feat: Add support for ISO‑14443‑3A (NfcA) tag transceive on iOS (e.g., NTAG213 password setting)

[hartherbert]

Plugin(s)

• Android Battery Optimization
• Android Dark Mode Support
• Android Edge-to-Edge Support
• Android Foreground Service
• App Review
• App Shortcuts
• App Update
• Asset Manager
• Audio Recorder
• Background Task
• Badge
• Bluetooth Low Energy
• Cloudinary
• Contacts
• Datetime Picker
• File Compressor
• File Opener
• File Picker
• Live Update
• Managed Configurations
• NFC
• Photo Editor
• Posthog
• Printer
• Screen Orientation
• Screenshot
• Speech Recognition
• Speech Synthesis
• Torch
• Zip

Current problem

On iOS, the plugin doesn’t expose NfcTagTechType.NfcA (ISO14443‑3A), so it is impossible to send raw commands (e.g., password protection) to NTAG213 tags via transceive. This prevents setting/changing/removing passwords on iOS, even though Android supports it via NfcA.

Preferred solution

Add support for ISO14443‑3A tags on iOS by enabling techType: NfcTagTechType.NfcA in transceive() (and optionally connect()/close()). This would allow sending the NTAG-specific PWD_AUTH, WRITE_CMD, and AUTH0 commands directly when scanning tags on iOS, similar to Android support.

Alternative options

• Introduce a high-level method (e.g. setTagPassword, removeTagPassword) in the plugin that abstracts away raw command usage and uses underlying OS support.

• Provide sendIso14443_3ACommand() for password/PW_AUTH operations only.

Additional context

This affects use of NTAG21x series where password protection (PWB, AUTH0, etc.) is required by use cases. Raw commands are supported on Android, but iOS Core NFC currently supports ISO14443‑3A, and enabling it would align platforms.

Before submitting

• I have read and followed the feature request guidelines.
• I have attached links to possibly related issues and discussions.

[robingenz]

@hartherbert Thank you! I will take a look at this and get back to you this week.

[robingenz]

@hartherbert Which tech types are returned on iOS if you scan your NFC tag? Please share your Xcode logs. Example:

⚡️  To Native ->  Nfc startScanSession 11772984
⚡️  TO JS undefined
⚡️  TO JS {"nfcTag":{"message":{"records":[{"id":[],"type":[84],"tnf":1,"payload":[2,101,110,115,98,99]}]},"id":[4,196,188,138,33,110,128],"isWritable":true,"historicalBytes":[],"maxSize":492,"techTypes":["NDEF","MIFARE_ULTRALIGHT"]}}

Feel free to use our Capacitor NFC Demo for testing.

[hartherbert]

Sorry @robingenz for the late response, did not see your question.

Here are the Xcode logs for my NFC tags inside the NFC Demo:

Tag Type: ISO 14443-3A
NCP - NTAG216
Available Technology: Type A

⚡️  To Native ->  Nfc isSupported 32248530
⚡️  TO JS {"nfc":true,"hce":false,"isSupported":true}
⚡️  To Native ->  Nfc stopScanSession 32248531
⚡️  TO JS undefined
⚡️  To Native ->  Nfc isSupported 32248532
⚡️  TO JS {"nfc":true,"isSupported":true,"hce":false}
⚡️  To Native ->  Nfc startScanSession 32248533
⚡️  TO JS undefined
⚡️  TO JS {"nfcTag":{"message":{"records":[{"id":[],"tnf":1,"payload":[4,103,111,46,103,111,116,97,112,115,105,46,99,111,109,47,79,77,82,70,70,78],"type":[85]}]},"techTypes":["NDEF","MIFARE_ULTRALIGHT"],"historicalBytes":[],"isWritable":true,"id":[4,16,123,138,147,1
⚡️  To Native ->  Nfc isSupported 32248534
⚡️  TO JS {"nfc":true,"isSupported":true,"hce":false}
⚡️  To Native ->  Nfc stopScanSession 32248535
⚡️  TO JS undefined
⚡️  TO JS undefined

