Own a BMW or Toyota vehicle? Don’t charge your iPhone 15 using the car’s built-in wireless charger as it could break the phone’s NFC chip.
Apple acknowledged the problem in an internal memo and confirmed a software fix will roll out later this year.
iPhone 15’s NFC chip does not play well with charging pad in BMW vehicles
iPhones use Near Field Communications to exchange data with point of sale terminals to make purchases. Without NFC, Apple Pay doesn’t work.
The issue plagued some iPhone 15 owners since the phone’s launch in September. Multiple people discussed the problem on Apple’s support forums and on Reddit (2).
Most affected customers report that putting their iPhone 15 on their BMW’s wireless charging pad caused the phone to reboot with a white screen. After that, the NFC chip stopped working. And that meant features like Apple Pay and Digital Car Key no longer work.
Apple confirmed the problem in an internal memo to its authorized stores and repair centers. The company noted that some wireless chargers built into cars like BMW and Toyota Supra models could affect the NFC capabilities of the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro lineup. MacRumors reports that the memo does not explain the reason behind the problem.
Contact Apple support if your iPhone’s NFC is broken
If your iPhone 15’s NFC chip stops working, your only solution is to contact Apple support. Apple recommends its technicians restart the NFC chip using a diagnostic tool. If that does not work, a hardware replacement is recommended. But if your phone is working fine, avoid charging it from your car’s wireless charging pad.
Nonetheless, Apple confirms a fix for the problem will roll out later in the year. (The recently released iOS 17.1 update apparently does not address the problem.)
The wireless charging problem affecting iPhone 15 units and BMW and Toyota vehicles does not appear widespread. Still, avoid topping off your iPhone’s battery using your vehicle’s charging pad until Apple resolves the situation.
