# Scanning android NFC tags without app?

**URL:** <https://discourse.nodered.org/t/scanning-android-nfc-tags-without-app/42818>\
**Category:** General\
**Created:** [18 March 2021 13:33 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/scanning-android-nfc-tags-without-app/42818 "2021-03-18T13:33:18Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 8\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![akszyn\_pl](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/akszyn_pl/32/36504_2.png) [@akszyn\_pl](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/akszyn_pl)\
**Post date:** [18 March 2021 13:33 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/scanning-android-nfc-tags-without-app/42818/1 "2021-03-18T13:33:18Z")

</div>

What are the requirements for node red to detect which phone we use to scan the tag?

I would like everyone to be able to activate the NFC tag is it someone in the household or someone stranger who scans for the first time? Public tag for short.

Could it be done somehow without installing special applications to make every phone with NFC turned on? eg he could turn on the light after the scanned tag

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![zenofmud](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/zenofmud/32/316_2.png) [@zenofmud](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/zenofmud)\
**Post date:** [18 March 2021 14:39 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/scanning-android-nfc-tags-without-app/42818/2 "2021-03-18T14:39:43Z")

</div>

Node-red will be running on a server somewhere and waiting for some input. So you will need some app on the phone that will send a message to node-red.

From your question, I'm guessing that you haven't much experience with NR so I'd recommend watching this playlist: [Node-RED Essentials](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLyNBB9VCLmo1hyO-4fIZ08gqFcXBkHy-6). The videos are done by the developers of node-red. They're nice & short and to the point. You will understand a whole lot more in about 1 hour. A small investment for a lot of gain.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Steve-Mcl](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/steve-mcl/32/4826_2.png) [@Steve-Mcl](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Steve-Mcl)\
**Post date:** [18 March 2021 14:56 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/scanning-android-nfc-tags-without-app/42818/3 "2021-03-18T14:56:22Z")

</div>

> [@akszyn\_pl](#):
>
> Could it be done somehow without installing special applications to make every phone with NFC turned on

Yes. Android only with Chrome 89+. You could use the [NDEFReader API](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/NDEFReader). I would recommend making a web app in ui-builder.

> **[Interact with NFC devices on Chrome for Android  |  Capabilities...](https://developer.chrome.com/docs/capabilities/nfc)**
>
> Reading and writing to NFC tags is now possible on Chrome for Android.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![akszyn\_pl](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/akszyn_pl/32/36504_2.png) [@akszyn\_pl](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/akszyn_pl)\
**Post date:** [19 March 2021 10:47 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/scanning-android-nfc-tags-without-app/42818/4 "2021-03-19T10:47:58Z")

</div>

Would it be easy to implement this NDEF on the node Red side and would you only have to have Chrome v89 on the scanning phone side and that's it?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Steve-Mcl](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/steve-mcl/32/4826_2.png) [@Steve-Mcl](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Steve-Mcl)\
**Post date:** [19 March 2021 12:01 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/scanning-android-nfc-tags-without-app/42818/5 "2021-03-19T12:01:57Z")

</div>

> [@akszyn\_pl](#):
>
> Would it be easy to implement this NDEF on the node Red

What does that mean? the NFC chip is on the end users phone not on some remote server.

> [@akszyn\_pl](#):
>
> and would you only have to have Chrome v89 on the scanning phone side and that's it?

You have access to the same information I do. MDN states it works on Android Chrome V89 and above.

Give it a go.

Start with either dashboard & ui-template node or ui-builder and make a web page that does what it says in the 2nd link.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![akszyn\_pl](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/akszyn_pl/32/36504_2.png) [@akszyn\_pl](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/akszyn_pl)\
**Post date:** [23 March 2021 15:33 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/scanning-android-nfc-tags-without-app/42818/6 "2021-03-23T15:33:16Z")

</div>

To implement it, do you have to write it from scratch in pure HTML or could it be implemented in Wordpress?

> [@Steve-Mcl](#):
>
> What does that mean?

Nfc on the phone and logic on the server or node-red

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Steve-Mcl](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/steve-mcl/32/4826_2.png) [@Steve-Mcl](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Steve-Mcl)\
**Post date:** [23 March 2021 15:40 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/scanning-android-nfc-tags-without-app/42818/7 "2021-03-23T15:40:46Z")

</div>

> [@akszyn\_pl](#):
>
> To implement it, do you have to write it from scratch in pure HTML or could it be implemented in Wordpress?

See here...

> [@Steve-Mcl](#):
>
> I would recommend making a web app in ui-builder

I have no idea about hosting wordpress pages in node-red but if its HTML, i dont see why not - its just I think this might be new(ish) territory & you'll not have anything to read-up. (where as there are loads of posts and an excellent wiki showing you how to do this in VUE with UI Builder)

In ui-builder, you can create a VUE SPA (or any other framework - or infact no framework if you want) - but essentially, the logic and webserver live in node-red and the web page opens on the android device, scans the TAG, feeds it back.

If this is your first venture into node-red and web programming - there are a few diciplines to learn and this is not your basic hello world.

Best advice i can give is get a web page working, then get values from a simple input or button passing back to node-red then embark on connecting up the NDEFReader API last.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/1X/d073cd938eafa2e558d7c2cd59003b3ef4963033.png) [@system](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/system)\
**Post date:** [22 May 2021 15:41 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/scanning-android-nfc-tags-without-app/42818/8 "2021-05-22T15:41:32Z")

</div>

This topic was automatically closed 60 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.