How to Write an NFC Tag

According to Blue Bite, the growth of NFC reach from 2018 to 2020 was 82%, while growth in the number of NFC interactions increased by 63% in the same duration.

This is a clear indication that the use of NFC is increasing as the days go by. In this article, you will learn how to write an NFC tag for your business.

To write a new tag, you need an empty or no longer required tag

The first step to writing an NFC tag is sourcing blank tags. If you use no-longer required tags, it is crucial to ensure they are empty and not locked. This is because you can never re-write it once it is locked.

Get the app

Several free apps can write NFC tags on Google Play. These include;

  • NFC Tools

It is an NFC writer software that allows you to read, write and program tasks on your NFC tags. Besides, it is simple to use as it allows you to encode basic information on your tags which will be compatible with any NFC device.

  • NFC TagWrite by NXP

It is an app that stores geolocation, bookmarks, contacts, SMS, emails, and more to any NFC-enabled tags. Similarly, you can have your business card or smartwatch with NFC-enabled data for reading and viewing.

If you want an app that will allow your smartphone to perform tasks like launching apps, you can get softwares like NFC Task or Trigger.

Add a task

Once you have the tag writer app, launch it and add in the task. The task is the purpose of your NFC tag. For example, you can say you will use it as a business card, WiFi connection, link to your website, or send emails to your customers.

Add the trigger and the restrictions

When using an NFC card writer to create your tag, it is crucial to protect it from unauthorized writing or reading (if there is). This is because if someone interferes with your NFC tag, it may lose its information. Some of the ways you can create restrictions include;

    1. Locking- It is the simplest form of restricting your NFC tag. It involves using one or several special sections of one-time programmable (OTP) lock bits. They are called so because once you program them, you cannot change.

    2. Blocking- It involves the use of block bits which are also one-time. However, instead of blocking sections of user memory from future writing, you block writing access on certain lock bits.

      3. Use of a password- This is where you restrict your NFC tag with a password. As a result, for someone to write or read it, they must provide the password. However, this is different from locking because it allows authorized users to write on the tag further without allowing anybody with a tag writer for NFC to write on it.

      Name the task

      If you want to name your task, you can do it in the description section of the app. However, you can leave it blank.

      Add actions

      There are several actions you can take to program an NFC card. For example, ‘Add Tag UID', adds the tag’s Unique Identifier at the end of the card to know how many people have accessed it.

      Also, you can allow the ‘Add Interaction Counter’ button that adds an incrementing number at the end of your business card each time a person interacts with your tag.

      Add a second task

      If you want to add another task to your NFC tag, click on the + symbol on your best NFC writer app.

      Once you click on it, select the tag type you want to add for the new task. Then, name the task and tap on Add actions to enable any action on that task.

      Write the tag

      Now, it is time to take that swift NFC write action. Select the ‘Write’ button at the bottom of your screen. The next screen that will appear will be the content of your NFC tag.

      Understanding how you can create an NFC tag for your business is worth it. Follow the above steps to generate one to keep your business growing!