Tap Tag User Guide

How to program an NFC chip using NFC Tools app

Welcome! Here is step-by-step guide on how to program an NFC tag or NFC business card. First off, the NFC tag has to be programmable and have a suitable memory limit. Tap Tag holds 144 Bytes of information in the chip and the info is stored using no power whatsoever, and can be constantly overwritten if the user wishes to change its contents. Inversely, the contents of Tap Tag can also be locked forever using another feature of NFC Tools, which may be ideal for business settings or public environments.


Here's how to program Tap Tag in 7 easy steps, taking about ninety seconds total. NFC Tools is a free app on the Apple and Android App store available to all.


Program NFC chip NFC Tools app
Our first step is to download "NFC Tools" and open it. Easy peasy, next step.
NFC Tools app coding an NFC Tag
After opening the app you will be greeted with this home page. Click "Write" to move on to the next step. 


NFC tools Tap Tag
Here, you will see a page with three options. Click the first option "Add A Record" to move on to step 4.


NFC chip capabilities
This step greets you with many options to code into your Tap Tag. The recommended option is to click "Custom URL/URI." Move on to next step. *Most of the other options do not work with current smartphones*


Side Note 1:  Not all options are compatible with all smartphones. For example, you are able to code Wifi information into an NFC tag with any smartphone but currently only Android phones can read Wifi info, iPhones will not read.
Side Note 2:  Tap Tag holds 144 Bytes of data, roughly equivalent to 36 characters of text. It's more beneficial to use a free contact-card site like LinkTree that generates one small link linking to all your info on the linktr.ee website, which is more resourceful than to add all contact info into "Contacts" tab which may use too much of the tags memory. 


NFC Tools Add link to NFC tag
After clicking "Custom URL/URI" the app will bring you to this simple page. Just type in your www. or copy/paste your web link. Click "OK" in top right corner when you are done. *This is the only option we recommend using*


Side Note:  On this page you can add any link, which is what the entire internet runs on. Here's some examples...
Any website, Instagram, Link Tree, SoundCloud, Youtube video/channel, Venmo, PayPal, Photo/album link, LinkedIn, Tik Tok, Pinterest, restaurant menu, the list goes on!


Program a link into NFC chip
After clicking "OK" you will be brought back to this page, this time your Custom URL will be added. You will also notice the app tells you the amount of space your link takes up, in this case 16 Bytes. *Ensure that there is only one item here, if there are 2+ items you will have an error scanning NFC tag*


Click "Write" to be prompted with an NFC "Ready to Scan" message


Ready to scan NFC tag - Coding
Now your smartphone is looking for an NFC tag to encode. For iPhone, hold the top of your phone within 1 inch of Tap Tag while this message is up. For android, place middle of phone onto Tap Tag.  Your smartphone will make a sound and/or vibrate when your NFC tag is officially encoded, which takes less than one second. 


NFC App to code NFC tag
This check mark symbolizes that your NFC chip is programmed! That's it! you did it! You can test Tap Tag by holding your smartphone near it. Your phone should automatically receive the information you encoded via a drop down notification. Click the notification to go to your link. You do not need an app to read Tap Tag, any compatible phone will read the tag within 3 inches as long as the screen is on. Some phones may need to be unlocked first. Some android phones may need to have "NFC" turned on in settings. 


If you choose to re-program another link into your tag simply repeat these steps to overwrite the previous link.


Please visit our Frequently Asked Questions if you encounter any issues along the way.

Where to place your Tap Tag? 

Smartphones automatically read tags when the screen is switched on. Do not put your tag on your phone near the NFC-reading area, or else your phone will read the tag every time you open your phone. 
For iPhones: It is best to stick your tag to the middle or bottom on the back of your phone. The NFC reader is located at the top of your iPhone so it is ideal to keep your NFC tag away from there.
For Android: Most androids have the NFC reader in the middle-back of phone. Stick your NFC tag to either the top or bottom. Some android phones vary so it is best to test this out before you peel off the adhesive of tag. 

Not a text-kinda person? We got you covered with video 

Here is a video we made of the process if you prefer to see some Tap Tag uses and how to program an NFC chip live. We talk you through each step while showing you the power of Tap Tag. Enjoy!

Have the smartphone pull up a ready-to-save contact card automatically

This video explains how to scan an NFC tag and have it pull up the contact card native to the phone. You can also add this feature to your existing digital business card as an option next to all of your other links. Either way, learning how to make a vcard or VCF file is always useful information.