Clock In and Out With NFC Tags

You walk into the workshop, the client's office, or the cab of the service van. The next two hours are clearly on one project. You don't want to open the app, tap through a list, and start a timer. You want to walk past, tap your phone against the wall, and have the timer start itself.

That's what an NFC tag does. A two-euro sticker becomes a physical "start the Acme job" button. Tap to start, tap again to stop. The timer creates a real entry with a start time and an end time on the right project.

#How NFC Time Tracking Works

NFC tags are small, cheap, passive stickers. They store a tiny payload of data and need no battery. When you hold a modern phone close, the phone reads the payload and runs whatever action is bound to it.

In Timesheet, the action is one of these:

• Start/Stop toggle: one tap starts the timer on the tag's project, the next tap stops it
• Start only or Stop only: dedicated tags for one side of the day
• Pause/Resume (Android): a tap toggles a break on the running timer

Every NFC-triggered action creates or closes a real time entry with concrete start and end times. There's no "track on a balance" mode; the tag drives entries, the same as any other action in the app.

#What You Need

• An NFC tag (NTAG213, NTAG215, or NTAG216 work well; available on Amazon for about two euros each)
• An iPhone XS or newer, or any modern Android phone
• The Timesheet app with at least one project

That's it. No subscription tier required and no account needed, NFC is free on the Basic plan.

#Setting Up Your First Tag

#Step 1: Open the NFC Writer

On Android:

1. Open Timesheet on the phone
2. Open Automation from the main menu
3. Tap New automat and choose the type NFC

On iPhone:

1. Open the Automation screen
2. Tap NFC Tag Writer

#Step 2: Choose the Action

• Start/Stop toggles the timer with each tap; one tag does both
• Start only and Stop only give you a dedicated pair
• Android also offers Pause/Resume for breaks

Pick one. For most use cases, Start only bound to a single project is what you want, paired with a separate stop tag.

#Step 3: Configure the Project

1. Pick the project (e.g., Acme · Site Visit)
2. On Android, optionally name the automation ("Reception desk") so you remember which tag is which

#Step 4: Write to the Tag

1. On Android, tap Write Automation to NFC Tag; on iPhone, the writing session starts right away
2. Hold the NFC sticker against the phone, wait for the haptic feedback and the success message
3. Stick the tag wherever the action belongs

For iPhone, the NFC reader is in the top of the phone, near the camera. Hold the tag against that area. On Android, NFC is usually in the middle of the back.

#Where to Stick the Tag

The point is to put the tag where the action happens.

• Workshop door: tap on the way in to start, tap on the way out to stop
• Vehicle dashboard: tap as you sit down to start, tap as you park to stop
• Client laptop or desk: tap when you sit down at the site
• Project binder or hardware: tap when you pick up the work
• Office wall by the desk: tap as a daily clock-in

A common pattern: two tags side by side, one labeled START and one labeled STOP. Twice as much surface area, half the mental load.

#A Real Workflow

A field-service technician with three regular client sites:

1. In the van: Tag on the dash, bound to "Drive Time" project. Tap when leaving the office, tap when arriving on site. Entries are created with the drive start and end times.
2. At Acme HQ: Tag at the reception desk, bound to "Acme · On-Site". Tap on arrival, tap on leaving. New entry created on arrival, closed on leaving.
3. Back in the van: Same drive-time tag. Tap to start the return trip.
4. End of day: Tap an Office Wall stop tag. Whatever is running closes.

The technician never opens the app during the day. The day's timesheet is a clean sequence of entries with adjacent start and end times, exactly what an employee time clock for contractors should produce.

#iOS vs Android: Practical Differences

#iOS

• iPhones unlock the NFC reader automatically when the screen is on
• Some interactions require unlocking; the app handles this gracefully
• Background NFC works on iPhone XS and newer
• Background tag scanning is supported, no extra app needed

#Android

• NFC must be enabled in system settings
• Tags work even with the screen off on most devices, though some manufacturers gate this
• A widget on the home screen helps if the phone needs to be unlocked first

#Both

• The phone needs to be within a few centimeters of the tag
• A protective case is fine; metal cases may block the signal
• Wet tags still work; the NFC reader is not affected by light moisture

#Pairing Tags With Geofencing and Wi-Fi

NFC is the most reliable automation because it's physically initiated. But the timer logic is identical to geofence triggers (both platforms) and Wi-Fi triggers (Android only); you can mix them.

Common combinations:

• Geofence + NFC stop: Arriving at the site starts the timer; tap to stop on leaving.
• Wi-Fi auto-start + NFC stop (Android): Joining the office Wi-Fi starts the workday timer; a stop tag by the door closes it on the way out.
• NFC start + auto-pause rule: Tag starts the day; an automatic pause rule inserts a break after four hours.

For the broader pattern, see the automation overview post.

#Common Patterns That Work Well

One project per tag. Don't overload a single tag with conditional logic. One tag, one project, one action.

Two-tag pairs. Start and Stop side by side, labeled clearly. Easier than relying on a single "toggle" that flips state.

Don't hide the tag. A tag inside a drawer is forgotten. A tag on the door is used.

Test once, leave alone. Re-recording the tag's action breaks muscle memory. Bind it once, place it, and let it work.

#Common Questions

How many tags can I have? Unlimited. The app keeps a list of all automations on the Automation screen.

Can the same tag work on iPhone and Android? Tags written from the iPhone app carry two records, an app link for iOS and a data record for Android, so they work on both platforms. Tags written from the Android app carry the Android record and are read by Android.

Will a stolen tag log into my account? No. The tag triggers an action only inside the Timesheet app on the device that is already signed in. It's not a credential.

Can I delete or re-bind a tag? Yes. Open the Automation screen, open the automation, and rewrite the tag or delete the automation. Blank tags can be rewritten as often as you like.

What if I tap the start tag twice by accident? With the default Start/Stop action a second tap toggles, so it stops the running timer. Tap once more to restart; a stray short entry is quickly deleted on the phone.

#Summary

• NFC tags turn the physical world into start and stop buttons for the timer
• Each tap creates or closes a real time entry with a start and end time
• Setup takes one minute per tag, with a two-euro sticker
• Works on iOS and Android, on every plan, including Basic
• Pairs naturally with geofence and Wi-Fi automations

#Where to Go Next

• Automate time tracking with geofence and Wi-Fi to round out the hands-free workflow
• Track from your Apple Watch when the phone is in your pocket
• Document mileage and travel for client visits so the drive between NFC taps is on the books