Clone a tag
Write the NDEF data of a tag in your wallet onto a blank NFC tag, for example to make a spare of an NFC sticker that opens a web page or shares your contact details.
Only copy what you are allowed to copy
Clone only cards and tags you own or have permission to copy. Copying someone else's access card, ticket or badge, or using a copy to get in somewhere, may be against the law and against the rules of whoever issued it.
What can and cannot be cloned
| Tag | Can NFC Wallet copy it? |
|---|---|
| NFC stickers and tags with NDEF data (for example NTAG213/215/216, MIFARE Ultralight) | Yes, the NDEF data |
| Bank and payment cards | No. Protected by cryptography |
| Encrypted access cards and fobs (for example MIFARE DESFire, many office and hotel key cards) | No. Protected by design |
| Tags with no NDEF data | No. There is nothing to copy |
| The tag's serial number (UID) | No. Fixed in the chip on standard tags |
What the copy contains is the NDEF records: links, text, contact cards and similar. The copy has its own, different serial number. So a copy works anywhere that reads the tag's content (a phone opening a link, for example), but not with a lock or reader that checks the serial number or uses encryption.
On a saved card, the Clone button is greyed out with This tag can’t be copied when there is no NDEF data to copy.
What you need
- A card in your wallet whose detail screen says This tag’s NDEF data can be copied onto a blank writable tag using Clone.
- A blank or rewritable NFC tag that supports NDEF and is not locked, with enough space for the data. NTAG213, NTAG215 and NTAG216 stickers are common.
Write the copy
In your wallet, tap the card you want to copy.
Tap Clone.
Read the Clone to a blank tag message and tap Continue.
The Ready to write sheet asks you to Hold your phone against a blank, writable NFC tag. Hold the blank tag flat against the back of the phone and keep it still.
When the sheet says Clone written, tap Done.
WARNING
Writing replaces whatever NDEF data was already on the target tag. Make sure you hold the blank tag, not the original or another tag you need.
Check the copy
Scan the new tag with Add and compare its records with the original in View raw data. The serial numbers will differ; the NDEF records should match.
If the write fails
| Message | Cause and fix |
|---|---|
| This tag does not support NDEF and cannot be written. | The target tag is not an NDEF tag, or is not formatted for NDEF. Use a tag sold as NDEF-ready. |
| This tag is locked / read-only. | The target tag has been permanently locked. Use another tag. |
| Data (… B) is larger than this tag’s capacity (… B). | The data does not fit. Use a larger tag, such as an NTAG215 or NTAG216. |
| There is no NDEF data to clone. | The saved card has no NDEF records. |
| NFC is switched off or unavailable. | Turn on NFC in Android settings. |
If the tag moves during writing, tap Try again and hold it still.