How to Enable NFC and Change Your Default Contactless Payment App on Android.
Learn how to turn on NFC and pick which app handles your tap-to-pay purchases on any Android device.
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If you’ve been trying to use your phone to pay at stores but nothing happens when you hold it near the card reader, chances are NFC is turned off. Or maybe another app took over your contactless payments without you realizing it. Either way, fixing it is easier than you think.
I’ll show you exactly where to go in your Android settings to get NFC working again and set your preferred payment app like Google Pay or Samsung Pay as the default.
What is NFC and why do you need it?
NFC stands for Near Field Communication. It’s the technology that lets your phone talk to payment terminals when you tap to pay. Without it turned on, your phone can’t do contactless payments at all.
Step-by-step: Turn on NFC on your Android phone
These steps come from a Sony Xperia 1V running Android 14, but they work on most Android devices with slight differences in menu names.
Step 1: Open the Settings app on your Android phone.
Step 2: Scroll down and tap on Connected devices or Connections (depending on your phone model).
Step 3: Look for and tap NFC. On some phones, you might need to tap Connection preferences first.
Step 4: You’ll see a toggle switch at the top of the screen. Tap it to turn NFC on.
That’s it for enabling NFC. But there’s one more thing to check.
How to change your default contactless payment app
Turning on NFC isn’t always enough. Some apps try to make themselves the default for contactless payments. If that happens, your preferred app like Google Pay might stop working when you tap to pay.
Here’s how to take back control:
- Step 1: Go back to the main Settings menu.
- Step 2: Tap on Apps or Apps & notifications.
- Step 3: Tap on Default apps.
- Step 4: Tap on Tap & pay.
- Step 5: You’ll see a list of all NFC-compatible payment apps on your phone (Google Pay, Samsung Pay, your bank’s app, etc.). Tap the one you want to use as your default.
A helpful extra setting to know about
In the Tap & pay menu, you might see an option that says something like “Use default payment app except when another payment app is open.”
I like keeping this setting turned on because it gives you flexibility. Here’s how it works:
- Normally, your chosen default app handles all contactless payments
- But if you open a different payment app (like your banking app), that app becomes active for NFC while it’s open
- Once you close that app, your phone goes back to using your default
This is useful if you have multiple cards or payment methods and want to switch between them without changing your default every time.
What to do if your steps look different
Every Android phone maker arranges settings a little differently. Samsung, Google Pixel, Sony, OnePlus, and others might have different menu names. If you can’t find “Connected devices” or “Tap & pay,” try searching for “NFC” or “contactless” inside your Settings app using the search bar at the top.
Once everything is set up
After you enable NFC and pick your default payment app, you’re ready to pay. Just unlock your phone and hold it near any contactless card reader. Your phone will handle the rest.
Many people keep all their cards on their phone and stop carrying physical cards entirely. It’s convenient, fast, and secure.
Thanks for reading. Now go enjoy tapping to pay with your Android phone.
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