That may not sound exciting, but it is one of the most useful features built into your phone. Once you start using it, your phone becomes more than a screen for calls, texts and apps. It can replace some of the cards in your wallet, share information with a tap and trigger shortcuts that save time.

The easiest place to start is payments. If you have an iPhone, Apple Pay is already there. On Android, Google Wallet does the same thing. Add your credit or debit card once, and after that you can pay by tapping your phone at checkout. It is fast, and in some ways more secure than using the physical card because your phone is protected by Face ID, a fingerprint or a passcode. Digital wallets also use tokenization, which means the store does not receive your actual card number during the transaction.

That convenience matters most when something goes wrong. I learned that while traveling overseas after losing my wallet with two days left before flying home. My phone became my wallet. I could still pay for meals and anything else I needed, and that changed the way I think about tap-to-pay.

But payments are only the beginning. NFC also lets your phone read small tags that can store information or trigger an action. These tags are tiny chips built into stickers, cards, keychains and badges. They do not need batteries. They are activated when your phone touches them.

One practical use is a digital business card. Instead of handing someone a paper card that may end up in a pocket or trash can, you can share your contact information with a tap. An NFC-enabled card can open your website, LinkedIn profile or contact card on the other person’s phone. If your information changes, you update the digital profile instead of reprinting a stack of cards. For anyone who goes to conferences, community events or networking lunches, this is one of the best uses for NFC.

It is useful at home, too. You can store your Wi-Fi login on an NFC tag so guests can connect with a tap instead of waiting while you spell out a long password with capital letters, numbers and special characters. What used to take several steps now takes one.

If you have smart home devices, NFC can make those easier to manage as well. A tag by the front door can trigger a routine on your phone. A tap might open the app for your smart lock. Another tag by your bedside could run a nighttime routine that turns off lights, lowers the thermostat and sets your morning alarm. One in the car could open maps and start directions home. On an iPhone, you can set this up with Shortcuts. On Android, apps such as Tasker can handle more advanced routines.

There are other uses, such as linking transit passes, hotel room keys and office badges. Instead of carrying separate pieces of plastic, you can keep those credentials on your phone. Not every hotel, office or car supports this yet, but more do every year.

If you want to try NFC yourself, start with tap-to-pay. Set up Apple Pay or Google Wallet. After that, buy a few blank NFC tags to experiment with at home. They are inexpensive, often less than $10 for a pack of 10. You can find them on Amazon. Make sure to check that the tag is compatible with your phone model, and note that most cannot be used on a metal surface. 

NFC has been common in Europe for years, especially for payments and transit. Americans have been slower to adopt it, though that is changing as more stores and devices support tap-based transactions. Part of the delay may be habit. Many people are used to swiping a card or inserting a chip card and have not thought much about what their phone can do.

That is why NFC is worth a closer look. You already carry a powerful device in your pocket. NFC is one of those features that hides in plain sight until you use it. Then your phone is not just something you read on or talk into. It is your wallet, your business card, your shortcut button and sometimes your backup plan when everything else goes missing.

Leslie Meredith has been writing about technology for more than a decade. As a mom of four, value, usefulness and online safety take priority. Have a question? Email Leslie at asklesliemeredith@gmail.com.