Tag Type: ISO 14443-3A
NCP - NTAG213
Available Technology: Type A

⚡️  To Native ->  Nfc isSupported 32248550
⚡️  TO JS {"nfc":true,"isSupported":true,"hce":false}
⚡️  To Native ->  Nfc startScanSession 32248551
⚡️  TO JS undefined
⚡️  TO JS {"nfcTag":{"message":{"records":[{"tnf":1,"id":[],"type":[85],"payload":[4,115,101,97,114,99,104,46,103,111,111,103,108,101,46,99,111,109,47,108,111,99,97,108,47,119,114,105,116,101,114,101,118,105,101,119,63,112,108,97,99,101,105,100,61,67,104,73,74,114,9
⚡️  To Native ->  Nfc isSupported 32248552
⚡️  TO JS {"nfc":true,"isSupported":true,"hce":false}
⚡️  To Native ->  Nfc stopScanSession 32248553
⚡️  TO JS undefined
⚡️  TO JS undefined

Tag Type: ISO 14443-3A
NCP - NTAG213
Available Technology: Type A

⚡️  To Native ->  Nfc isSupported 32248556
⚡️  TO JS {"nfc":true,"isSupported":true,"hce":false}
⚡️  To Native ->  Nfc startScanSession 32248557
⚡️  TO JS undefined
⚡️  TO JS {"nfcTag":{"maxSize":137,"historicalBytes":[],"id":[4,74,125,202,242,30,144],"techTypes":["NDEF","MIFARE_ULTRALIGHT"],"message":{"records":[{"id":[],"payload":[4,103,111,46,103,111,116,97,112,115,105,46,99,111,109,47,66,81,86,87,80,73],"type":[85],"tnf":1}
⚡️  To Native ->  Nfc isSupported 32248558
⚡️  TO JS {"nfc":true,"isSupported":true,"hce":false}
⚡️  To Native ->  Nfc stopScanSession 32248559
⚡️  TO JS undefined
⚡️  TO JS undefined

[robingenz]

⚡️ TO JS {"nfcTag":{"message":{"records":[{"id":[],"tnf":1,"payload":[4,103,111,46,103,111,116,97,112,115,105,46,99,111,109,47,79,77,82,70,70,78],"type":[85]}]},"techTypes":["NDEF","MIFARE_ULTRALIGHT"],"historicalBytes":[],"isWritable":true,"id":[4,16,123,138,147,1

As you can see in your logs, the tech type is MIFARE_ULTRALIGHT which is supported on iOS:

const result = await Nfc.transceive({ techType: NfcTagTechType.MifareUltralight, data: [...] });

[hartherbert]

Ok here is a example code I am using to set a password on this tag, but I only get the following error:

native Nfc.connect(#107251858)
result: {message: "not implemented", errorMessage: "not implemented", data: {}, code: "UNIMPLEMENTED"}

The code I am using right now is

// example password payload [0x1B, ...pwdBytes, ...pack]
const passwordPayload = [27, 109, 97, 103, 105, 0, 0];
Nfc.write({ message: { records } })
                        .then(() => {
                            console.log("WROTE RECORDS", records);
                            return Nfc.connect({ techType: NfcTagTechType.MifareUltralight })
                        })
                        .then(() => {
                            console.log('CONNECTED', records);
                            return Nfc.transceive({
                                techType: NfcTagTechType.MifareUltralight,
                                data: passwordPayload,
                            })
                        })
                        .then(() => Nfc.close())
                        .then(() => Nfc.stopScanSession())
                        .then(() => {
                            resolve('NFC tag written and password set successfully.');
                        })
                        .catch((err) => {
                            reject('Failed during write/password process: ' + err);
                        });

Writing the records works and also connecting to the tag works after the writing of the records.
But as soon as I want to Nfc.transceive, I get a not implemented error.

Am I doing something wrong here or is the underlying method inside the NFC plugin not implemented as the error states?

[robingenz]

The "connect" method is only available and only needed on Android. On iOS, you can directly call the "transcribe" method within the "nfcTagScanner" listener. Here is an example: https://capawesome.io/blog/exploring-the-capacitor-nfc-api/#executing-raw-commands

[hartherbert]

I understand and removed the connect and close commands. The code is identical to the one you referenced except for the tech type.

const data = [27, 109, 97, 103, 105, 0, 0];
const result = await Nfc.transceive({ techType: NfcTagTechType.MifareUltralight, data });
await Nfc.stopScanSession();

Now I get the following error repeatedly:

[robingenz]

Tag connection lost is usually thrown if the bytes you send are invalid, for example: https://stackoverflow.com/a/60463724.

Also make sure to configure the plugin correctly, for example: https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/118499?answerId=367836022#367836022.

Let me know if you find a solution. I will then add this to the documentation.