Tutorial

NFC Tools App: Program Church NFC Tags (Android & iOS)

The NFC Tools app is the easiest way to write your church’s giving URL onto a blank NFC tag. This walkthrough covers Android, iOS, and the point where DIY stops paying off and pre-programmed NFC tap plates take over.

May 15, 2026

9 min read

A smartphone using NFC Tools to program a church NFC tag with a giving URL

~60 sec

Time to write your giving URL onto one blank NFC tag with NFC Tools on Android. iOS is closer to 90 seconds per tag.

What is the NFC Tools App and Why Churches Use It

The NFC Tools app is a free mobile utility from a developer named wakdev. It reads NFC tags and writes data onto them. Open the app, type your giving URL, hold the phone over a blank sticker, and the sticker now does tap to donate the moment anyone taps it.

Churches reach for NFC Tools to test NFC giving on a few tags before committing to 200 branded plates, to make a single tag for a welcome table, or to set up a one-off event tag. NFC Tools is not a payment processor. It only encodes the URL. The donation still flows through whatever church giving technology your congregation already uses. Our NFC giving explained guide covers the chip standards.

Quick Answer: Android vs iOS for Programming NFC Tags

If you have a choice, use Android. NFC writing on Android has been mature since 2012. iPhone NFC writing is more recent and still constrained, though every iPhone XS or newer reads finished tags fine, which is all that matters for contactless giving on a Sunday morning.

Capability	Android (NFC Tools)	iOS (NFC Tools)
Read a tag	Yes, instant	Yes, iPhone 7+ on iOS 11+
Write a URL to a tag	Yes	Yes, iPhone 7+ on iOS 13+ only
Background tag reading (no app open)	Yes	Yes (iPhone XS and newer); older iPhones need Control Center
Lock a tag	Yes	Limited on iOS
Bulk write multiple tags	Yes (Pro version)	Not really practical
Average time per tag	~60 seconds	~90 seconds

Practical takeaway: if your church owns one cheap Android phone, use it for writing. Members read finished tags fine on any iPhone XS or newer. Reading, the only side that matters at offering time, has been universal since 2018.

How to Download NFC Tools

NFC Tools is in both app stores under the same name (developer: wakdev). The base app is free; a Pro upgrade exists for bulk-write features but is not needed for a normal URL write.

Android: Search NFC Tools on Google Play. Confirm the developer is wakdev.
iOS: Search NFC Tools on the App Store. iPhone 7 or newer on iOS 13+ is required for write functions.

The developer page at wakdev.com has Pro feature notes. Background on the NFC standard itself is at the Wikipedia NFC entry.

Programming a URL Onto an NFC Tag With Android

This is the cleanest workflow. The whole process takes under a minute once you have done it twice. Make sure NFC is on in your Android settings first, then follow this NFC Tools Android tutorial.

Open NFC Tools and tap Write.

Read is the default tab. Tap Write across the top.

Tap Add a record, then choose URL / URI.

The record type list has Text, Wi-Fi, Contact, and others. Pick URL / URI.

Paste your giving URL.

Leave the URL Type dropdown on https://. Paste your giving URL. Examples: tithe.ly/give?c=12345 or faithcommunity.churchcenter.com/giving.

Hit OK, then Write.

A dialog appears asking you to approach the tag.

Hold the tag to the back of the phone.

The antenna usually sits near the camera. Hold still for a second. NFC Tools will play a sound and show Write Complete.

Test the tag.

Close the app. Tap the tag as a regular user would. Confirm the giving page opens in the browser.

That is the full program NFC tags workflow. To harden against tampering, tap More on the Write screen and choose Lock tag. Skip locking on the first batch in case you mistype the URL. Our DIY NFC giving cost guide covers the trade-offs.

Reading or Programming on iOS

iPhones can do this too, with caveats. You need an iPhone 7 or newer on iOS 13 or later (iPhone 6s and earlier cannot write at all). How to read NFC tag iPhone is the more common question, because the read function is what powers tap to give for members: they hold the top edge of the phone over the plate and the giving page pops up automatically.

The iOS write flow is similar to Android with one difference: iOS requires the app in the foreground and shows a system sheet that says Ready to Scan. Tap Write, hold the top edge of the phone over the tag, wait for the green check. If the sheet times out (about 20 seconds), start over.

iPhone write notes worth knowing

Hold the top edge of the phone over the tag, not the back.
Keep the phone still. iOS is less forgiving of movement than Android.
Each iOS tag write requires reopening the system sheet. Bulk writes get tedious fast.
Members on iPhone XR / XS or newer can tap finished tags without opening any app.

For full member-side device compatibility, see our plain-English tap-to-give walkthrough.

Verifying a Programmed Tag Worked

Verify two ways before mounting any tag. First, close NFC Tools, lock your phone, then tap the tag from the lock screen and confirm the giving page opens. Second, reopen NFC Tools, switch to Read, and tap the tag. The app displays the URL plus NTAG type, memory, and lock state. A common write NFC tag URL mistake is missing the https:// prefix. For more on what a tag stores, see our church NFC tags complete guide.

