quick look at it.

NFC tags are low-power data connections that can be established through physical contact with compatible devices such as iPhone 7 and later. They allow you to make payments and interact with items in ways you never could before. You can pay for items, open doors, activate locks, and interact with virtually anything NFC-enabled by simply tapping your iPhone.

iOS 14 takes this functionality a step further by introducing a quick-access control center module for NFC, the new NFC reader in iOS. This lets you quickly scan and interact with NFC tags that don’t have special support without having to unlock your iPhone. It also helps you manually interact with tags that don’t communicate right away.