UX Recommendations

These best practices are informed by our experience across numerous real-world client deployments and research sessions with end users. The objective is to maximize the success rate of NFC reading, reduce confusion, and maintain a smooth and accessible user experience.

NFC reading flow

• Tell the user where to place the document On iPhone, the NFC antenna is at the top back of the phone. Most failed readings happen because the document is held against the middle or the bottom of the phone. Keep this indication in the instructions, the reading screen and the error messages.

• Ask the user not to move the document The reading takes a few seconds. Moving the document or the phone before it finishes interrupts the reading. Make it clear that the document must stay still until the success message appears.

• Warn about thick phone cases and metal objects Thick or metallic cases, cards inside the case and magnetic accessories can block the NFC signal.

• Reuse the document data you already have If your flow captures the document before reading the chip, pass the MRZ data from the OCR as prefill. This skips the form and removes the most common source of errors: typing the document number or the dates wrong.

Tutorials and instructions

• Always provide a pre-reading instruction screen Most users have never read a document with NFC. A brief instructional screen that shows where to place the document greatly improves the success rate.

• Use descriptive images, not decorative ones Visuals should help users understand how to position the document against the phone. Generic illustrations or brand imagery add noise without aiding comprehension.

• Explain the system NFC sheet Let users know that a system window will appear and that they must bring the document closer when it does. This reduces surprise and accidental cancellations.

• Keep instructions short, actionable, and left-aligned Users tend to scan rather than read. Avoid long paragraphs and prefer concise directives like:
  • “Hold the document against the top back of the phone”
  • “Do not move it until the reading is finished”

• Avoid overusing bold or italics Emphasis should be used sparingly. Over-formatting can reduce readability and harm accessibility, especially for users with cognitive or visual impairments.

Document data form

• Show where the document number is Users often confuse the document number with other numbers printed on the document, such as the personal number. Keep the "Can't find the number?" help and adapt its image and texts to the documents your users will read.

• Mention the < symbols Short document numbers are padded with < symbols in the MRZ, and they must be included in the form. Keep this indication in the helper texts.

Navigation and interaction

• Keep the close button visible Users should always have the option to exit the process. Removing this element can increase abandonment due to a perceived loss of control.

• Allow enough retries It is common for the first attempt to fail while the user finds the right position. A maxRetries value that is too low can end the process before the user gets it right.

Feedback and messaging

• Use informative, step-specific feedback Replace generic loading texts with messages like:
  • “Bring the document closer”
  • “Reading document...”
  • “Reading completed successfully” These messages help the user stay oriented and confident during each step.
• Ensure clear error messages Each error should say what happened and how to fix it, for example: “Document not detected. Hold it against the top back of your phone and do not move it.”

Texts accesibility

• Alt text allows people with visual impairments to understand the content of images using screen readers. Our SDKs support this functionality, and alt text can be modified in the settings (mobileMediaAltText keys).

• The texts of the system NFC sheet (actionSheetSubtitle keys) are the only guidance visible while the sheet is open, since it covers the screen behind it. Keep them short and meaningful on their own.