Common Gotchas (and How to Fix Them)

When something fails, it is almost always one of these four things.

Chip is too small for your URL

NTAG213 holds about 137 bytes, tight for long Tithely or Subsplash URLs with tracking parameters. If you see "Not enough memory," shorten the URL with a redirect or move to NTAG215.

Tag is already locked

Some tags arrive locked from the factory. NFC Tools will tell you the tag is read-only. No fix. Toss it and buy from a supplier that ships writable tags.

Phone NFC is turned off

On Android, check Settings → Connections → NFC. On iPhone, system reading is always on but writing needs the app active and the phone awake.

Tag orientation is wrong

The chip is usually offset to one side of the sticker. If a write fails, rotate the tag 90 degrees and slide it along the back of the phone until you get a connection beep.

Metal also kills NFC. Never mount a tag directly on a metal pew or chair frame. Add a plastic or wood spacer, or mount on seat-back fabric. We compare placement options in QR codes vs NFC for church giving.

When DIY Makes Sense vs Ordering Pre-Programmed Plates

NFC Tools is excellent for 1 to 20 tags. Beyond that, four things bite: consistency, branding, mounting, time.

Consistency. Programming 100 tags by hand is 100 chances to mistype the URL.
Branding. A blank white sticker looks like a fix-it note. A 4-inch printed disc with your church logo looks like part of the worship space.
Mounting. Generic stickers are not made for a thousand taps a year. Real NFC tap plates have rigid backing, furniture-grade adhesive, and screw-mount options for chairs.
Time. At 60 seconds per tag, 200 tags is 200 minutes of one person's afternoon. At $4.00 per plate, 200 plates is $800 with that afternoon back.

Pricing: 100 to 199 plates at $4.50 each, 200 to 399 at $4.00, 400 or more at $3.50. Free shipping, no monthly fees, no transaction fees. Code WELCOME10 takes 10% off your first order. See our pricing page or start an order.

A clean test workflow: buy 10 blank NTAG215 tags for about $4 total, program them with NFC Tools, hand them to staff and a few elders for a week. Once everyone agrees the URL and flow work, order pre-programmed plates for the rest of the sanctuary.

Ready to move from DIY tags to pre-programmed plates?

One-time hardware cost. No monthly fees. Works with the giving platform you already use. Most churches are tapping by week three.

Get Your Free Quote See Pricing

Use code WELCOME10 for 10% off your first order

FAQ

Is the NFC Tools app free?

Yes. The base NFC Tools app by wakdev is free on both Google Play and the App Store and covers everything a church needs to read or write a URL onto a tag. There is a paid Pro version with bulk-writing and scripting features, but most churches programming under 20 tags never need it.

Can I use NFC Tools on an iPhone to write a tag?

Yes, on iPhone 7 or newer running iOS 13 or later. iPhones can read NFC tags (since iOS 11) and write to them (since iOS 13), but the iOS write flow is a bit slower than Android and the phone has to stay active and pointed at the tag the entire time. Older iPhones cannot write tags at all.

What blank NFC tags should I buy if I want to DIY?

NTAG213, NTAG215, or NTAG216 chips are the standard for tap-to-give use. NTAG215 (504 bytes) is the sweet spot because it has plenty of room for any normal giving URL with margin. Avoid the very cheap unbranded tags from no-name sellers, since they often arrive locked or fail to write.

Why does my NFC tag say it cannot be written?

Three common reasons: the tag is already locked (you cannot rewrite a locked NTAG without a password if one was set), the URL is too long for the chip's memory, or the tag is a read-only ID-card style chip rather than a writable NDEF tag. Switch to an NTAG215, shorten the URL with a redirect, or buy from a reputable supplier.

Should I lock the tag after programming?

For church tap-to-give use, lock the tag only if you are confident in the URL. Locking prevents anyone from rewriting the tag later, including you. If your giving URL ever changes (you switch from Tithely to Pushpay, for example), a writable tag can be rewritten on the spot. A locked tag becomes a paperweight.

Does NFC Tools work for tap to donate at a fundraising event?

Yes. The same workflow that programs a tag for Sunday giving works for any one-off event. Point the tag at your event-specific donation page (a Donorbox campaign URL, a Givebutter fundraiser page, or a Stripe Payment Link) instead of the general giving page. Just remember to reprogram or retire the tag after the event so future tappers do not land on a closed campaign.

When does ordering pre-programmed plates make more sense than DIY?

DIY with NFC Tools is great for 1 to 20 tags. Beyond that, time and consistency become the bottleneck. Tap.Giving plates arrive pre-programmed with your URL, printed with your church logo, mounted in a 4-inch disc designed for pew or chair installation, and priced at $3.50 to $4.50 each in quantities of 100 or more. Most churches doing a real sanctuary rollout pick plates. See pricing or start an order.

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