iPhone and Apple Watch Likely to Support NFC Multi-Purpose Tap in the Future
iPhones and Apple Watches could support multiple actions via NFC simultaneously in the future, the NFC Forum today suggested.

The NFC Forum, the leading standards body for Near Field Communication (NFC) technology, today published its first overview of NFC Multi-Purpose Tap. The technology, which supports multiple actions with one tap, is designed to bring more convenience to various NFC use cases such as point-to-point receipt delivery, loyalty programs, identification, and total-journey transit ticketing.
Apple is a prominent member of the NFC Forum and likely contributed to the development of the technology. The company first introduced NFC in the iPhone 6 and original Apple Watch, initially focusing on Apple Pay, allowing users to make contactless payments.
NFC Multi-Purpose Tap would allow iPhone users to perform multiple transactions with a single tap. For instance, consumers could make payments, log loyalty points, and receive receipts instantaneously. The potential applications are considerable, from retail payments to public transportation, where users could tap their iPhone to pay for a journey, apply discounts, and get travel receipts all at once.
Since Apple is a member of the NFC Forum, it seems highly likely that NFC Multi-Purpose Tap will come to the iPhone and Apple Watch at some point in the future. The company often adds support for new NFC functionalities, such as reading NFC tags and facilitating more interactions with a broader range of NFC devices.
Popular Stories
We've been focusing on deals on physical products over the past few weeks, but Black Friday is also a great time of year to purchase a streaming membership. Some of the biggest services have great discounts for new and select returning members this week, including Disney+, Hulu, Paramount+, Peacock, and more.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a...
iOS 26.2 is currently in beta testing. The upcoming update includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, including a new Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics for Apple Music, and more.
In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 26.2 will be released to all users in December, but it did not provide a specific release date.
Keep reading...
iOS 27 will reportedly have two major elements: quality improvements and new AI features.
In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that iOS 27 will be similar to Mac OS X Snow Leopard, in the sense that Apple is focused on improving "quality and underlying performance" over adding new features.
Gurman said there is one exception to this rule, though, as he expects...
On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we talk through all of the new features and improvements expected to come to next year's iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max models.
Subscribe to The MacRumors Show YouTube channel for more videos
Apple's next-generation iPhones are less than ten months away and we already have a good idea about what to expect based on corroborated leaks, rumors,...
We're only a few days away from Black Friday, which will take place on Friday, November 28 in 2025. As always, this will be the best time of the year to shop for great deals, including popular Apple products like AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and more. In this article, the majority of the discounts will be found on Amazon.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When...
Apple's annual four-day Black Friday through Cyber Monday shopping event is returning on Friday, November 28 through Monday, December 1 in many countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, Thailand, and others.
During the shopping event, customers can get an Apple gift card with...
Apple has begun selling the Hikawa Phone Grip and Stand, a new limited-edition iPhone accessory designed with accessibility in mind.
Designed by LA-based Bailey Hikawa to celebrate the 40th anniversary of accessibility at Apple, the grip uses magnets to securely snap onto any iPhone with MagSafe.
Apple says it can be removed with ease, and doubles as a stand with two different viewing...
American multinational news company CNN has abruptly pulled its content from Apple News, Semafor reports.
CNN quietly removed its stories from Apple News over the weekend and there is no longer a feed from the network to subscribe to in the app. This effectively ends its distribution agreement with Apple while the two sides negotiate new terms. Discussions are apparently ongoing and CNN's...