Apple Watch NFC Tags

Dear Community / Apple,

I would like to ask in the name of many Smart Home Community,

There is any developing / There is any future plan about make Apple Watches able to read NFC Tags / Stickers?

Many of us would like to use Apple Watch to use Home Automations with NFC Stickers, but we have to use our iPhone instead of the Watch, what would be the most logical way to use these things.

We does not really understand why this was not added by default, and why we cannot find any official information about this?

Please provide us some answer, at least we should know should we still wait for this feature or this is not gonna be enabled by Apple?!

Thank you very much,
Gery
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Posted by
colethegamer
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  • Yes, please! It would be awesome to integrate NFC functionality into the watch for developer and consumer use similar to how it is done on iPhone.

    —
    cop2018
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I, too, would like to have some information on this. As a user of the Shortcuts App and many smart home devices connected through HomeKit, triggering automations by tapping an NFC tag with the iPhone is very convenient. It would be even better if this was possible with the Watch somehow.

Thank you.
Posted by
mxlje
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Yes,

Apple: Please consider enabling background NFC reading on watchOS and integrating our shortcuts automations.

Thank you
Posted by
codeRustler
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Just an amateur, here, but keep in mind that the reader device powers the NFC chip, wirelessly, so power use is a consideration and they may not want to drain the battery by that ability. Also, it requires another chip/radio/antenna and there may not be space inside. Again, just my thoughts.
Posted by
Apollyon
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  • Doesn't the watch already have the chip/radio/antenna? NFC is utilized for apple pay

    —
    stnickt

  • The Achim is already present, and it would utilize the sleep/wake operation that many other AW functions use to minimize power consumption.

    —
    tallrob
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Agreed!! This really needs to happen.
Posted by
RSG1
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Yes, i was googling in this and saw this thread. It would be very useful for automations. You don’t really have your mobile in your hands at home, but the watch is usually on the wrist.
Posted by
MrBjorn
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Seems logic to me, I don’t understand why this isn’t enabled.
Posted by
Gert_Diggler
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This would be extremely useful for a number of applications, beyond that of home automation. I agree that Apple should consider this. I hope you're listening, Apple!
Posted by
1nn0v4t0r
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  • 1 badly want it

Posted by
ulin
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I also really want this feature
Posted by
tjpaul
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This feature would be really helpful!
It would make life a lot easier. Please make it happen.
Posted by
Tilmanm
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I have bought a lot of tags for automations in my home and office, but after setting up a couple of simple shortcuts to turn on specific lights or appliences, i stopped using them, just because it is not convenient to carry my phone everywhere. I really hope background NFC reading would get implemented with Apple watch. That would open so many opportunities for homekit and automations..
Posted by
WhiskeyJan
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Yes, this is the missing feature for Apple Watch. We need it !!!
Posted by
MTei
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Yes ! That’s a must-have feature !
Posted by
Lpaso
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Started looking at using them for home automation as well. Works ok, but watch integration would make it actually useful!
Posted by
ApacheCtlX
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It’s definitely a missing feature. I pay with my watch, should be able to trigger an nfc tag with it.
Posted by
tallrob
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  • There's a big technical difference between the two. When you pay with your watch, your watch is acting like a tag, which is powered by the reader. It does require any power from the battery.

    When you want to read a tag, it's the opposite: it's the watch that needs to constantly send out EM waves to power tags that could be around. This would drain the battery pretty quickly.

    You'll notice that even on your iPhone there's a clear difference between the two scenarios: iPhones will detect a payment terminal even with the screen off. They will only detect tags when the screen is on.

    There could probably be something similar on the Apple watch (only trying to read tags when the screen is on), but it would still mean that anytime the watch is awake it uses more power than it currently does, reducing battery life. This is probably not a compromise Apple is willing to make.

    —
    jcaron-netisse

  • The Side button/Power button could be used just like when you pay, so the usage of the battery will be at minimum.

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    LeTuxedo

  • @jcaron-netisse The battery drain problem could further be mitigated with a setting to toggle the feature, similar to what many Android phones do with NFC.

    I wish we could reply to other nested replies (like Reddit)

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    Varg