SOLVED: What is the N (with waves) at the Top of My Samsung Galaxy S3

I have been looking at this “N” (see right) for weeks and have not figured out what it is doing.  I have turned off WiFi so it should not find an 802.11 N networks.  This was making me nuts.

It turns out that “N” relates to NEAR FEILD COMMUNICATION.  If you don’t know what that is, you will soon.  NFC allows your hand held device (typically a cell phone) to transfer data (like credit card information) to another device if it is VERY close to it.  Sooo, if you want to pay for your Coke, you could just tap your phone to the Coke machine and bingo, you b’een charged.  It is also used in Samsungs case to transfer files, pictures… between Galaxy S3 devices just by tapping the back of them together.

For now I have no use for it and like all radio’s, it is sucking down my battery, so I turn of NFC by:

  1. Clicking SETTINGS
  2. WIRELESS & NETWORKS
  3. unchcking NFC

View Comments

  • I'm sure I didn't turn it on but the devices we buy, and pay for, aren't really our property. My S7, via ATT, even unlocked, only works if I stick with ATT. Total scam and I'm sure the latest Samsung update decided to turn that N on. Or maybe ATT did it. But who knows, they control "my" cell as well. THANKS FOR THE FIX

  • I just want to further clarify: I turned off the NFC by going to 1) "settings" then 'connect and share". I have a SG5.

  • Thanks for this, this only showed up on my phone this week, it has never been there before. How could it have been turned on without my knowledge or my doing it? has someone else tinkered with my phone? is this something I inadvertently did that turn this on? it sure was a drain on my batter.

    • It also only showed up for me this morning, after installing the new software update pushed by Verizon. Perhaps you installed the software update as well and this is part of that update.

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Published by
Ian Matthews

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