NFC Tags won't read after iOS 15.4 update

After updating to iOS 15.4 I can no longer read any NFC tags. I believe Apple Pay is working fine.

Replication:
Unlock iPhone, hold NFC tag to top back of phone (without case or other magnetic or metallic materials nearby). Default iOS behaviour should be to read the contents of a known working tag (works perfectly on an Android device) and display a popup to manage the tag information (e.g. Popup would ask permission to open Safari to open a web link programmed on a tag)

3rd Party Tools: Previous versions of iOS 15 beta allowed read and write of NFC tags using apps such as NFC and NFC Tools. I have used "normal" mode, compatibility mode, have attempted to (re)format the tag to no avail. When conducting a read or write using these tools a popup appears, but no tag can be read or written. "Ready to Scan" popup remains open.

Further steps taken: Hard Reset: No effect

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Posted by
BruceCalgary
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  • The same thing happened to me when I updated to 15.4.1. I am so frustrated. I have an iPhone SE 2020 and it's not even two years old yet. I use my phone to scan a continuous glucose sensor. It worked absolutely fine all day until I did the update. Immediately after I did the update NFC no longer worked. I did trouble shooting over the phone. Then went into a store. At the store the rep assured me that my phone was absolutely great and nothing was wrong with it -- despite the fact that it no longer read my CGM. In the process I tried two different expensive sensors to isolate if the issue was the sensor or the phone. Two sensors didn't work. I then used my son's phone to scan the sensor and it did work. Mind you, these sensors are $70 each and due to this issue I had to waste two of them. Since then I've had to carry two phones with me, mine and my son's old crusty iPhone 7 just so I can monitor my medical device.

    After I went to the Apple store and was told my phone was fine, I went to the grocery store a couple of days later and attempted to use Apple Pay. It didn't work.

    I returned to the Apple store and by the time all was said and done, three factory resets were done on my phone and a dozen other trouble shooting steps. Finally the apple rep tried to make an apple pay transaction on my phone and it didn't work. Only then did they agree that my NFC was not working.

    I'm pretty peeved about this. I am barely out of warranty. I can't read my medical device. My only choice is to spend hundreds on a new phone, carry two phones or purchase an expensive dedicated sensor from Abbott pharmaceuticals. Adding a bit more salt to the wound, I see that Apple has a website set up to explicitly promote the usage of apple products to doctors, medical systems and patients.

    Apple: If you are going to market wearable medical technologies to us, they have to reliably work. There are people who could actually die from this issue. It is no joking matter.

    Please resolve this issue immediately, offer those affected a fix or an immediate free replacement. Our health and well being has been threatened by a buggy iOS update. This is dangerous in addition to being unfair.

    —
    indigo_bunting

  • I found that if I turn off cellular, then I can read NFC devices. Not worth it for a silly device, but probably worth it for your GCM.

    —
    Ericmatt
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Replies

I think I experienced the same. After updating to 15.4 I cannot read my nfc card. Anyone have solutions on this?

Posted by
infernalMan
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the same for me. don't work with nfc readers apps. If you try to use with the quick commands app and select NFC tag for action it read regular the tag and make the action. please help me because i use it for work.

Posted by
Morrisone76
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Same issue. Can’t read any NFC enabled document anymore. Weird how can you break a functionality like this and not notice it at all.

Posted by
amxfonseca
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Still no luck after updating to 15.5 beta cmon Apple

Posted by
infernalMan
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I have the same problem. iPhone 13 mini. NFC is completely dead. Apple Pay on web is working fine. On physical terminals the phone does not recognise card reader nor is able to recognise any NFC tag. What is worse - we have tried another 3 iPhones with the same IOS version and everything is fine so not sure what is the pattern here. I was communicating this to apple support and they run diagnostic - no problem found. No workaround like resets are working.

Posted by
TomasH31
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  • UPDATE guys after updating to ios 15.5 public beta 2 my NFC finally back! Try to update yours. Good luck.

