If you think NFC (Near Field Communication) is only good for Google Wallet or MasterCard PayPass, think again. With the growing number of NFC-equipped phones, NFC tags are becoming an increasingly popular way to take advantage of this sprouting technology.
Thing is, Android users aren’t quite sure what to do with them. Once you have a stack of NFC tags and have already learned how to program them , bookmark this page. It’s an ever-growing list of practical and unique ways to utilize NFC tags, with ideas collected from forums, Twitter, and my own personal experience.
Situation-based profiles
Undoubtedly, the most common way Android owners are using RFID tags is to efficiently adjust a series of system settings based on the arrival or departure of commonly visited locations. Here are a few examples.
At home
Put an NFC tag near your door and set it to do things like: enable Wi-Fi, decrease brightness, disable Bluetooth, and auto-sync. Using NFC Task Launcher, you can program the tag to “switch,” so that when you exit your house and tap the tag for the second time, it changes those settings.
Driving in the car
Stick an NFC tag somewhere near your dashboard or middle console and have it disable Wi-Fi, increase volume, and enable Bluetooth (for a headset). If you have your phone hooked up to the car’s speakers, program the tag to fire up an app like Pandora.
Getting to work
Place the NFC tag on a phone dock or your desk’s surface and program it to decrease brightness, disable sounds, enable Wi-Fi, and enable auto-sync. Depending on your habits, you might also have it launch a music app, open your daily to-do list, and even check you into Foursquare.
On the bedside table
If you have a phone dock by your bed (or want to DIY your own), place a tag near the dock and program it to disable sounds, enable any alarms, disable auto-sync, disable the notification LED, and decrease the brightness.
Working out
The fitness types might benefit from an tag on their workout armband or gym bag. For zero distractions, program the tag to enable airplane mode. Or, use the tag to fire up your favorite fitness app and playlist or streaming music app.
Give access to your Wi-Fi network
If you’d like to give guests at home (or at an office) access to your Wi-Fi network without giving up your password, check out Install Wifi. The free Android app lets you program an CXJ NFC tag that, when tapped with an NFC-enabled device, gives the phone or tablet instant access to the associated Wi-Fi network.
