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How To Encode NFC Tags Yourself
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Firstly, encoding with an NFC phone is easy, free and quick. In fact, it's perfectly possible to encode even a couple of hundred tags yourself using just a mobile phone.
The best software apps are currently available for Android phones, so we'll give some guidance here on how to encode using NXP's brilliant and free TagWriter App. NXP make the tiny microchip that goes into all the tags we sell here at RapidNFC, and the App works perfectly with our tags. It also encodes to NFC Forum standard ensuring that your tags can be read by other mobile phones.
1. Getting TagWriter
NXP's TagWriter is available as a free download from Google Play. Just do a quick search and you should find it easily.
2. Enable 'Professional Edition'
First thing we'd recommend is to enable the extra features, which at the time of writing is free. Go to preferences through the menu button and 'Swith UI Mode' to 'Professional Edition'. It's no more difficult to use and allows you to easily lock the tags and encode simple web addresses easily.
3. Using The Start Menu
The starter menu allows you to 'View' information already on the tag. You can use the 'Tools' section to lock or erase content. But, we are going to write something first, so tap 'Create and write'.
4. Tap New Or Select From History
You can see data that you have recently written to tags here in your 'History', or you can create something new. In this case, tap on the 'New' menu option.
5. Encoding Options
The next screen shows you all the encoding options available to you. Select URL and on the next screen, select 'Create new bookmark'.
6. Create New Bookmark
Select 'Create new bookmark'.
7. Enter Your Data
Optionally, you can give your web address a title which will be encoded alongside. This takes up memory space on the NFC tag and doesn't always display on all phones, so we'd usually suggest you don't bother - but the option is there. In this instance, enter a web address (for example rapidnfc.com or google.com) and then tap 'Next'.
8. Encoding Options
On this screen, you can select whether to write to one tag or multiple tags and whether you want to protect. Uncheck all options for this example. Note that if you 'protect', then it will lock the tags and you will no longer be able to change the data. In some instances, you can't lock the first time you encode in any event, but uncheck for now anyway. Then tap on 'Next'.
9. Encode Your Tag
Now just hold your phone over your NFC Tag and wait a fraction of a second for it to encode.
10. Tag Encoded !
That's it. You should get a confirmation screen stating 'Store Successful' and you have encoded your first NFC Tag. If you want to lock it, you can do this from the Tools menu option. If you are using your tags in a public place, you'll need to lock them !
