What is an NFC tag, and what does it do?
An NFC tag is a tiny chip that talks to your phone when you tap it. That’s it.
It doesn’t track you, it doesn’t need a battery, and it can’t control anything. It just waits for your phone to get close and says, “Hey, open this link.”
That link can go anywhere — a photo, a note, emergency info, your contact card, a song, a shared calendar, or even a message for your future self.
Think of it like a magic Post-it that never falls off. Stick it on a backpack, a notebook, a gift, or your keychain. Tap it with your phone, and boom — whatever you set it to shows up instantly.
How to use one
- Get an NFC tag — most are stickers or keychains. (They’re cheap and easy to find online.)
- Use a phone app like NFC Tools (Android) or NFC TagWriter (iPhone) to write a link onto the tag.
- Paste in your link — anything with a URL will work.
- Write it to the tag. Done. That’s it.
Need to change the link later? If you used a redirect service (like a digital sticky note), you just update that link. The tag itself stays the same.
You don’t need a login or a subscription to make this work. You don’t even need to be “techy.” You just need a phone with NFC (most have it), a tag, and a link.
Why would anyone do this?
- Put emergency contacts inside your kid’s backpack tag
- Share your contact info without fumbling with your phone
- Give a photo message to your grandma that opens when she taps it
- Leave yourself a private reminder on a mirror or journal
- Add a love note to a gift
This isn’t new tech. It’s just been hiding in plain sight, waiting for the rest of us to figure out fun, kind, creative ways to use it.