ST25R3916 and iPhone (iOS) not working

[abd-embed]

Hi,

I am using the ST25R3916 (NFC06A1 board) to perform NFC read/write operations with passive tags and Android-based devices (essentially used as passive tags without any background apps). Recently, I tried to use an iPhone, but I can't get it to work.

Do you have any ideas or suggestions?

Thanks 

[victor laraison]

Hi Visitor,
Thx for your interests in our products.
Regarding iOS and NFC Card Emulation Node, it was not supported by until iOS 17.4.
Since iOS 17.4, Apple pushed APIs that allows developer to develop iOS App with HCE (Host Card Emulation).

Ref to  HCE-based contactless transactions for apps in the European Economic Area - Support - Apple Developer

Unfortunately, we don't yet have the HCE Entitlement required for developing and testing the HCE. Request is still pending. 

We'll back to you once we have something new. 

Hope it clarifies.

Thx and br,

[abd-embed]

Hi Victor,

Thank you for your prompt reply.
If I understand correctly, we will absolutely need an iOS app to emulate a tag (whereas, with Android, an app is not required). Is it right ?

Regarding the ST side, is it just a software update for the ST25R3916, or will we need a new hardware setup for this?

Thanks.

[Brian TIDAL]

Hi,

the ST25R3916 is able to communicate with any tag or Card Emulation behaving according to the NFC standards. Can you provide more information about your use case?

Rgds

BT

[abd-embed]

Hi,

The use case is quite simple: I want to use an iPhone as a passive tag to retrieve its NFC UID. For example, when using an Android phone, I can read its UID by tapping it on the NFC06A1 board. No additional information besides the UID is required.

Thanks

[Ulysses HERNIOSUS]

Hi abd-embed,

there are some more caveats:

• To my knowledge iPhones are using random UIDs, so you will not be able to identify them based on this information - even if you would get it. To my knowledge also similar for Android based phones - no true UID is available. UIDs are to date always 7 bytes. Everything which is 4 bytes is not unique - except for some cards.
• There is one more alternative which is an NFC-enabled pass in the Apple wallet. But again for this the reader probably needs to implement Apple ECP and you need to have an NFC-entitlement from Apple to create NFC passes.

BR, Ulysses