Core NFC App Review checklist

Tie NFC to a real-world object

Name the object and outcome: scan a product, verify equipment, open a ticket, read a museum tag, pair a device, log inventory, or start a field workflow. NFC should not be a mysterious permission-like feature.

If the scan is optional, the app should still be useful without a tag. If the scan is core, reviewers need a way to see the intended state without owning your physical environment.

Document supported tag types

• Tag technology and data format should match the app's claims.
• Invalid, blank, expired, and unsupported tags should show clear errors.
• Repeated scans should not duplicate irreversible actions.
• Sensitive payloads should be validated before the app trusts them.
• Tag writing, if supported, should explain what data is written and how it can be changed.

Treat scanned payloads as user data when appropriate

An NFC payload can reveal a product, location, ticket, identity, device, workplace asset, or health accessory. The privacy label and policy should describe what is collected, stored, linked, and shared after scanning.

AppReviewReady interpretation: do not describe NFC as local-only when scans are uploaded to a server for validation, analytics, fraud checks, or account history.

Test scan sessions and no-tag states

1. Start a scan from visible user intent and cancel it before detection.
2. Scan valid, invalid, unsupported, duplicate, and expired tags.
3. Test no NFC hardware support, no network, signed-out, and denied account states.
4. Verify scan results do not bypass login, payment, eligibility, or age gates.
5. Check support screens for users whose physical tag is damaged or missing.

Prepare an NFC review route

If physical tags are unavailable to Apple, include a demo state, screenshots, or manual code that reaches the post-scan screen without pretending the scan occurred.

Keep NFC copy narrow when the tag controls access, payment, identity, or safety-sensitive equipment. The app should not imply that any scanned tag is trusted until the payload and account state are validated.

If scans trigger irreversible actions, require a confirmation after reading the tag. The user should see what will happen before the app changes access, inventory, or account state.

Retest after changing tag encoding or backend validation rules.

Core NFC review path:
Object scanned: [product/tag]
Tag type/data: [NDEF or type]
How to trigger scan: [steps]
No-tag fallback: [demo/manual code]
Server upload: [yes/no]
Invalid tag behavior: [message]
Physical sample needed: [yes/no]