NDEFReader

Constructor

NDEFReader()

Returns a new NDEFReader object.

Instance methods

The NDEFReader interface inherits the methods of EventTarget, its parent interface.

NDEFReader.scan()

Activates a reading device and returns a Promise that either resolves when an NFC tag read operation is scheduled or rejects if a hardware or permission error is encountered. This method triggers a permission prompt if the "nfc" permission has not been previously granted.

NDEFReader.write()

Attempts to write an NDEF message to a tag and returns a Promise that either resolves when a message has been written to the tag or rejects if a hardware or permission error is encountered. This method triggers a permission prompt if the "nfc" permission has not been previously granted.

Events

Inherits events from its parent, EventTarget.

reading

Fires when a new reading is available from compatible NFC devices.

readingerror

Fires when a tag is in proximity of a reading device, but cannot be read.

Examples

Handling initial reads while writing

The example below shows how to coordinate between a common reading handler and one used specifically for a single write. In order to write, a tag needs to be found and read. This gives you the ability to check whether it is actually a tag that you want to write to. That's why it's recommended that you call write() from a reading event.

const ndef = new NDEFReader();
let ignoreRead = false;

ndef.onreading = (event) => {
  if (ignoreRead) {
    return; // write pending, ignore read.
  }

  console.log("We read a tag, but not during pending write!");
};

function write(data) {
  ignoreRead = true;
  return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
    ndef.addEventListener(
      "reading",
      (event) => {
        // Check if we want to write to this tag, or reject.
        ndef
          .write(data)
          .then(resolve, reject)
          .finally(() => (ignoreRead = false));
      },
      { once: true },
    );
  });
}

await ndef.scan();
try {
  await write("Hello World");
  console.log("We wrote to a tag!");
} catch (err) {
  console.error("Something went wrong", err);
}

Specifications

Browser compatibility