Pairing

Point it wherever you want.

Your Spinek arrives blank. Writing it takes about two minutes, once — and you can rewrite it up to 100,000 times after that.

Only you ever need an app. The people who tap it just get your link.

Top of the back, beside the cameras — the same spot on every iPhone since the 7.
  • iPhone XR and newer read tags on their own. Nothing to switch on.
  • iPhone 7, 8 and X need NFC Tag Reader added under Settings → Control Center.
  • Wake the screen first. A dark, locked screen won't read a tag.
Usually the middle or upper-middle of the back — but it moves by model. Slide it slowly until the phone buzzes.
  • Check NFC is on: Settings → Connected devices → NFC.
  • Samsung sits nearer the top of the back; Pixel nearer the centre.
  • A thick case or a metal magnet plate will block it. Take the case off if it's stubborn.
  1. 1

    Get the app — you, once

    Download NFC Tools. It's free, it's on the App Store and Google Play, and it's what you'll use to write your link onto the tag.

    This is the only app involved anywhere, and only you need it. The people who tap your Spinek install nothing.

    Any NFC writing app works. We name this one because it's free and it's the simplest we've found.

  2. 2

    Wipe whatever is on it

    Open NFC Tools → Other → Erase tag, then hold the Spinek to your phone's tap spot until it reads Erase successful.

    You don't strictly have to — writing a new link overwrites the old one anyway. It's a clean way to start, and it's how you blank a Spinek before passing it to someone else.

  3. 3

    Write your own link

    Open NFC Tools → Write → Add a record, pick the record type you want, paste your link in, then hit Write.

    Hold the Spinek against the tap spot for two or three seconds until it says Write successful. Keep it still — moving it mid-write is the usual reason a write fails.

    The chip holds 144 bytes, which works out to roughly 130 characters of link. Long tracking URLs won't fit — run them through a shortener first.

  4. 4

    Test it, then forget about it

    Lock your phone, wake the screen, and tap the Spinek against the spot you found above. Your link should slide up as a notification.

    Changed your mind later? Repeat step 3. These chips take somewhere around 100,000 rewrites, so you'll never reach the end of it.

What a tag can hold

URL

Any web link — LinkedIn, a Linktree, a Google review page, a YouTube video, a Maps pin.

Contact

Drops your name and number straight into their phone's contacts.

Wi-Fi

Android only. Guests join your network without you reading the password out loud.

Phone / SMS

Starts a call or opens a pre-written text message to you.

Email

Opens a new email addressed to you, subject line and all.

Plain text

Just words. Useful for an address, a door code, or a note.

If it doesn't work the first time

Nothing happens when I tap it

Three usual causes: NFC is switched off (Android: Settings → Connected devices → NFC), you're on the wrong part of the back, or the case is too thick. Wake the screen first as well — most phones won't read a tag on a dark, locked screen.

It says the tag is read-only

The tag has been locked. NFC Tools has a lock option under Other, and it is permanent — a locked tag can never be rewritten. Don't use it unless you're certain. If yours arrived locked, message us and we'll replace it.

The write keeps failing halfway

Hold still. Easiest fix: lay the phone flat on a table, rest the Spinek on the tap spot, and let go of it instead of holding both.

My link is too long

144 bytes is about 130 characters. Anything longer — long UTM tracking strings especially — needs a shortener first. The tag then points at the short link, which forwards wherever you want.

Can I put a video on it?

A video, yes — as a link to one. A tag this size holds a link, not a file. Point it at the YouTube, TikTok, Vimeo or Drive URL and the video opens full screen when someone taps.

The spin has gone gritty

The bearing has most likely taken water. The chip is unaffected and will keep working exactly as before, but steel balls rust. Dry it thoroughly; if it stays rough, message us.

NFC Tools is made by wakdev and is not affiliated with Spinek. We recommend it because it's free and it's the simplest one we've found — any NFC writing app will do the same job.

Need one of your own?

Navy & Black is the launch colorway. Hand assembled and shipped from Lake Zurich, Illinois.

Get your Spinek