Let’s start by understanding what NFC is. NFC stands for Near Field Communication and allows two electronic devices to communicate with each other when they are held up close. NFC is quickly finding its place in modern smartphones but its usage is still limited to making contactless payments. Most smartphone users aren’t aware of the possibilities that lie ahead with NFC.
How to make the most of NFC and use it in day-to-day life?
To tap into the maximum potential of NFC, you will need to purchase ‘NFC tags’ which can be programmed to carry out certain tasks or share the data stored within them. In this article, we bring you the top 8 practical ways to use Android NFC in your day-to-day life.
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In This Article
Automate your tasks at home
Placing an NFC tag alongside your entry doorway can help in automating several smartphone-related tasks. You can program the NFC tag to turn on your phone’s WiFi the moment your step in, turn off the mobile data, decrease brightness, launch a Spotify playlist, and complete other tasks you usually carry out upon arriving home. Conversely, you can program the tag to ‘switch’ the tasks and turn off WiFi and turn on the mobile data as you step out.
Unlock your door
If you have a smart lock installed in your house, you can operate it using an NFC tag. You don’t have to enter the code every time you want to enter your house. The only precondition is that the smart lock must have NFC support (common in most modern smart locks). Once you’ve programmed the lock, all you need to do is place your phone near it and the door will automatically unlock for you.
Automate your tasks as you enter your car
If you don’t have Apple CarPlay or Android Auto in your car, an NFC tag will be extremely helpful. You can place the tag at a convenient spot (like the dashboard or centre console) and program it to automate certain tasks like launching the navigation app, playing a certain playlist on Spotify, enabling Bluetooth to pair with your car’s speakers, and turning on Do Not Disturb mode.
Share your business card
You can save money on printing out business cards and make the process of sharing one look pretty cool with the help of NFC. You can program an NFC tag to share your contact information and business details whenever someone taps on it. If you’re setting up shop at an event, you don’t have to worry about printing the ideal number of business cards. Simply place the NFC tag at a convenient spot where people can easily scan it for its contents.
Force yourself out of bed with an NFC alarm
If you have a habit of hitting the snooze button in bed over and over again, you can use an NFC tag to force yourself out of bed. The NFC Alarm Clock app makes you scan an NFC tag to disable the ringing alarm. To best utilise this feature, place the NFC tag far away from your bed, so you are forced to get up in order to turn off the alarm.
Connect to Bluetooth devices
Bluetooth devices are more common than ever these days. You may have several Bluetooth speakers at home that are paired with your smartphone and other media-playing devices. Constantly switching between devices can be quite a hassle. You can easily bypass this minor issue by programming NFC tags for different Bluetooth devices in your house. Once that’s done, all you need to do is tap your phone on the tag and it will automatically connect to the device, whether the Bluetooth is turned on or not. This is one of the most practical ways to use Android NFC at home.
Share the WiFi password
Here’s a cool way to share your home WiFi password. Program an NFC tag to share your WiFi network details whenever a smartphone comes in contact with it. WiFi passwords are usually long and complex, so you won’t need to remember them if you use an NFC tag. Apps like InstaWiFi will help you program the NFC tag to give out your home WiFi password.
Share a website
If you have a personal blog or website with a complicated name, you don’t need to spell it out every time someone asks for it. Simply pull out the NFC card with the website URL programmed in it and let the person scan it on their phone. When someone scans the NFC tag, their phone will immediately open the website in a web browser. This trick can be particularly useful for small businesses and sellers to direct people to their online stores.
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Conclusion
These are the 8 practical ways to use Android NFC in your day-to-day life. Since NFC payments are pretty commonplace these days, we’ve omitted it from our list in favour of other creative tasks. Once you get a hang of how to use an NFC tag, the possibilities of its use are endless. You can get creative with it and program it to carry out tasks that fit your quirks and needs. If you found this article helpful, let us know in the comments!
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