NFC with Tasker for Android

NFC with Tasker for Android

Tasker is the most powerful Android automation app and has native NFC trigger support. Combined with NFC tags, Tasker enables context-aware automations that fire instantly when you tap a tag — without any other app or cloud service.

Tasker NFC Architecture

Tasker's NFC integration works through Android's ndef dispatch system:

1. A Tasker profile uses Event → NFC Tag as the trigger
2. The trigger matches on Tag ID, NDEF content, or both
3. When matched, Tasker executes a linked Task with full access to all Tasker actions

Unlike Shortcuts on iOS, Tasker can also respond to the NDEF payload content — not just the tag UID — which enables one tag to trigger different Tasks on different phones.

Tasker NFC Profile Setup

1. Open Tasker → Profiles → + → Event → Net → NFC Tag
2. Configure the trigger:
3. ID: leave blank to match any tag, or paste a specific tag UID
4. Content: match on NDEF text record value (optional)
5. Any Tag: check this to fire on any tag regardless of content
6. Tap back, create a new Task and add actions
7. Activate the profile

Pro tip: Use a tag written with the Tasker NDEF writer (NFC → Write Tag) to encode a Tasker-specific payload. The NDEF content can embed task name references that Tasker parses directly.

Powerful Tasker NFC Automations

Writing Tasker Tags (Tasker NDEF Payload)

Tasker can write a proprietary NDEF record that encodes a task name directly:

1. Write the NFC tag from within Tasker: Menu → More → NFC Tag
2. Select Task and choose the task to run
3. Hold the phone to the tag

This writes an NDEF External type record net.dinglisch.android.taskerm:nfc with the task name as payload. When another device with Tasker (and the same task name) scans the tag, it runs the task automatically — without any profile configuration on the receiving device.

NFC + AutoRemote for Cross-Device Automation

With the AutoRemote plugin, a tag scan on one device can trigger an action on another:

Tag on TV remote → Tasker → AutoRemote → Phone receives message
                                        → Tasker on phone: pause music

This enables home automation scenarios where a physical NFC tag controls actions across multiple Android devices without a smart home hub.

Combining Tasker NFC with Home Assistant

For smart home integration, use Tasker's HTTP Request action to call Home Assistant's REST API:

Task: Tap Home Tag
  Action 1: HTTP Request
    Method: POST
    URL: http://homeassistant.local:8123/api/services/scene/turn_on
    Headers: Authorization: Bearer {ha_long_lived_token}
    Body: {"entity_id": "scene.evening"}
  Action 2: Flash "Home scene activated"

See NFC with Home Assistant for a complete integration guide.

Tasker NFC vs Android Shortcuts vs IFTTT

Managing Multiple Tags with Tasker

For deployments with many tags, use a naming convention to keep profiles organised:

Profile: NFC — {Location} — {Context}
  NFC — Car — Morning
  NFC — Car — Evening
  NFC — Desk — Work
  NFC — Bedroom — Sleep

Use Tasker's built-in Tag variable (%nfc_id) to log which tag was scanned and when, then run a recurring task to send the log to a spreadsheet for activity tracking.

Troubleshooting Tasker NFC

Tag Recommendations

• NTAG213 for simple triggers (URL + Tasker task payload fits within 144 bytes)
• NTAG215 if you need both a full vCard NDEF record and a Tasker task embedded
• Use the NDEF Encoder to generate the correct hex payload before writing

See Also

• NFC Apple Shortcuts Automation
• NFC Smart Home Automation
• NFC with Home Assistant
• Android NFC Programming
• NFC App UX Design Patterns