NFC Shopping List Tag: Tap a Cabinet to Add What You're Out Of

One tap, one item on your list

An NFC shopping list tag is a cheap sticker that tells your phone to run an automation you built. Put one inside the cabinet where you keep rice, tap it with your phone when the bag is empty, and the item goes onto your list. Setup takes a few minutes on iPhone or Android.

What the tag does and what it doesn't

The tag does not store your list. It works as a trigger: a tag usually launches an automation you've already set up in an app like Shortcuts, Tasker or Google Home. The list itself stays in whatever app you already use.

That shapes how you place tags. On iPhone, each tag runs one automation, so you have two sensible designs:

• One tag per item. The "rice" tag adds rice. Fast. Nothing to type.
• One tag per cabinet that asks. The automation asks what you're out of, and you type or pick the answer. It's slower, but one tag covers a whole shelf.

Start with the one item you run out of most. Add more tags once the habit sticks.

Set it up on iPhone

On iPhone, the trigger lives in Shortcuts. 9to5Mac's walkthrough lists the path:

1. Open Shortcuts and go to the Automation tab.
2. Choose Create Personal Automation, then "When I tap an NFC tag."
3. Tap Scan and hold a tag to the top of your iPhone.
4. Name the tag after the job it will do, such as "Rice".
5. Tap Add Action and pick the action from your list app that adds an item, with the item's name filled in.

Next, the confirmation prompt. Shortcuts automations normally ask before they run, and you can enable one to run without asking. 9to5Mac recommends turning off Ask Before Running for most automations, and for a list tag that makes sense: you tap, it adds. We cover the details in iOS Shortcuts NFC automations that run without asking.

Tags are cheap. That same article puts each NFC automation at less than $1 and a pack of 12 tags at under $10, a 2022 price, so check current listings.

Set it up on Android

Android offers two routes.

Open your list app. An Android Application Record, or AAR, puts an app's package name inside a tag. Android's developer documentation says the system starts that app when the tag is scanned, and opens Google Play if the app isn't installed. That gets you to your list app, but not to a specific item.

Add a specific item. For "tap and add rice," you need an automation app. Android Police names MacroDroid, Tasker, IFTTT and Home Assistant as platforms for custom routines. Pick one, set an NFC tag as the trigger, and point the action at your list app. Which actions are available depends on the app, so check what yours offers.

Two recent Android changes matter:

• Starting in Android 16, a tag that stores a web link triggers a link-open action. In Android 17, scanning one shows an "open link" notification that you have to tap. A tag meant to add an item silently is better built around an automation trigger than a link.
• Starting in Android 16, you're notified when an app first receives a tag scan, and you can block it. Allowed apps appear under Settings > Apps > Special app access > Launch via NFC.

Not sure what handles a tag on your phone? Read what reads an NFC tag on Android.

Pick tags that stick

Put the tag where your phone can reach it: the inside of the cabinet door at about chest height works well. Scanning works only at short range, so don't bury the tag behind a shelf.

Metal is the catch. Tags on appliances and metal surfaces need durable on-metal NFC tags to scan reliably, so a steel cabinet door or a refrigerator calls for a different tag than a wooden pantry. For chip choice on iPhone, read which NFC tags work with iPhone.

Start with one tag

Pick the item you forget most, stick one tag in its cabinet, and build the automation. If a tag needs to be reprogrammed or checked, an NFC reader and writer app like NFCore lets you read what's on it. Once the first tag saves you a trip, the rest take a minute each.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the tag store my shopping list?

No. The tag only triggers an automation you built on your phone. The list lives in the app you chose, so you can change apps later by editing the automation rather than rewriting the tag.

Do I need one tag per item?

Not necessarily. On iPhone each tag runs one automation, so one tag per item is the simplest setup. If you'd rather use a single tag per cabinet, build the automation to ask which item you're out of.

Will it work on a metal cabinet?

Only with a tag made for metal. An ordinary sticker on a metal surface often fails to scan reliably, so buy on-metal tags for steel doors and appliances.