How to Automate an NFC Tag to Open Files on Your Phone

You can set up your NFC tag to open a file stored on your device or in the cloud. Here’s how to do it using the free NFC Tools app.

What You’ll Need:

- Your phone (iPhone or Android with NFC enabled)
- An NFC tag (rewritable)
- The NFC Tools app (free on App Store or Google Play)
- A shareable file link (hosted online if the file isn’t natively supported)

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Prepare Your File

- Upload your file to a cloud service like:
  - Google Drive
  - Dropbox
  - iCloud
  - OneDrive

- Set the file sharing to “Anyone with the link can view”
- Copy the shareable URL

2. Download & Open NFC Tools

- Install NFC Tools from your app store
- Open the app and tap the "Write" tab

3. Add a Record

- Tap “Add a record”
- Select “URL / URI”
- Paste in the shareable link to your file

4. Write to the NFC Tag

- Tap “Write”
- Hold your phone against the NFC tag
- Wait for the confirmation message (usually 1–2 seconds)

5. Test It

- Lock your phone screen and unlock it again
- Tap your phone to the NFC tag
- The file link should open automatically in your browser or cloud app

Things to Keep in Mind:

Other peoples phones can’t directly open local files(like PDFs stored only on your device) from an NFC tag use a cloud-hosted file instead.
- Tags have limited space. Keep your URL short or use a URL shortener like Bit.ly if needed.
- If you want to open a file using a specific app, make sure the app supports web links.

Click HERE for Part 1 - Setting up your Bag Charm - Adding links

Click HERE for part 2 - Using your charm to open files 

Click HERE for part 3 - Automating your Life.