Do I need to lock my card?
No. Most people never lock. Your card works the same either way.
Help Center
Lock an NFC card
Locking stops anyone from rewriting your NFC card. It is optional and permanent, so lock only after a successful test.
A locked NFC card can never be written again, by you or anyone else. Most people never need it, because you can change where a card opens at any time without writing it. Locking makes sense for cards handed out in public, where someone might try to rewrite them.
Use this guide when
Your card passed its test and you want to make sure nobody can change what is stored on it.
Before you start
- A card that passed its test. Zapped offers locking only after Yes, it works.
- The same physical card you tested, in your hand.
Steps
- On the last setup step, find Lock this card (optional). On a card's page in NFC Cards, choose Lock this card.
- On Android in Chrome, choose Lock this card, read the warning, and choose Yes, lock it.
- Hold the same card against the back of the phone and keep it still until the page says Locked. You can lift the card. Zapped checks first that it is the card you tested.
- On an iPhone, lock the card with the NFC Tools app, from its Other tab. Then choose I locked it in Zapped, so the card shows Locked, reported by you.
Locking cannot be undone. A locked card still opens your link, and you can still change where it opens in Zapped. You just can never write the card again.
What locking changes
Locking makes the chip read only. Nobody can rewrite or erase the link on it, and the card cannot be reused for anything else.
Locking does not change what a tap opens. That is decided in Zapped, so you can still use Where it opens, turn the card off, or mark it as lost.
When Zapped cannot lock a card
Zapped locks only the card you tested. If the card holds a different link, or more than this link, it says This is not the card you tested.
Some cards report a new identifier on every tap, or do not support locking. Zapped then says the card cannot be locked. It still works, and stays rewritable.
Laptops and iPhones cannot lock a card from the setup page. Use Chrome on Android, or NFC Tools on an iPhone.
Locked cards later on
If a locked card goes missing, mark it as lost. Taps then show a not active message. If you find it again, I found it brings it back turned off, with the same link, so it works again without writing it once you turn it on.
A replacement needs a new card, because a locked card can never hold a new link.
Good ways to use this
- Lock only after the card opens the right page on more than one phone.
- Leave cards you might reuse unlocked.
- Use Turn off or Mark as lost to stop a card, not locking.
Common questions
Can I unlock a card?
No. Locking is permanent.
Will locking stop me from changing where it opens?
No. Where a card opens is set in Zapped, so you can change it at any time.
If something looks wrong
- If Lock this card is missing, the card has not passed its test yet, or this browser cannot lock cards.
- If the page says The card was not locked, lift the card, hold it still against the phone and try again.
- If it says This card cannot be locked, the card still works. It just stays rewritable.
Was this guide helpful?
Still have questions? Contact support and we'll help you out.