What to do when the NFC tap doesn't work
When NFC fails, the problem is usually alignment rather than technology. If the antennas never find each other, nothing happens at all — and that silent failure is what confuses people.
1. Find the antenna
The NFC antenna isn't spread across the whole phone. On Android devices it usually sits in the upper-middle of the back; on iPhones it's very close to the top edge. Rather than stacking the phones flat, line up their top halves and move slowly. Most 'it doesn't work' cases are solved right here.
2. Cases, cards and metal
Thick cases, a bank card tucked behind the case and magnetic mounts with metal plates all disrupt the field. Remove the case while testing. Likewise, a tag stuck onto a metal surface won't read unless it's an 'on-metal' tag.
3. Settings and screen state
Confirm NFC is enabled in settings. Most devices won't allow card emulation while the screen is off or locked: wake the phone and unlock it. And if several payment or NFC apps are installed, the system may ask which takes priority — set the business card app as the preferred one.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know whether my phone has NFC?
Search settings for 'NFC'. If nothing comes up, the device doesn't have it — use the QR fallback instead.
I'm tapping and nothing happens.
Work through it in order: remove the case, align the top halves of both phones, wake and unlock the receiving phone, toggle NFC off and on. If it still fails, switch to the QR.
The contact arrives but accented characters are broken.
That's an encoding problem in the record. Rewrite the tag with an app that supports UTF-8, and test a simplified spelling of the name to confirm.
Turn your phone into your business card. Business Card Tap sends your details to another phone with a tap over NFC, and falls back to an on-screen QR code when NFC isn't available. Fully offline, no account.
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