Overview
A Scanner Question can read an NFC tag instead of a QR code. Set its Method of Scanning to NFC, and the User answers by holding their phone against the tag rather than pointing the camera at a label.
NFC tags suit places where QR stickers fade, get dirty or are hard to reach, and they can be built into durable housings. The Validation options are the same as for QR codes; see How to utilize scanner codes. This article covers the NFC setup, what to write on each tag, and what Users see.
At a glance |
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Who can do this | Super Users, a Role with Checklists › Modify (or Create, for Checklists you created), or an Administrator or Editor of the Checklist's permission folder |
Where | Checklists › open a Checklist › Scanner Question › Method of Scanning |
Works on | Backend (web) to set up. Scanned in the Mobile app on phones with NFC. Not in RideOps. |
Availability | All organizations |
💡 Why this matters: A tag fixed to a control panel or checkpoint proves the User was there, and a tap is faster than lining up a camera. NFC keeps that proof working in wet, dark or dirty places where printed codes fail.
Set up an NFC Scanner Question
1. Add a Scanner Question
Go to Checklists, select the Checklist and click Edit. On the page you want, click Add an element › Scanner Question, and enter the Title, for example Tap the tag on the station 2 panel.
2. Set Method of Scanning to NFC
Under Question Configuration, change Method of Scanning from QR/Barcode, the default, to NFC. Each Scanner Question has its own method, so one Checklist can mix QR and NFC questions.
3. Choose the Validation
Set Validation to None, Location, Asset or Specific. For Specific, enter the Scanner Code Value that the tag will hold.
4. Save
Click Accept Changes, then Save the Checklist.
What to write on the tag
Mobaro doesn't write NFC tags. Use an NFC writing app to store one text record on each tag, not a URL. The Mobaro app reads the text of the tag's first record and compares it with the question's Validation:
Validation | Write this text on the tag |
None | Any text. The tag must still hold a text record. |
Location | The Custom Scanner Code of the Location the Checklist is completed at, or its ID, such as |
Asset | The Custom Scanner Code of the Asset the Checklist is completed for, or its ID, such as |
Specific | Exactly the question's Scanner Code Value |
The text must match exactly, including capital letters, and IDs need their locations/ or assets/ prefix. The easiest approach is to give each Location or Asset a short Custom Scanner Code, such as RIDE-07, and write that on its tag. See How to create Locations and Understanding Asset fields and properties.
⚠️ Heads-up: Asset validation compares the tag with the Asset the Checklist is being completed for, such as from an Asset Schedule, not with an Asset you pick on the question. On a Checklist completed only for a Location, a tag can't pass Asset validation. See Asset-driven Assignments and Schedules.
Scanning in the app
The User taps Scan. On Android, a panel asks Please scan the NFC tag; on iPhone, the system NFC reader opens. They hold the phone against the tag.
A matching tag shows Scanned successfully. A tag with the wrong text shows Validation Failed, and the question stays unanswered. A tag with no text record isn't accepted.
If NFC is switched off, the app says so and asks the User to check their settings. On a phone without NFC, the app shows that NFC isn't supported.
The check happens on the phone, so NFC scanning also works offline.
NFC scanning needs a recent version of the Mobaro app. If a User can't scan tags, ask them to update the app from the App Store or Google Play.
ℹ️ Note: RideOps can't read NFC tags: in RideOps, every Scanner Question scans a code with the tablet's camera. Use QR/Barcode for Scanner Questions in Checklists completed in RideOps.
NFC scans on Results
The Result report shows NFC tag was scanned for the question; it doesn't show the tag's text. Other elements can use the question in logic with Answered or Not answered. Scanner Questions don't support triggers.
Best practices
Fix tags permanently at the point of the check, such as a ride control panel or maintenance station.
Write each tag with a short Custom Scanner Code rather than a long ID, and keep a list of which tag holds which code.
Test every tag with the Checklist on both Android and iPhone before you rely on it.
Label tags clearly if the same area also uses QR codes, so Users know which to scan.
Frequently asked questions
How do I code an NFC tag with a location value from Mobaro?
Use an NFC writing app to store a plain text record with the Location's Custom Scanner Code, or its full ID such as locations/123456-A. Then set the Scanner Question's Method of Scanning to NFC and Validation to Location.
Is the Mobaro app compatible with NFC tags?
Yes, on phones with NFC, for Scanner Questions set to NFC. Tags must hold a text record; common NTAG213, NTAG215 and NTAG216 tags work. NFC isn't available in RideOps, and Mobaro reads NFC tags only, not other kinds of RFID tag.
I chose Asset validation and scan the right tag, but the question won't complete. Why?
Asset validation checks the Asset the Checklist is being completed for. If the Checklist was started for a Location rather than an Asset, no tag can pass. Complete it from an Asset Schedule, or use Specific validation instead.