Oliver Haslam·

iOS 18.1 To Unlock iPhone NFC For Third-Party Apps Contactless Payments

Apple has announced that, as part of the iOS 18.1 launch, it will allow third-party developers to access the iPhone’s NFC functionality.

The move will allow for contactless payments to compete with Apple Pay and the Apple Wallet app for the first time.

Apple confirmed that the capabilities will launch as part of the iOS 18.1 launch in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, the U.K., and the United States. However, there was no confirmation of exactly when we should expect that the iOS 18.1 update will ship.

Alongside support for third-party payments, Apple’s opening of the NFC chip to iPhone developers will also allow them to make apps that act as car keys, hotel keys, and more.

Starting with iOS 18.1, developers will be able to offer NFC contactless transactions using the Secure Element from within their own apps on iPhone, separate from Apple Pay and Apple Wallet. Using the new NFC and SE (Secure Element) APIs, developers will be able to offer in-app contactless transactions for in-store payments, car keys, closed-loop transit, corporate badges, student IDs, home keys, hotel keys, merchant loyalty and rewards cards, and event tickets, with government IDs to be supported in the future.

This news comes as the European Union’s Digital Markets Act requires that the NFC chip within iPhones be opened to third-party developers. Apple confirmed that it would allow such a thing, although there was no mention of the EU in the press release announcing this news.

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