NFC Tags on Android: What They Can and Cannot Automate
Archive note. This story reflects what was known when it was first covered. Prices, availability and carrier offers are historical. For the current picture, start with the topic guides.
What NFC is
NFC is a short-range wireless technology. It sits behind contactless pay passes and key cards, and it powers Android Beam, the feature that lets two phones share content by touching. The author was using a Galaxy Nexus and had wanted to try tags for a long time.
What was tested
- Sony SmartConnect with Xperia SmartTags. The tags arrived with a Sony phone, so the first video used Sony’s own app.
- NFC Task Launcher. The second video used this app, which also works with Tasker.
Where it falls short
The author had hoped one tap on a bike mount would connect Bluetooth headphones, start a playlist and open a fitness app in bike mode. Most of that was possible, but some steps were not. Tapping from the lock screen did not work either, so the phone had to be woken and unlocked before the tap.
The biggest limit is that a trigger set up in an app stays with that phone. If your tag toggles your Wi-Fi, a friend’s phone will not follow unless they have the same app and setting. NFC Writer is far more limited, but its commands work on any phone regardless of the app installed.
When tags make sense
Pick something you do many times a day and automate that, such as turning Wi-Fi on at the office or at home. The author keeps Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and GPS on nearly all the time, so tags saved no steps there.
Frequently asked questions
Do NFC tags work on every Android phone?
Only on phones with NFC hardware, and the task apps need to be installed on each phone that reads the tag.
Can a tag share my settings with a friend?
Not through an app trigger. NFC Writer commands are the universal exception, though they can do very little.
Can I use a tag from the lock screen?
In this test it did not work, so the screen had to be unlocked first.