How to use Web-NFC in Chrome for iOS?

Question

I'd like to read and write NFC tags from within browser chrome or safari on iPhone and iOS devices.

Usage seems straight forward according samples and seem to work for android after activating the experimental flag in chrome. Chrome NFC Sample.

However I'm lacking the option to enable the chrome flag "enable experimental web platform features" on iOS.

How can I activate the web-nfc features on Chrome for iOS?

Caseose

Answer 1

As of 23.11.2020 Web-NFC isn't supported in Chrome for iOS.

For iOS 13, NFC is available for native iOS developers. However, it seems it isn't yet available within Chrome for iOS according to whatwebcando.today.

Posted a comment within the Google Chrome Feature Request for Web-NFC to also support Chrome for iOS.

Related links:

• Requests on W3C standards will most likely not get this working in Chrome

Caseose

File a bug to the Chrome for iOS team to let them know about your interest. See web.dev/how-to-file-a-good-bug – Aperture

@François I added a comment to the feature request as it is still in development. See link in my answer above. Let me know if you think this is not sufficient? – Caseose

Oh! Having bugs.chromium.org/p/chromium/issues/detail?id=520391#c220 as a separate bug would help actually to triage it. – Aperture

Answer 2

tl;dr looks like in June 2020, Apple announced they won't be implementing the Web NFC API, among other things, unless their privacy concerns around fingerprintability are addressed

Finally, if we find that features and web APIs increase fingerprintability and offer no safe way to protect our users, we will not implement them until we or others have found a good way to reduce that fingerprintability. We continue to have open discussions with other browser makers through the web standards process, many of whom share these concerns. Here are some examples of features we have decided to not yet implement due to fingerprinting, security, and other concerns, and where we do not yet see a path to resolving those concerns: ... Web NFC API ...

source: Tracking Prevention | Apple

Apple declined to implement 16 Web APIs in Safari due to privacy concerns | ZD Net

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