Apple could benefit from a new wave of NFC technology upgrades after the NFC Forum released a roadmap this week outlining faster data transfers, new security standards and expanded capabilities.
The NFC Forum is the global standards body for Near Field Communication technology. Apple is a member of the organization’s board of directors. The latest multi-year technology roadmap identifies six development priorities that will shape future NFC standards.
One of the most significant changes outlined is the push for significantly faster NFC data rates, up to eight times higher than current levels. The plan also emphasizes improving the interoperability of the NFC reader mode through comprehensive application testing.
The plan continues to highlight a multi-tap feature that would allow a single NFC tap to support multiple actions depending on the context. The NFC forum says this would allow readers to request specific credentials needed for a given action.
The NFC Forum said it is starting work on next-generation NFC wireless charging specifications, with goals that include higher performance levels and support for devices with multiple charging receivers. While NFC charging is currently limited to the use of low-power accessories, expanded standards could affect future devices.
Another major focus is security improvements, with plans to publish the first NFC Controllers Security Profile, which sets out the basic security requirements for NFC hardware. The plan includes work on future-proof NFC protocols against post-quantum computing threats and strengthening defenses against transmission-based attacks.
Digital keys also remain an active area of development, with plans to explore new digital key experiences to support a wider range of industry requirements.
The NFC Forum last published a technology roadmap in 2023, with several targets being reached as part of NFC Release 15 in June 2025.
Last year, Apple expanded the use of NFC notably by introducing tap-to-pay on the iPhone in many new countries, allowing merchants to accept contactless payments directly on the iPhone without additional hardware using the device’s NFC capabilities. At the same time, under the European Union’s regulatory regime, Apple continued to open wider third-party access to the iPhone NFC chip to allow third-party developers to use NFC for contactless transactions, allowing Apple Pay competitors such as Curve and PayPal to offer NFC-based payment options on iOS in Europe.