An NFC tag is known as Near Field Communication tag. It is a microchip that can be incorporated into various devices like a smartwatch, smart cards, ATM cards, or a simple sticker capable of reading mobile signals that fall in the nearby range.
An NFC tag can send or receive data from one device to another. If a phone detects a passive NFC tag within its range, it will be able to access all the data stored in the NFC tag. The invention of Near Field Communication, or NFC, has revolutionized the online payment system. Thus, besides information sharing, NFC makes payments through your smartphone. However, suppose your NFC is enabled all the time.
In that case, your data will become easily accessible to others, and anybody can make a payment through your smartphone without your consent or authorization. Thus, it would help to keep your Cash App NFC tag switched off when not in use.
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What does NFC tag detected on Cash App mean?
When your cash app NFC tag is enabled, your phone can make payments using your payment information without any contact. In other words, the NFC tag enables you to make contactless payments. One tap on any NFC terminal will make your Cash App eligible for payment via your NFC tag contactless.
Some people have been using the Cash App for quite some time before suddenly noticing a notification that an NFC tag has been detected. This might cause you to panic if you aren’t familiar with Near Field Communication or NFC technology, as you did not attempt to make any payments. In that case, you need to take some measures and keep your phone and Cash App card separate.
A small 10 cm distance between your phone and the Cash App Card will be enough to avoid unauthorized payments. Apart from that, you can also use a wallet that is NFC-proof. An NFC-proof wallet will prevent your phone from making any payments as it will not let any NFC reader detect your phone. Several retailers use NFC readers to ease the payment process via the Cash App, and an NFC-proof wallet will keep your phone safe if your phone is close to such NFC readers at stores.
Is NFC Dangerous? Should You Turn It Off?
The security of NFCs has become a topic of discussion today. But NFC is not dangerous and shouldn’t be turned off until and unless you face serious issues with this technology. The only problem that is bound to happen if you keep your phone near a device that is NFC enabled is that your battery will drain after a specific time.
Thus, there is no immediate need to turn the NFC off unless you are skeptical about using it or want to conserve the power of your battery. You must be careful about who uses your phone because NFC data can be stolen only if someone can obtain your phone.
NFC-activated card payments might not be perfect, but they are considered safer than the traditional card swiping method. This is because, with the traditional payment system using card swiping, your credit card information is stored in the device that is available to anyone who has access to it. But NFC-enabled cards store no such information and, thus, are not dangerous at all if you use them with a little bit of caution.
How to turn off NFC on your phone?
If you think that NFC is not the right choice for you, you can disable it using the following steps.
For Android users:
If you use an android phone, you can turn off NFC by going to settings and disabling the NFC option. Once you go to settings, you need to click the connections and sharing option, including a list of wireless connections available on your phones, like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Keep scrolling until you find NFC, and then click disable or choose the OFF button to disable it.
For iPhone users:
You cannot disable NFC if you are using an iPhone of models higher than the X series (XR, XS). These iPhones have a ‘Background Tag Reading’ system which automatically turns off and on the NFC when a signal is detected. But, if you are using iPhone 7, 8, or any model that was launched before that, you can disable NFC by going to settings and then clicking the NFC tag Reader icon in the control center.
Once you tap that, click on disable NFC tag reader that is present on the top right corner of the menu.
Conclusion
The concept of NFC to make contactless payments might be new to some users, and it is okay to be paranoid about the safety of the data stored on your phone or NFC tags. However, if you take the right measures and use the NFC feature cautiously, you will find it very convenient, and there will be no breach of your privacy. If you turn off the Cash APP NFC tag, it will disable contactless payments.
Thus, if you are more comfortable with the traditional payment methods, you can disable them. Otherwise, keep using the NGC feature to make contactless payments that are fast and hassle-free.
