Best app for writing NDEF compatible content from android

I’m using NFC tools wich seems to work well but the content it writes doesn’t seem to be readable by iOS devices. How do I ensure this data is readable cross platform?

I’m using NFC Tools Pro and have had no trouble reading the results with iOS devices.

What sort of content are you writing? I’ve used URLs, plain text, and Vcards so far without any trouble.

Personally, NFC Tools Pro is my favorite for writing tags.

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Yep same info types. Not using pro version. But iPhone says ndef isn’t valid or doesn’t read any data.

Wierd. I’ve been using NFC Tools Pro to write to multiple tags - 2 xNTs, 2 xM1+s, and various random NTAG21x and Mifare Classic tags, and haven’t run into any trouble. Single records, multiple records. I’ve never run into any trouble.

On the iPhone side, I’m using NFC TagInfo and NFC Tools to read; both are reading everything I’ve tested without any trouble. Hardware is an iPhone 8 Plus. IIRC to use the NFC reader you have to be using at least an iPhone 7 or up… it wouldn’t work on a 6 even tho the 6 has NFC hardware in it.

What sorts of tags have you been trying with?

Have you actually received an error in iOS that says “ndef isn’t valid” or does the iPhone just sit there like a lump?

Have you read other tags successfully?

Try TagWriter from NXP.

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Using NXP NFC TagInfo same as RealVioletWitch on an iphone X, the apps vibrates as though it gets a succesful read, and shows a check mark but then displays a popup that says “Could not read tag” “The tag is not readable or there was a timeout while scanning” but does it instantly, so timeout isn’t the issue.

Like I said, reading all the info (a vCard, 2 urls, and a bitcoin wallet address) written by NFC Tools on android works fine when read on android

Are you able to scan any other tags with that iPhone?

Do you have any other tags you can test with?

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So odd… as @RealVioletWitch suggested… any problems reading other tags? Have you also tried using another app? Perhaps GoToTags or Flomio?

I don’t have any other tags to read other than the xNT in my hand, my work badge doesn’t have NDEF info and our Samsung EZON door tags don’t seem to either.

I tried using GoToTags and Flomio, GoToTags reads with no error, but doesn’t display any content. Flomio reads without errors but only shows some of the content (my home address, as a maps location) and ignores all the other content, a vCard, and a bitcoin wallet address.

Does the tag read well on your Android phone? Can you read the full memory content using TagInfo app and post here? Maybe the NDEF data is segmented in a way that gives the iPhone trouble? The problem with Android apps is that the apps don’t actually write the data to the tag… they pass it off to the NDEF library in Android and that library will just take an existing NDEF message and slam records into it… so instead of just overwriting the whole thing with a fresh NDEF message and records, it will “update” the message and record data… if the original message has some quirky shit in it, it’s likely that the Android NDEF library will keep the quirks during its update.

It’s a real long shot but worth looking at the actual data on your tag before we speculate any further.

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drive-download-20181025T015412Z-001.zip (7.2 KB)

Here’s the full output from taginfo

yeah immediately i see the problem… the first message is a blank message with no records. Use TagWriter to “erase” the tag… that should fix it… then write some data.

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ok, will give it a try soon. thanks!

If not, try the Dangerous Things Support Tool and choose the “Blank Ndef” option to try that mode… it should work if erase tag fails. We skip the NDEF library all together and write data directly to the tag.

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with TagWriter both format and erase give the error “This tag can’t be formatted/erased (parts of) tag protected” is that as “erased” as a tag protected with the DT tool can be? (I tried both before and after blanking the NDEF with the DT tool)

ok, looks like we’re all good, after erasing in DF tools and in TagInfo its now readable on iOS, and the data looks good, e.g. each record is separated out.

Perfect :slight_smile:

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Have you done NFC enabled because Android app do verifying if the NFC is present or not?

Hi all
Same problem! I use NFC TOOLS PRO
I Writed my tag through Samsung Xcover4 and When i tried to read using iPhone SE it was not able to read data. Now i’m ready to erase as Amal said, but I have two options: “erase to factory default” or “ erase & format as NDEF”, what I will have to choose? Thanks for your support

Which implant do you have? ( Just so we can manage expectations )

I am assuming you want to write NDEF, so just use that option.

If you don’t have any luck, Try doing the same using NFC TagWriter by NXP
apple
Android

Good luck