Do I need an app on Android?
No. Chrome on Android writes the card itself. NFC Tools is there if you prefer an app.
Help Center
Write an NFC card from an Android phone
Write your NFC card in one tap with Chrome on Android, check that it holds your link, and test it.
Chrome on Android can write NFC cards by itself, so you do not need an app. Zapped writes the card's own link, reads it back to check it, and then helps you test the first tap.
Use this guide when
You are setting up an NFC card with an Android phone.
Before you start
- An Android phone with NFC switched on, and Chrome.
- A writable NFC card that stores a web link, such as NTAG213, NTAG215 or NTAG216.
- The NFC card added in NFC Cards. Open its setup page on the phone: choose Continue setup, scan the QR code shown on your laptop, or open a setup link you emailed to yourself.
Steps
- Open the setup page in Chrome on your Android phone.
- Choose Write to card. The first time, Chrome asks to use NFC. Choose Allow.
- Hold the card flat against the back of the phone, near the top, and keep it still. Zapped writes the link, then reads the card back. Wait for Written and checked. Lift the card.
- If the card already holds something, Zapped shows what it opens and asks first. Choose Replace it to write your link, or Cancel to keep it.
- Test the card. Tap it with any phone, including this one. When Zapped sees the tap it asks Did your card open? Choose Yes, it works.
- On the last step, choose Manage this card to open its page, or Write another card to set up the next one.
Zapped never replaces what is on a card without asking you first, and it never writes your card's own address. It writes the card link Zapped made for this NFC card.
Browsers that can write
Chrome on Android is the browser that can write NFC cards. Samsung Internet, Firefox and other browsers cannot. A setup link from your laptop offers Open in Chrome in those browsers. Otherwise, copy the page address and open it in Chrome.
If you would rather use an app, open Use NFC Tools instead on the setup page. It shows your card link and how to write it with the NFC Tools app. Then choose I wrote it in Zapped.
If Chrome blocked NFC
If Block was chosen when Chrome asked, the setup page shows Allow NFC to continue. Tap the lock icon or the settings icon next to the address bar, tap Permissions, then NFC, and choose Allow. Come back to the page and tap Try again.
Why Zapped reads the card back
A card that moves while it is written can end up with only part of the link. Zapped reads the card again right after writing, so you know it holds your link before you lift it. If it does not, the page says so and you write it again.
Good ways to use this
- Write on a table, with the phone flat and the card under it, so neither moves.
- Take off a thick phone case before writing.
- Test with someone else's phone too, especially an iPhone, if the people you meet use both.
Common questions
Where is the NFC reader on my phone?
Usually near the top of the back. On some phones it is in the middle, so move the card slowly until the page reacts.
Can I write the same card again?
Yes, unless it is locked. If you write it again later, choose I wrote it again on the setup page so the test starts over.
If something looks wrong
- If Write to card is missing, the page is not open in Chrome. Open it in Chrome.
- If the page says NFC is off or not available, switch NFC on in your phone settings.
- If the page says We did not see a card, choose Try again and hold the card near the top of the back of the phone.
- Every message the setup page can show is explained in Fix NFC card setup problems.
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