The near field communication otherwise known as NFC is a feature that goes unused most of the time especially because a lot of people don't know how to make use of its benefits. What is surprising to many is the fact that NFC is actually a great tool if you lack access to a 3G data, Wi-Fi or Bluetooth connection or don't have a USB cable in hand. Here are a few ways to start taking advantage of NFC capabilities:

How to enable NFC

First of, you need to have a device with NFC support. You can manually confirm this by going into Settings >> Wireless & networks and looking for NFC. Once you find it, simply enable it to start using it.Note that to start making transfers through NFC, ensure that both your device and the sender's or receiver's device are NFC enabled.

How to Use NFC

NFC can used by bumping two devices that are NFC enabled together or through the selection of Android Beam via the Share options to share a file. You will notice that once the devices are separated, a message will appear on the screen prompting you to bring the devices together again.

Sending a phone number

NFC is the simplest alternative for sharing your phone number with someone without going through the trouble of having to write down the digits.Go into the Contacts app in your phone or someone else's, scroll to contact you want to send, then bump the phone to the recipient's. Once a 'touch to beam' message pops up on the phone's screen, simply tap on the display.

Sending Pics

Forget about apps like Whatsapp and Instagram that are some of the easier ways to share pictures, NFC can also come in handy. Have the picture you need to send opened in any of your chosen image viewers, then press your device and the receiver's together.

Sending documents

The process of doing this, can be a bit more tricky. This is because if you attempt to send a PDF document while its on the viewing mode, it is more likely to send the PDF viewer app instead of the PDF file itself.Therefore in this scenario, it is important to employ Android Beam. Find the file you wish to send, hit the three dotted hamburger icon, select Share and the tap the Android Beam option. Now you are free to start the sharing process by bringing the devices together.

Direct someone to your favorite applicable

With NFC you can easily direct someone to any app or game in the Play Store, so long as you have the app installed on your phone and you are using it at the time. NFC navigates the recipient straight to the app's page on the Google Play Store.

Share Directions

You may find yourself in a situation where you need to explain the directions to a certain location to someone but with NFC, you just have to beam. Open the Google Maps app and create the directions you need, then have your phone slapped against another and you are set.

Open an app on someone else's phone

If you are using an app that someone else also has installed on their phone, with NFC you can have the app launched on their device for them. For instance if you are playing a game and they want to play it too but seem to not find it even though they already have it installed, then you can simply tap both phones together and start beaming.

Make a Payment

As most Androiders already know, mobile payments can be made using NFC. Have the Android Pay installed on your phone, enter your the details on your credit or debit cards and then start using it in any store with a contactless payment terminal. This is very useful, especially when you run out of cash in your wallet.What other creative ways are you using NFC? Lets us know in the comments.

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What's my model number?

There are several ways to locate your model number:

Option 1
On your device, go to Settings, then "About device" and scroll down to "Model number"
Option 2
Often times you can view the model number inside the device, by removing the battery
Option 3
Using Samsung's model/serial number location tool

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