Your iPhone is ready to tap.
Every iPhone since 2018 reads your wristband on its own. There’s no app to download and no setting to switch on. The only trick is the spot: the top of the phone, right by the camera.
Three steps, two seconds
Do this once and you’ll tap first time all event.
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Go to the home screen
Unlock your iPhone and swipe up to the home screen, so no app is open. The Camera and Wallet in particular stop it reading tags.
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Touch the tag to the top
Touch the wristband’s wood tag to the back of the phone, at the top beside the camera. If nothing pops up, move it slowly in small circles around that area until the banner appears. The sweet spot is small, so keep moving rather than holding still.
No need to press hard. iPhones always read at the top; on Android the spot depends on the model.
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Tap the banner
A banner slides down from the top of the screen. Tap it and the page opens in Safari.
iPhones always ask before opening a link, so the banner is your iPhone doing its job.
Nothing popped up? Try these
Each takes a few seconds. Start with the first two.
- Close the Camera and Wallet
Your iPhone doesn’t look for wristbands while either is open, Apple Pay included, or while another app is scanning for tags. Swipe up to the home screen and tap again.
- Go higher, right to the top edge
The reader sits along the top of the phone, near the camera. Move the tag in slow, small circles across the top edge until the banner appears.
- Slide off a card wallet or metal mount
Metal cases, card wallets and magnetic mounts or metal plates on the back block the signal. Most other cases are fine; if a thick one won’t read, take it off for a moment.
- Turn off Airplane Mode
Tag reading is off in Airplane Mode. Open Control Center and tap the plane.
- Just restarted your phone?
Unlock it once with your passcode. After a restart, the iPhone won’t read tags until it has been unlocked.
- Using an iPhone 7, 8 or X?
These read tags from a button in Control Center. Here’s how.
- Still nothing? Scan instead
Your host’s QR code or link opens exactly the same page, so you won’t miss a thing. It’s also the way in on a work phone whose company has switched tag reading off.
Which iPhones read wristbands
Every iPhone from 2018 on reads them on its own.
| iPhone XS, XR, SE (2nd generation) and every newer iPhone | Automatic. Just tap. |
|---|---|
| iPhone 7, 8 and X | Tap the NFC Tag Reader button in Control Center first. |
| iPhone 6s, SE (1st generation) and older | These can’t read tags. Use your host’s QR code or link. |
On an iPhone 7, 8 or X
- Open Settings, then Control Center, and tap the green plus next to NFC Tag Reader. You only do this once.
- Open Control Center: swipe down from the top-right corner on iPhone X, or up from the bottom on iPhone 7 and 8.
- Tap the NFC button, then hold the top of the phone to the tag.
On Android
Unlock your phone and go to the home screen, so no app is open. Then tap the wristband on the back of the phone. The website opens straight away, or a pop-up asks to open it: tap it once.
Each Android model has its NFC reader in a different spot, and some readers are smaller than others. If nothing happens:
- Find your phone’s sweet spot. Start by the camera and move the wristband in slow, small circles, working down the back until the pop-up appears. Searching your phone’s model plus “NFC location” shows exactly where it is.
- Take the case off. Smaller readers work best with nothing in the way, especially cards or metal tucked into the case.
- Check NFC is on. Open Settings, search for NFC and switch it on. Some phones ship with it off.
Questions guests ask
Do I need to turn on NFC on my iPhone?
No. iPhones have no NFC switch to turn on. On iPhone XS, XR and every newer iPhone, the reader is ready whenever the screen is on: it is the same chip that powers Apple Pay. The one exception is a work phone: a company that manages its phones can switch NFC off, so use the QR code instead.
Do I need to download an app?
No. The wristband holds a web link. Your iPhone reads it and offers to open it in Safari, much like a link someone texts you.
Why does it work on my friend’s phone but not mine?
Every phone model has its own NFC reader. Some are bigger and stronger than others, and they sit in different spots: iPhones read at the top edge, beside the camera, while Android phones vary by model. A phone with a smaller reader just needs the wristband right on its sweet spot, with the case off. iPhones also skip tags while the Camera or Wallet is open.
Why didn’t it work while I had Apple Pay open?
While Wallet and Apple Pay are open, the iPhone is waiting for a payment terminal and does not look for wristbands. The same goes for the Camera. Close them, go back to the home screen and tap again.
Is tapping safe? Can the wristband charge my card?
Yes, it is safe. The wristband cannot take a payment or read anything from your phone. It only passes your phone a web link, and nothing opens until you tap the banner.
Can I tap through my phone case?
Usually, yes. Most plastic, silicone, leather and MagSafe cases are fine. Metal cases, card wallets and magnetic mounts or metal plates on the back block the signal, so slide those off. If a thick case still won’t read, take it off for a moment and tap again.
Handing out wristbands? Share this page
Put it on your event page or in your welcome email, or print the table card for the welcome desk. Guests who glance at it tap first time.
Scan to open this guide
wearableevents.com/Based on Apple’s documentation for background tag reading and Apple Pay, and Google’s Android NFC documentation. Checked October 2026. iPhone, Apple Pay and Safari are trademarks of Apple Inc.; WearableEvents is not affiliated with Apple. Need help with an order? Contact us.
