7 clever places I use NFC tags to automate my smart home
Smart buttons are a useful way to trigger scenes and automations in your smart home. With Home Assistant, I’ve found that NFC tags can sometimes be more useful, because they let me know not only when a tag was scanned, but also the device that scanned it.
Inside the front door
Know exactly who is home
The beauty of NFC tags in Home Assistant is that when you scan them, Home Assistant records the time and date the tag was scanned, along with the tag ID and scanning device ID.
This means that when two different devices scan the same tag, there are different device IDs that can identify which device scanned the tag. I have a tag just inside the front door, and when my wife or I arrive home, we can scan the tag to let Home Assistant know we’re home.
This can then be used to trigger custom automations. For example, if my wife comes home and I’m not there, she plays her favorite playlist on the smart speakers and adjusts the lighting the way she likes it.
Bedside tables
Don’t leave anyone in the dark
Having a smart button to trigger a bedtime routine works well if everyone goes to bed at the same time. However, if you’re still up when your partner goes to bed and they press the smart button to trigger the bedtime routine, they can turn off all the lights in the house and turn off the appliances, so you’re plunged into darkness and your favorite TV show suddenly turns off.
With an NFC tag on each side of the bed, each person can scan it while lying down. If a person scans their badge, they can turn off the room lights but leave everything else on. It’s only when the second person scans their badge that all the lights go out and the house is closed for the night.
Under the plant pots
NFC stickers are the perfect choice
This is the first time I started using NFC tags in my smart home. I wanted a way to record when I had watered the houseplants so I could create automations to remind me when they needed to be watered again.
Using NFC tags was an obvious solution. I couldn’t really stick a smart button next to every plant in my house, but sticking an NFC sticker on the bottom of each plant pot was simple to do. When I scan a tag, it records the time, which I then transmit to an automation to remind me to water the plant again after the appropriate time.
In the laundry room
Find out who did the laundry
Another place where knowing who scanned the tag comes in handy is the laundry room. You can use a vibration sensor or a suitable smart plug to determine when your washer or dryer is finished, but there’s no way to know who started them in the first place. A smart button can’t tell you either, but an NFC tag can.
When we start a load of laundry, my wife or I scan the NFC tag, which records which of us did it. When the upload is complete, the notification is sent only to the person who scanned the label, so they know to remove it or dry it.
On storing my medications
An easy way to record my medications
I have to take medication every day and it is very easy to forget to do so. I built myself a reminder notification system using Home Assistant that will continue to send me notifications until I confirm that I have taken my medication. I wanted a quick and easy way to mark the medication as taken.
An NFC sticker on the bottom of the medicine storage box is a simple solution. It’s hidden under the container, but I can quickly scan it with my phone to record that I’ve taken my medication, and the automation will stop sending me reminders.
Next to my garage door
The door will only open for my phone
Another benefit of NFC tags is that since they send a device ID when scanned, you can ensure that automations only trigger when scanned by a specific device. I have one next to my garage door, and if I scan it with my phone, the correct device ID is recognized and the garage door will open.
If someone else tries to scan the NFC tag, their device ID won’t match my automation’s ID and the garage door remains firmly closed. This is something that is not possible with a smart button, which would open the garage no matter who presses it. This is not a highly secure method, so you should not use it if you are concerned about people entering your garage.
On my coffee machine
I can log in when I change the filter
I’m a huge coffee lover and have several different brew methods, from the AeroPress to the V60. I have two coffee machines: an espresso machine and an automatic filter coffee machine, both equipped with removable water filters. I wanted a way to remember when the filters needed to be changed.
I added an NFC tag to the bottom of each machine. When I change the filter, I scan the tag and the date is saved. I have automation set up to automatically remind me to change the filter after the appropriate time has passed, at which point I scan the label again and the pattern repeats.
Sometimes NFC tags beat smart buttons
Smart buttons can be incredibly useful ways to trigger automations around your smart home, but they have their limits. The fact that NFC tags can tell you which device scanned them can make them more useful in many cases. They’re also cheap to buy and there are no batteries to change, which can be a real relief in a home with lots of battery-powered sensors.
