Weird repeating tone when phone is near my credit cards

[Kage_]

OK, I put my phone on my wallet like I do on occasion to keep them together. Tonight though my phone started a weird repeating tone. I narrowed it down and when my phone is near one of my credit cards is when it starts making the tone. Anyone else seen this any why is it doing it?

Sent from my Nexus 5 using AC Forums mobile app

 

[B. Diddy]

It's probably the NFC (Near Field Communication) tone. If you don't use NFC for anything, you can turn it off in Settings>Wireless & Networks, tap More ..., then uncheck NFC.

 

[Kage_]

Here's a short video for what I'm hearing:

 

[kernmal]

As B. Diddy indicated, that's NFC.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Kage_]

Hummm OK, why would NFC be interacting with with my credit cards. Any way turning off NFC did stop the tone.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using AC Forums mobile app

 

[B. Diddy]

Many credit cards have an NFC or RFID chip as well, which can be used to pay by just waving the card in front of a sensor, as opposed to having to swipe the magnetized bar in a reader. The tone you're hearing is presumably your device detecting a nearby NFC chip and prompting you whether you want to do anything. Incidentally, NFC chips in your credit card do raise the possibility of fraud or theft by thieves using NFC apps to lift info, as mentioned here: Can an App Steal Your Credit Card Data?. That's why you're starting to see ads for credit card cases or wallets that can block NFC.

 

[crxssi]

Hummm OK, why would NFC be interacting with with my credit cards. Any way turning off NFC did stop the tone.

Yep- that is NFC (in your video)! If you have NFC enabled, then the phone will interact with any NFC chip it "sees" (which means within a few mm of the back). Some credit cards have such chips... especially American Express.

Yes, you can turn off NFC under settings-> more-> NFC

 

[Kage_]

I downloaded NFC info app and used it to scan cards. I found two that responded to NFC. One was a credit card and the other was an identity card. My guess is NFC is freaking out since there are two cards and it can decide on which to read.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using AC Forums mobile app

 

[crxssi]

I downloaded NFC info app and used it to scan cards. I found two that responded to NFC. One was a credit card and the other was an identity card. My guess is NFC is freaking out since there are two cards and it can decide on which to read.

It might also be that it see the chip and yet isn't getting a response. Or that it is incompatible. Lots of possibilities. I like your idea the best, though.

 

[Caleb Pelton]

Kudos for the video to help diagnose.

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