It runs in your browser
Modern Android browsers can talk to your phone's NFC hardware through a feature called Web NFC. This page uses it directly - there is no app to install and no account to create.
Online NFC Reader
Read an NFC tag straight from your browser - no app, no sign-up. Press Scan a Tag, hold your phone to the tag, and its contents appear instantly. Free, and nothing you scan ever leaves your device.
Android · Chrome
Read an NFC tag
Press the button, then hold a tag to the top of your phone.
Hold your tag close
Touch an NFC tag to the top of your phone.
Tag read
Serial number
Couldn't read the tag
Something went wrong.
Use the app on this device
In-browser NFC reading runs on Android with Chrome. On iPhone and on desktop, read and write tags with the free NFC.cool app.
How the Online NFC Reader Works
Your phone does the reading
When you press Scan a Tag, your browser asks for NFC permission and starts listening. Hold a tag to the top of your phone and the chip's data is decoded on the spot.
Nothing is uploaded
The tag's contents are read and shown entirely on your device. No server sees the data, nothing is stored, and there is no tracking - close the tab and it is gone.
Reading NFC Tags on iPhone
iPhone can read NFC tags - but not from a browser. Apple does not give Safari or any iOS browser access to the NFC chip, so a web-based reader simply cannot work on iPhone or iPad.
The free NFC.cool app does it instead. It reads any NFC tag with a tap, writes 25+ kinds of data back to a tag, and works on both iPhone and Android. It is the same toolkit behind this page.
What You Can Read From an NFC Tag
Links and URLs
The most common tag content - a web address that opens a page, a profile, or a menu. The reader shows the full link so you can see exactly where it points before you tap it.
Plain text
Notes, instructions, IDs, or any short message stored as a text record. The reader decodes the text and its language straight from the chip.
Other records
Wi-Fi credentials, contact cards, and app-specific data show up as typed records. You also see the tag's unique serial number, which is the same on every read.
Empty or locked tags
A blank tag reads cleanly with no records - useful for checking a fresh tag before you write to it. Locked tags still report their type and serial number.
Online NFC Reader FAQ
Can I read an NFC tag online without an app?
Yes - on an Android phone using Chrome. This page reads the tag through your browser's built-in Web NFC support, so there is nothing to install. On iPhone, browser-based reading is not possible and you need the NFC.cool app.
Does the online NFC reader work on iPhone?
No. Apple does not allow Safari or any other iOS browser to access the NFC chip, so no website can read NFC tags on iPhone or iPad. The free NFC.cool app reads and writes NFC tags on iPhone instead.
Is the online NFC reader free?
Completely free. There is no sign-up, no limit on scans, and no payment. The tag's data is decoded on your own device and never uploaded.
Which browsers can read NFC tags?
Web NFC is supported by Chrome and most Chromium-based browsers on Android. Desktop browsers and all iOS browsers do not support it. If your browser cannot read tags, this page shows you the app download instead.
Why does my phone say NFC reading isn't supported?
Usually one of three reasons: you are on iPhone (browser NFC is blocked by Apple), you are on a desktop browser, or NFC is switched off in your Android settings. Turn NFC on in Settings, use Chrome, and reload the page.
Read and Write NFC Tags Anywhere
The online reader is just the start. The free NFC.cool app reads any tag and writes 25+ kinds of data back - links, Wi-Fi, contacts, shortcuts and more - on both iPhone and Android.