Apple's iPhone NFC will be open to third-party developers after EU investigation
After the pressure to be iPhone In addition to NFC payment processes for competitors across Europe, Apple has decided to bring the same feature to more countries, including the US.
The European Union requires Apple to give rivals access to its technology under its recent Digital Markets Act (DMA). Now that Apple has created what it describes as a “secure way to offer NFC contactless transactions,” it is allowing developers in select regions.
Initially, these are the regions:
- Australia
- Brazil
- Canada
- Japan
- New Zealand
- United Kingdom
- US
More countries and regions will follow, but Apple has not yet announced a schedule.
For developers who now have access to the technology, this means they can offer in-app contactless payments, plus keys, rewards cards, ID cards and more. Developers can do this without Apple Pay or Apple Wallet, but still uses Apple's Secure Element to protect user privacy.
“Apple has committed significant resources to design a solution that protects users' security and privacy,” the company said. in a statement“which uses a number of Apple's proprietary hardware and software technologies to enable contactless transactions, including the Secure Enclave, biometric authentication, and Apple servers.”
From the users perspective, they can open an app and then make the transaction. Or they can set the third-party app as their default payment method.
In that case, they can double-press the side button of the iPhone to open the third-party payment system. It will take the place of Apple Pay.
Developers must submit an application to Apple to gain access to the NFC system. The application process involves a further unspecified compensationand developers must comply with various industry regulations.
The ability to use NFC as a third-party developer will be introduced along with the introduction of NFC. iOS 18.1later in the fall.