NFC tags - are they really worth it?

Let me say this immediately - I really like the idea. And how it works...  ...almost...

So, recently I got Nexus 5 replacement for my old Android phone and it comes with NFC capabilities. I thought that this is great idea and almost immediately bought four NFC stickers to play with. And everything was so exciting until I realized that to read the NFC tag the phone needs to be screen-unlocked. I do understand the reasons behind this restriction but it essentially renders my NFC solution worthless since if I have may screen on (most probably just unlocked because I want to read a tag) I am just one click away from a Tasker icon that can start whatever I want...


Just to mention.

• I wanted to automate the WiFi tethering of my phone by adding a sticker to my laptop (there is another problem with NFC sticker on metal surface) but if I need to unlock the screen then I can as well push the button for WiFi tethering on my home screen... Seems pointless.

• I have automated charger that is controlled by Tasker, so when my phone is at 100% it turns of the charger off. Well, again I can't just read the tag - I need to unlock the phone... then the button is on the other screen - swipe and click...

• I thought that I can make a discrete tag that send SMS that I will be late - well can't.

I know, I know... if I root the phone there are ways to do this while the phone is locked.

So, if I can rephrase it this way. If I need to put all the task my self on the NFC tags it is better to have it on my screen anyway, unless we are talking about hundreds of tags or tags that were created by somebody else.

If an NFC tag only triggers something I have programed previously it is rather useless. The real strength is the two way communication and the ability to store information. Again if I am the only user it make no sense to store the information on the tag.

Then I can easily see the benefits of any public service using NFC (payments, access points etc) but almost no real use for personal NFC tags.

So, I have started with Trigger but after I realized that I need the NFC only as trigger I switched to NFC ReTag which uses only the tag ID and in this way one can use old hotel key-cards, access badges, price tags, lift cards, key fobs etc... Now I feel that what I need is Tasker to be able to owrite to NFC tag then the tags are back in the game for me.