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I got a Nexus 7 last week, and I love it! It has NFC functionality, and I was wondering how I could test it?

I don't actually have any NFC tags that I can use (have you seen the price of them?!?).

So, how can I test NFC without NFC tags?

Liam W
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  • Do you just want to check if it can detect stuff, or do you actually want to configure it to do something? – Raghav Sood Jan 19 '13 at 17:21
  • NFC tags are really cheap, Google for Mifare Classic tags, should be a couple of quid tops for a few of them. If someone in your family has a wireless credit/debit card you could test it with that in addition to the other answers, Barclays and HSBC are rolling them out currently, maybe other banks. – Peanut Jan 19 '13 at 19:50
  • Be aware that the Mifare Classic tags are an outdated spec that might not be supported in future devices -- it seems they already won't work with the Nexus 5. – James B Jan 29 '14 at 15:46

3 Answers3

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The only solution for you is to use another NFC enabled device. Turn on Android Beam and try to beam something to the other device and vice versa. You can find how to use android beam here.

You cannot use apps to check it as they are only capable of checking whether NFC is turned on or not. Also the service menu tests is of no use without a tag.

And by the way, NFC tags are not that expensive. Try eBay and nfctagstore.com

Community
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Sid
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Take any NFC enabled thing to test it out and install this task launching app.

Now create an action using the app to do anything (click the + icon and follow instructions). When it asks you to write the tag, just touch the back of the device to your NFC enabled thing. It may fail to write, but it will still work.

Examples of some NFC enabled things you might just have lying around:

  • Metro cards
  • Some electronic keys
  • Any other NFC enabled phone
Raghav Sood
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  • I have none of them lying around, and what's a metro card? – Liam W Jan 19 '13 at 17:35
  • @LiamW Metro trains. Subway trains. Dunno what they're called where you live. Or if you even have them. – Raghav Sood Jan 19 '13 at 17:36
  • You can also find NFC chips in most office identity cards. Essentially, any electronic item that acts as a pass code or something, but doesn't have a magnetic strip to be swiped with is very likely to have NFC in it. – Raghav Sood Jan 19 '13 at 17:37
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    Borrowed my Mum's Uni card, worked! – Liam W Jan 19 '13 at 17:58
  • Also many newer Passports (specifically the ones that let you go through the biometric aisle in some airports) now have an NFC chip. Also if you have children that play the incredibly popular Skylanders game, then those toys all have an NFC chip in their base. – GAThrawn May 23 '13 at 15:08
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I tested it using the built-in NFC share feature of YouTube application between two NFC devices, namely a Nexus 5 and a Nexus 10.

gvisoc
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