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Placement Tips on Using NFC YubiKeys with Mobile Phones

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Daniel Bucy
Created - Updated

This article provides tips on where to place your YubiKey when using it with a mobile phone. For general NFC troubleshooting steps, please see our article Troubleshooting NFC with YubiKeys and Security Keys.

 

Note: Yubico recommends holding your YubiKey near your phone for a full second or two, as opposed to briefly "swiping" the key next to the phone.

 

iPhones

Hold your YubiKey along the top rear edge of the phone, as illustrated below.

 

image-1.jpg

 

If this does not work for you, try the following locations

 

  • On top of the (rear) camera
  • On the top rear corner (opposite the camera)
  • On top of the front-facing camera

Android

Google (Pixel)

  • Google provides documentation on the location of their phones' NFC readers here.

Samsung

  • Samsung provides documentation on the location of their phones' NFC readers here (scroll down to NFC detection area).

Other manufacturers

  • Many NFC-enabled Android phones place their reader near the camera, which is on the rear of the phone, usually towards the middle or towards one side of the top (similar to iPhones).
  • Some manufacturers may provide NFC reader locations in their model-specific user manuals. See your phone manufacturer's support site (e.g. https://support.motorola.com/ for Motorola phones) for additional details.
  • Removing your phone's case (if it has one) may help locate your particular phone's "sweet spot."