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Can iPhone write NFC tags?
Yes. iPhone writes NFC tags using an app such as NFC Ninja, which needs iOS 17 on iPhone XS, XR or later, or iPhone SE (2nd generation) or later. Keep the app open while you write.
How to write an NFC tag on iPhone, and check it worked
What you need
NFC Ninja is coming soon to iPhone and Android. These steps follow the current app design.
- An iPhone that runs NFC Ninja: iOS 17 on iPhone XS, XR or later, or iPhone SE (2nd generation) or later.
- A blank or rewritable NFC tag. NFC Ninja has been tested on iPhone with NTAG213 stickers for reading, writing, read-back and overwriting. NTAG213 holds 144 bytes, enough for a web link or a short contact card.
- NFC Ninja open on screen. iPhone writes tags from inside an app, so keep NFC Ninja in front while you write.
Step 1: Choose what the tag should do
Open NFC Ninja and either:
- Build your own: on Home, tap Write a Tag. The Write a tag screen asks "What should your tag do?". Pick one, such as Digital business card. There are ten actions, covering websites, contact cards, Wi-Fi, email, phone, SMS, location, social profiles, text and custom records.
- Start from an idea: open the Library tab, pick one of 22 ideas and tap Use this idea. It sets up the action and name for you, and you add your own details.
Tip: for tags that other people will tap, a web link is the most dependable choice. iPhone XS and later can open a link from a tag without opening an app first.
Making a business card? See Make an NFC business card people save in one tap.
Need ideas? See NFC tags for business.
Step 2: Fill in your details and preview
Enter the link, contact details or message, then tap Preview tag. This is the last look before anything is written, so check spelling and links now.
Step 3: Write the tag
- On the Preview screen, tap Write to tag.
- NFC Ninja shows Hold it right there, and iPhone shows its sheet: "Hold the top of your iPhone near the tag." Hold the top of your iPhone flat against the tag.
- If the tag already has data, NFC Ninja asks Overwrite this tag? first. Confirm only if you want to replace it.
- Keep still until the write finishes. Moving away mid-write is the most common reason a write doesn't take.
Step 4: Let NFC Ninja check it
After writing, NFC Ninja shows Checking the tag while it reads the tag back and compares it with what you asked it to write. It only shows Tag written, marked VERIFIED, when the two match, so you're not guessing whether the tag is right before you stick it on the counter.
Step 5: Write another or finish
On Tag written, tap Write another tag to do the next one, or Done to finish. If the setup isn't saved yet, tap Save to My Tags first. Saved setups live in the My Tags tab, where you can rename, duplicate, edit or rewrite them. Recent scans and writes, including failures, are in your history.
Overwriting a tag safely
To change a tag, open the saved setup in the My Tags tab, edit it and write it again. If the tag already has something on it, NFC Ninja asks Overwrite this tag? before replacing it. NFC Ninja never locks a tag, so tags you write with it stay rewritable.
If the write doesn't work
- Hold position and keep still. The NFC reader is near the top of the iPhone. Hold it flat on the tag and don't move until the write finishes.
- Remove thick or metal cases. They can block the signal.
- Move the tag off metal. A standard tag stuck on metal may not read or write. Use a tag made for metal surfaces.
- Check the tag isn't locked. Some tags are locked by whoever wrote them before, and a locked tag can't be changed. Use a new tag.
- Shorten what you're writing. If the content is too big for the tag, use a shorter link or fewer contact fields.
- Try again. Check your history in NFC Ninja to see the failed attempt, then write again.
What iPhone can't do from an NFC tag
iPhone can't join a Wi-Fi network from an NFC tag. NFC Ninja can still write a Wi-Fi tag, and Android phones can join the network from it, but iPhone users will need the password or a QR code. If you're setting up guest Wi-Fi, put a printed password or QR code next to the tag.
Want to use a tag to start something on your iPhone, such as a routine? That's done with Apple's Shortcuts app, which can run a personal automation when your iPhone scans a tag. That's an iPhone feature, separate from NFC Ninja.
COMING SOON TO IPHONE AND ANDROID
Set up your first tag with NFC Ninja
Pick an idea, build the tag in a few taps, write it, and see it verified. No account needed.
Frequently asked
questions
Where is the NFC reader on an iPhone?
At the top edge of the phone. Hold the top of your iPhone flat against the tag when reading or writing.
Can I write Wi-Fi to an NFC tag with my iPhone?
You can write a Wi-Fi tag, but iPhone can't join Wi-Fi from an NFC tag. Android phones can. For iPhone guests, add a printed password or a QR code.
Why won't my iPhone write to an NFC tag?
The usual causes are moving the phone before the write finishes, a thick or metal case, a tag stuck on metal, a tag that's already locked, or content that's too big for the tag. Fix the cause and write again.
Do I need an app to read an NFC tag on iPhone?
Not for links. iPhone XS and later can read a link from a tag in the background while the phone is in use and show a notification to open it. To see the full contents and chip details of a tag, use NFC Ninja's Tag Reader.
How do I know the tag was written correctly?
NFC Ninja shows Checking the tag while it reads the tag back, then Tag written, marked VERIFIED, only when the contents match what you set up.