    —
    infernalMan

  • UPDATE : I remember right after updating to 15.4 beta i troed the NFC and it works. I also use the NFC after that and it still works. Right now I want to tap my card and it’s back to failed to read. So yeah here I am again. My NFC not working on ios 15.6 Really hope apple fixed this.

    —
    infernalMan
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Similar situation here. New iPhone 13 Pro running iOS 15.4.1. I have a CUPLTag temperature and humidity logger that uses NFC to download the sample data.

Before 15.4 update it worked every time. Afterwards, it rarely works at all. In fact, I only think I've gotten it to work this way twice since the update.

Yet I can launch the NFC Tools, tap "Read", then move it near the tag and it reads immediately, every time.

Posted by
dawn2dusk
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  • I’m experiencing the same issue on an iPhone 12 mini, version 15.4.1.

    —
    Ubertechgirl
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Same, iPhone 13 Pro running 15.5 beta -- it seems like if I stand there forever and manipulate the phone enough, sometimes it will trigger? But maybe not on this last update.

Posted by
PigeonPal
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The same for me. iPhone SE 2020 after upgrade 15.4.1 NFC down. ITS VERY IMPORTANT FOR MY HEALT, IM DIABETIC. please fix this IMPORTANT bug!!

Posted by
Orzoway
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Incredible. The bug is still there in the official iOS 15.5 release! I used NFC tags as HomeKit shortcuts, none of them work anymore :(

I advise everyone here to fill a bug report with Apple's Feedback Assistant: https://feedbackassistant.apple.com/ (iOS → CoreNFC API)

If only one or two people fill a bug report, nothing will change before many iOS releases. We need to work as a team here and act in group in order for Apple to react quickly.

And if you're a registered developper, please fill a bug report using Apple's Radar system too.

Posted by
flux_capacitor
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I advise everyone here to fill a bug report with Apple's Feedback Assistant: https://feedbackassistant.apple.com/%C2%A0(iOS → CoreNFC API)

Please follow the instructions on https://developer.apple.com/bug-reporting/ to use the Feedback Assistance App to generate your report.

Support staffs may reach out directly to request for further information.

Thanks.

Posted by
Frameworks Engineer
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Same here - iPhone 8 Plus, Fresh out of the box. I unfortunately did not test it with the stock OS (14.7) but only after updating it to 15.5 - no NFC.

Tried Beta 15.6 - no good.

Hope there's no hardware problem.

Is there an app that can send log files with the bug report?

Posted by
yw71
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We experience this on iPhone12. After upgrading to iOS 15.5 NFC stopped working for our app iPhone Xr, iPhone12 mini and iPhone13 continue to work with NFC

Posted by
ignisvulpis
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Same issue on my iPhone 13 Pro 15.5 (19F77)

Posted by
Vpa123
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Just reset your networking setting , go to

code-block

Setting -> General -> Transfer or Reset iPhone -> Reset -> Reset Network Settings

The downside is you need to submit WIFI access again

Posted by
r4lly99
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  • Many tries already to reset either network or all settings on the phone - still NFC is out of operations.

    —
    TomasH31

  • Have tried this numerous times and it isn’t working for me either!

    —
    Tblankh
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It just happened to me since a week ago and found this discussion here and did what been told here and the nfc still not working on my iphone 12. tried reboot several times and still not working. Tried to remember what i did before the nfc not wroking and then i remebered that week ago i activated the air drop to transfer some pucture to my friend, so it still active then i disable it.. and finally.. the nfc is working like before 😬😬 glad to find it. Then i tried to activate the air drop again.. and the nfc still active. Is it a bug ?

Posted by
Herrysah
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  • No change for me, still not working

    —
    TomasH31

  • Does anybody answer these questions? I scroll down the page and all I see is "me too> ,,, "Sane Here" I'm looking for a solution that will launch a tag on both android or iphone, provided each had NFC capability. What app do I need to buy to do that? I don't want people to have to download a NFC app to scan my tag.

    —
    graywaterops
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