Tag – you’re it – with updated Nokia NFC Writer

The Nokia NFC Writer app is growing by leaps and bounds. We first wrote about the app back inApril, and since that time, the forces behind the app have been hard at work adding new features and functionality. For starters, the app has been localized in nine languages (English, Spanish, French, Italian, German, Finnish, Portuguese – Brazilian and Portugal, and Swedish), and is available as a free download in all major markets around the world.

Dozens of programmable NFC tags to choose

There are now more than 60 programmable functions built in to the app, ranging from making a call or sending a text to posting a Tweet or sharing a physical address using HERE Maps. There is integration with the address book on your phone so you can write tags specific to individuals you need to reach right away – no more searching for contact information. Tags can be used to launch apps on your phone, or to launch a list of preprogrammed top apps from the Windows Phone Store.

 

Features of the Mix NFC Tag Writer for creating and sharing music mixes are now built in to the Nokia NFC Writer app, so you can create tags to share music and artists in Nokia Music, and you can also create a custom mix of up to three artists of your choice. Simply click on the tag with your Lumia, and the music mix will start to play.

 

Since the amount of information that is being encoded on the tags is kept to a minimum, the process of creating new tags is very fast. You simply hold your NFC-equipped Lumia phone next to a programmable NFC tag (or sticker) and let the app do the rest. Within moments, the new tag will be ready for use. And, if you don’t like the tag, you can write over it with a new function.

 

What will you tag?

One of my favorite options in the new NFC Writer app is the ability to create a “nearspeak record” so that you can write a tag that speaks a pre-recorded message for the person that activates the tag. I made one to leave by the front door, so when the kids come home from school they can hear a quick message reminding them to do their homework and have a healthy snack before turning the TV on! (Oddly enough, the male voice sounds a little bit like a computerized Wayne, from “Wayne’s World” – I think that rocks.)

You can save up to eight tags to your list of Favorites, and pin tags to the start menu on your Lumia, too. The app also displays a history of your interactions with the app, which is quite detailed, in case you want to go back and try something again.  

Get your own NFC tags

You can also buy your own programmable NFC tags directly from the app. A set of five tags costs $14.99 (USD), which may sound a little expensive, but these tags have been created specifically for use with the Nokia NFC Writer app, and will also work with other platforms (such as Android and Blackberry). And, the tags can be re-used, if you decide you want to change them. You can also buy tags online, as we have noted previously.

 

So, you will need NFC tags to have the most fun with this app, but once you get a set of your own, you will be able to create an endless variety of little interactive moments that you can share far and wide.

The Nokia NFC Writer app is free to download from the Windows Phone Store.

Have you created your own NFC tags? Share your suggestions for the best ways to use Nokia NFC Writer in the comments below.