How to write and read NFC tags
Simply put NFC tags are containers for information which can be read by NFC-enabled devices such as smartphones. If a NFC tag contains for example a link, a simple scan with a smartphone automatically opens a mobile-optimized website on the scanning device. However, a NFC tag cannot only store links, but also other content types such as text or contact data. In this article, we seek to answer the question how information can be written on a NFC tag.
Encoding NFC tags with an Android Phone
In everyday life NFC tags are often used to change several smartphone properties at once (e.g. activate/deactivate Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and ringtone) or to start apps automatically. In case you are planning to use NFC tags in this way, we recommend using a mobile app for encoding NFC tags. Such apps allow you to choose several smartphone properties to be changed and apps to be started from a list. Then, the NFC tag is encoded by touching the back of your smartphone. Most apps also offer the possibility to store links or simple text on NFC tags.
Here you can find our recommended Android app to describe NFC tags.
Encoding NFC tags with Windows applications
Especially, when a huge number of NFC tags should be encoded, it’s more convenient to use a Windows application instead of mobile app. In order to do so an additional NFC USB terminal.
Using NFC21-Tools and a USB terminal to encode NFC tags
We offer for example the NFC21-Tools for encoding and reading NFC tags for free. Additionally, the business license of NFC21-Tools enables you to import an Excel table with data (text, URL or offline VCard) which is very helpful to encode a lot of NFC tags in a row. Simply touch the NFC terminal with a tag shortly to write the current Excel entry on the tag. Then, the software jumps to the following entry automatically and you can proceed with the next NFC tag. An additional mouse click enables you to activate a write protection easily. The free download you can find under https://tools.nfc21.de.
Describing NFC tags with iPhones
With the apps NFC21 Reader and NFC21 Tool we offer two applications for reading and writing NFC tags for the iPhone. While the first one is designed to keep reading as easy as possible, the second one offers extensive possibilities to create your own NFC tags. Learn more about our NFC12 Reader and NFC21 Tool for iOS.
Manage NFC tags via NFC-Url
Even in the largest variants, the memory space of an NFC tag is only sufficient for the most important information. There is no space for extensive texts or even images. One possible solution to this problem is to link the NFC tag to an online service that implements additional functions. The NFC tag contains only one URL, which functions as a jump to the online service. Products that are firmly linked to an intelligent online service are called "NFC-Url" in NFC-Tag-Shop. Our NFC-Url platform enables the realization of those campaigns. Now discover the NFC Smart category in the online shop and learn what intelligent products based on NFC such as NFC URL, NFC vCard, NFC Love, Dogtap and Bagtap make possible.
Order NFC tags which are already encoded
Of course, we also offer to encode NFC tags for you. In case you wish that we encode your NFC tags simply add the product encoding.