NFC – NTAG General Info

Bywits

Software & Apps

We recommend the following apps for writing data to NFC cards, stickers and fobs:

  • iOS: https://apps.apple.com/app/id1252962749
  • Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.wakdev.wdnfc
  • Linux/Mac/Windows: https://www.wakdev.com/en/apps/nfc-tools-pc-mac.html

Chip Types & Capacity

We stock 3 major chip types for NFC:

  • NTAG213 (144 Bytes): Low cost, ideal for URLs or when you only need the card’s unique ID without storing data.
  • NTAG215 (504 Bytes): Good balance of cost and capacity, good for large URLs, contact info (vCard/vcf) or custom data storage applications.
  • NTAG216 (888 Bytes): High capacity for larger vCards or custom data storage applications.

Troubleshooting

If you’re having trouble reading or writing to NFC cards, here are some potential causes.

  • Wrong reader location: iPhones have the NFC antenna near the rear cameras, while Android phones typically have it near the center on the back of the phone.
  • Phone does not have NFC functionality (e.g. budget Android phones, older phones)
  • NFC is not enabled in settings.
  • NFC card/sticker is on a metal surface.
  • Multiple NFC cards/stickers on top of or near each other.
  • Strong EMF interference nearby
  • Phone case too thick, or a metal/MagSafe/magnetic case or ring holder over the antenna.
  • Card is locked / write-protected (password-set or permanently made read-only)
  • Trying to write more data than the chip holds