You must be familiar with NFC tags if you are here. I am not sure about you, but these little disks fascinate me, especially when I think about the many possibilities for their use.
In this article, we will explain where to purchase it, how to write, and how to use it.
What is an NFC tag and how does it work?
Near-field communication (NFC) tags are miniature electronic devices that are designed to store data for retrieval by NFC-enabled devices, such as smartphones and tablets. The stickers are about the size of a large coin and are round or square. The small stickers of wireless technology are also capable of transferring data between two NFC-enabled devices.
It is possible to store telephone numbers or URLs (web addresses) in NFC tags and to add protection. It is possible to lock them so that your data can not be altered once it has been written. You should, however, leave them unlocked if you intend to re-encode them. By doing so, you will be able to re-encode them as many times as you wish.
NFC tags work by either tapping the sticker with a device that supports NFC or by bringing the device within four inches of the sticker.
Where can you purchase NFC tags?
It is not difficult to obtain an NFC sticker. If you search Amazon, eBay, or any other e-commerce site, there are likely to be numerous results.
Several options are suitable for those residing in the United Kingdom, including NFC Direct, the “world’s leading NFC supplier,” and Universal Smart Cards. You may also consider Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart if you reside in the United States.
What you should write on NFC tags
You do not need special skills to create an NFC tag. Using an Android phone, a MacBook, an iPhone, or even a Windows computer, you can write an NFC tag. However, we will only briefly discuss how to create an NFC tag on an Android device here.
You will need the following items to write to an NFC tag:
- Stickers for NFC (obviously)
- A smartphone with NFC capabilities
- Apps for programming NFC
The following is a step-by-step description of how to write data to an NFC tag:
- From the Google Play Store, download the NFC programming app Trigger.
- Open the app and navigate to “My Tasks.”
- Then tap the + button in the bottom right corner of the app to create a new task.
- Click on “Next” after selecting NFC from the list of options on the next screen.
- The next page will allow you to set restrictions on when your tag will run (dates, time, WiFi, Bluetooth, etc.).
- The next page lists the tasks your tag is capable of performing.
- You can configure the tasks as required.
- By clicking on “Add to tasks” and naming your tag.
- Click “Done” to complete.
- Place the NFC tag on the back of your phone.
- A confirmation message will appear.
And there you have it! Your tag will have all the information transferred to it and it can be used immediately. You can now use your NFC tag to automate a programmed task with any device.
Here are some cool uses for NFC stickers
Check out this video for the procedure on how to use NFC tags
Recently, NFC tags have become singly popular. Most people are familiar with one or two ways in which they can be utilized, but there are numerous other ways to utilize them in daily life.
You are probably all familiar with the Tap n Pay technology, but did you also know that NFC is used for tracking your car keys, cell phone, and even to remind you when to make certain calls?
Most likely not. NFC stickers can indeed be used to complete a variety of tasks, some of which are nothing short of amazing.
The purpose of this article is to highlight this point by providing you with several NFC tag options that will help you simplify your life going forward.
The following are some of the numerous applications of NFC tags
Paying for goods and services
Today, NFC tags are most frequently used in contactless payment services such as Google Pay and Apple Pay.
Throughout the world, they are available at many food and convenience stores. Due to these payment services being widely adopted, other forms of payment will not be able to be ditched.
What else? Apart from being payment methods, Apple Pay and Google Pay store your spending history, analyze your spending habits and save coupons that can be redeemed for discounts.
Takelarm Clock Actually Works
In addition, NFC tags can be set to wake you in the morning.
Simply stick the tag in the bathroom or wherever your first stop is in the morning and the alarm will be disabled when it is in communication with the tag. This will force you to wake up when the alarm goes off.
This may seem horrifying, but it is a great and necessary evil of the future. Unless you use the alarm feature on your smartphone, you will need an alarm clock with NFC technology. Excellent use of NFC tags!
Turn on the hotspot on your phone.
