10 Ways To Use NFC Tags Around The House To Simplify Your Daily Routine

If there's a way to shave time off your daily routines, you'd try it, right? Lesser-known smart stickers — NFC tags — might not look like much, but these tiny gadgets can help make your household smarter while fitting seamlessly into your lifestyle. The good news is you don't need fancy equipment, complicated gadgets, or connecting different wires to use them. As long as you have a smartphone, you have everything you need to take your household to new levels.

NFC tags act like little shortcuts you trigger with your phone. Stick one on a wall, inside a light switch plate, or on the side of your nightstand to give your daily routines an instant boost. Rather than searching through your phone for that one app, NFC tags can do it for you in seconds. You can tap an album cover hanging on your music wall, and the tunes start playing on a Bluetooth speaker. Or set up a morning routine that turns on the lights, starts the coffee, and tells you the weather with just a tap. It's the kind of convenience that might seem small at first, until you realize how often you use it. Then you'll wonder how you've ever lived without them.

These nifty, no-fuss stickers are one of the affordable renovation hacks to fake a high-end home on a budget. So, if you want to bring NFC tags into your world, these are smart ways to put them to work.

After you've given scratched vinyl a new life with a record wall, add an NFC tag to instantly play your favorites with one quick tap of your phone. Stick an NFC tag on the front, back, or inside your albums or CDs to switch from '80s hair bands to '90s boy bands in a blink. It's a great way to keep track of your tunes so you don't forget the hidden gems taking up valuable space in your collection.  

Put an NFC tag on or near your vehicle's GPS panel to make getting to where you need to go even easier. With a tap, you can open your go-to navigation app, get directions, play your favorite drive-time playlist, or turn on a hands-free mode to silence notifications while you're driving. It's a small change that makes getting out the door just a little easier.

An NFC tag can make your life a little bit easier when you come home. For homeowners with smart garage systems, you can stick an NFC tag on your dash to automatically open or close your garage door. No more searching for the remote control at the bottom of your bag or flipping through an app. It's super helpful when you're coming home late at night and don't want to worry about becoming the main focus of a true crime documentary.

We all have a slew of passwords to remember. Instead of getting frustrated, slap a blank NFC tag on whatever has a password you need to get into, like a shed, toolbox, or safe. That way, when you tap the card, your password hint shows up. You can add a hint only you'd understand, so you're not giving away the answer. Stick the tag somewhere discreet to pull up your private hint while keeping your password safe.

You can turn ordinary wall plates into smart plates with an NFC tag. Stick the NFC tag right under the switch plate cover, and it's still scannable with your phone. You can automate your lights to turn off when you leave the room or turn on ambient lighting when you're ready to game. Use an NFT to turn on those accent lights that make your home feel more luxe when you're ready to wind down.

NFC tags can actually make your smart home even smarter. If you've been stuck in the bathroom without toilet paper more times than you care to count, add an NFC tag to the toilet paper holder. Create a routine with instructions to make an announcement on a device like Alexa to alert everyone that you need a few squares. You can also use an NFC tag to set a timer on a washing machine that alerts you anywhere throughout the house.

Sharing your Wi-Fi and password with guests is even easier with an NFC tag. Rather than having to spell out your long password, which includes a variety of upper- and lowercase letters, put a programmable tag near your front door, in the guest room, or even on the inside of your phone case. It's a small touch that makes hosting easier while also making you look super techy. 

Perhaps our all-time favorite NFC tag household uses: Sticking them to the plethora of storage bins we have in our garage. You won't have to worry about wondering what's inside that bin at the bottom of a rather tall stack. Add a sticker to a bin, and with a quick tap, you'll instantly know everything you put in that one. It's the best way to level up your organization. 

Keeping up with your daily water intake goals is so much easier with an NFC tag. Stick one right on your tumbler, flask, or fridge. Every time you tap your phone, it can log the ounces in your tracking app. No more having to remember to log this tiny wellness habit. Having an NFC tag will make it easier to stay consistent and reach your health goals quickly. 

You can streamline your daily routines by using NFC tags to open your most-used apps. Put a tag on your nightstand, desk, or toothbrush case to launch a meditation app, your calendar, a productivity tool, or an app that helps you brush your teeth more efficiently. You won't have to swipe, search, or tap through your phone. It turns the things you use every day into an easier process.