[vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” column_margin=”default” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” row_border_radius=”none” row_border_radius_applies=”bg” overflow=”visible” overlay_strength=”0.3″ gradient_direction=”left_to_right” shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” column_element_direction_desktop=”default” column_element_spacing=”default” desktop_text_alignment=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_backdrop_filter=”none” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” column_position=”default” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1\/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” animation_type=”default” bg_image_animation=”none” border_type=”simple” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text css=”” text_direction=”default”]By replacing the traditional plastic badge with the smartphone, mobile access control brings building entry into the modern era. Combining NFC access control, Bluetooth \/ BLE access control and digital badges delivers a seamless user experience, backed by rigorous encryption standards.[\/vc_column_text][image_with_animation image_url=”3616″ image_size=”full” animation_type=”entrance” animation=”None” animation_movement_type=”transform_y” hover_animation=”none” alignment=”” border_radius=”none” box_shadow=”none” image_loading=”default” max_width=”100%” max_width_mobile=”default”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” column_margin=”default” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” row_border_radius=”none” row_border_radius_applies=”bg” overflow=”visible” overlay_strength=”0.3″ gradient_direction=”left_to_right” shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” column_element_direction_desktop=”default” column_element_spacing=”default” desktop_text_alignment=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_backdrop_filter=”none” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” column_position=”default” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1\/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” animation_type=”default” bg_image_animation=”none” border_type=”simple” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text css=”” text_direction=”default”]\n
Mobile access control means using a smartphone as a credential instead of a physical card or badge. A digital badge, also called a virtual badge, is an encrypted digital credential stored in an app or in the phone\u2019s wallet (Apple Wallet, Google Wallet). When the user reaches the door, the smartphone communicates by radio with the wall-mounted reader. The reader authenticates the virtual badge before passing the information on to the access control panel, which grants or denies access in a fraction of a second.[\/vc_column_text][divider line_type=”No Line”][vc_column_text css=”” text_direction=”default”]\n
A smartphone doesn\u2019t open every door the same way. Depending on the read range, the type of access point and the required security level, a site combines several communication modes and can add an extra layer of authentication. Here is what each one brings day to day.<\/p>\n
NFC (Near Field Communication) access control operates at 13.56 MHz, with a range of less than 10 cm. The phone acts like a contactless badge: the user holds the device close to the reader to open the door. This deliberate gesture makes the intent to enter clear and prevents unintentional openings. It is well suited to lobbies, offices and sensitive rooms.<\/p>\n
Bluetooth \/ BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) access control uses the 2.4 GHz band. Its range can reach several tens of metres depending on the environment. It is a good fit for car park barriers, logistics areas and accessible entrances for people with reduced mobility, where users pass through without handling their phone. For a detailed comparison of these first two technologies, the article NFC vs Bluetooth: understanding the differences<\/a> covers range, data rate and use cases.[\/vc_column_text][divider line_type=”No Line”][vc_column_text css=”” text_direction=”default”]\n For visitors, contractors or delivery drivers, a QR code sent by email or messaging app provides temporary access, with no app to download. A rotating QR code, renewed at set intervals, prevents it from being duplicated.<\/p>\n By requiring the user to unlock their phone (fingerprint, facial recognition or PIN code), the smartphone ensures that only the right person can open the door. This step blocks any access attempt if the device is lost or stolen. Alternatively, a site can prioritise speed by choosing Express Mode, which lets users pass without unlocking the screen. Each site can therefore fine-tune its setup to strike the right balance between stronger security and smooth traffic flow.<\/p>\n At reader level, biometrics are strictly regulated in Europe: the GDPR (and the CNIL, the French data protection authority) requires users to keep their own biometric data, which cannot be stored in the access control panel or on its associated server. Biometrics therefore act as a second factor: the reader extracts the data from the badge presented and compares it with the fingerprint placed on the biometric sensor.<\/p>\n Access control has gone through several generations of credentials. The mechanical key was followed by the contact key, fitted with pins that are held against an area of the reader to exchange data, and then by the infrared key, pointed at the reader to open the door. RFID then took over, in two families: 125 kHz, now obsolete, followed by 13.56 MHz, still in use today, whose most advanced technology is DESFire\u00ae. The smartphone, with NFC and Bluetooth (BLE), represents the next generation.<\/p>\n On smartphones, the NFC chip opened up to developers at two different speeds. As early as 2013, Android allowed developers to use the chip to bring new features to users. Apple long reserved it for its own Apple Wallet, until the European Digital Markets Act required it to make the chip available to all developers.<\/p>\n This opening allows security software publishers and reader manufacturers to rely on the iPhone\u2019s NFC chip, including its Secure Element, to store access keys. Meanwhile, badges stored in Apple Wallet rely on the ECP2 protocol (Enhanced Contactless Polling): the reader must be certified by Apple. At LiNEGUARD, the Line Nano Prox and Line Ultra Keypad readers have obtained ECP2 certification<\/a> and support Express Mode: users pass without unlocking their iPhone or opening an app, including with an Apple Watch.<\/p>\n Compared with conventional RFID badges, switching to mobile access control brings operational, financial and security benefits.<\/p>\nQR codes: temporary access for guests<\/h2>\n
Biometrics and PIN codes: a second factor<\/h4>\n
From key to smartphone: the evolution of access control<\/h4>\n
Benefits of digital badges over plastic cards<\/h4>\n