This particular NFC tag idea is simple and brilliant. These days, I frequently use my phone’s hotspot since I am constantly on the go.
The NFC sticker can be applied to a tablet or laptop, and when you tap your phone to the tag, the phone’s hotspot will be activated. You do not need to touch your phone to activate it.
A Smart Direction
How convenient would it be if you could enter your car and have your phone automatically launch Google Maps?
Well, what do you know? NFC tags may be useful in achieving this goal. Simply install an NFC tag in your vehicle and encode it to load Google Maps.
If you are in the car, simply tap the icon and the map will load within seconds, which could take as long as minutes if your internet connection is inadequate. That is one use of the NFC tag that will make life much easier.
Share your WiFi with your friends.
Do you find it difficult to remember your WiFi password? You are asked to spell every letter and number down to how it is capitalized and you are expected to do so? I thought so as well.
It is possible to eliminate this problem with an NFC sticker. If you store your WiFi password on an NFC sticker, when you need it you can simply move an NFC-enabled device over the sticker and it will automatically connect to your WiFi network.
This alone should be sufficient to justify investing in this technology.
Promote Your Business
Place an NFC sticker with your business address, possibly on Google Maps, with a flyer or poster that promotes your business.
If people scan the tag, they will be directed directly to your door. As a result, your potential customers will have less time and effort to search for your business.
Buying a lot of NFC tags, encoding them, and then locking them is required for this.
Turn your lights on and off.
The NFC tag idea may be tricky to implement, and only tech-savvy people could figure out all the technical jargon, but it is still quite cool.
Couldn’t it be nice if you could turn on your lights just by waving your phone? This requires Philips Hue products, which are somewhat expensive.
Unlock the door.
You can indeed use NFC tags to unlock your front door, or any other door for that matter. However, you will need a smart lock to do so.
You can use the LifeMaster by MyQ smart lock if you have an Android device that is NFC-enabled. Using the relevant NFC sticker, you can send a toggle command to your door.
As a bookmark
Among the many uses of NFC tags is the ease of accessing favorite websites. This is accomplished by encoding the URL of the website on the tag. The website can then be accessed by swiping the tag with your mobile device.
You can also use the NFC tags to direct people to a specific website. The URL of the website can be encoded onto an NFC tag and then tapped with the mobile phone to direct them to the website, much like you would do when saving a website for personal use.
Activate the driving mode.
You can also use an NFC sticker to automatically activate the driving mode on your smartphone.
If you first encode the tasks you want your phone to perform onto an NFC tag, you can then tap your phone to activate DND mode, as well as other tasks you have written to the tag.
It is even possible to control your NFC sticker with apps like Trigger for Android. This will enable you to change the mode of your phone simply by toggling a switch.
Sharing Media Content
Are you a content creator, either in music or video? Is your content distributed through platforms such as Spotify, YouTube, and Twitch? In that case, NFC stickers can be of assistance to you.
You can use them to further propagate your content. How should you proceed? You can embed a link to the platform on which your content is hosted in the tag. Place them in strategic locations, such as cafes, where people frequently congregate.
Be sure to inform people of what is on the NFC sticker to avoid spooking them off because of potential security risks.
Automating phone tasks
Although smartphones come with several shortcuts that make using them easier and smoother, they lack the flexibility that NFC tags provide. If you have an NFC tag, you can automate tasks like having your phone play a particular playlist when you leave your house.
It is important to have a set of DIMPLE Smart Buttons if you are going to use an NFC tag for this particular application. Placing them on the back of your phone in proximity to the NFC tag will allow you to use them. You simply click the associated button when you wish to perform a pre-defined task.
Put a timer on
You will find this NFC tag quite helpful if you always forget to put your food on the stove or your clothes in the washing machine.
Your NFC tag can be programmed to start your timer when it is tapped next to your stove, washing machine, or in any other location. If you are performing a task that involves these tools, then you can simply set a timer with your tag.
Almost anything can be used with NFC stickers & tags. Tell us what uses we’ve missed and what you think would be cool.
