# How to put an NFC tag on a supplement bottle Stick a cheap NTAG213 or NTAG215 on the lid, link it once in LidTap, tap to log. Works from the lock screen. No branded kit. [LidTap — iPhone, App Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/lidtap-nfc-supplements/id6805485149) This is the physical how-to. If you only wanted the idea: [What to do with NFC tags](https://lidtap.app/what-to-do-with-nfc-tags/). ## What you need - An iPhone (LidTap is iPhone-only; NFC needs a real device) - [LidTap](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/lidtap-nfc-supplements/id6805485149) - Any NTAG213 or NTAG215 sticker — [NTAG213 tags on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/s?k=NTAG213+NFC+stickers) work. Nothing is locked to a branded kit. The ones already in a drawer work. ## Where to put the tag on the bottle Default: the **lid** (the cap). Wipe it dry, peel the sticker, press it on and hold for a few seconds. The lid is the part you hold. You can tap it without angling around a label. The tag stays with that bottle when you put it back. One tag per bottle you actually want to log. If you take creatine, omega-3, and vitamin D, that is three lids, three tags. Do not stack two tags on the same lid — the phone will see a mess, not a bottle. **Cap vs body.** Use the cap when it is plastic and reasonably flat — most supplement lids are. Use the body of the bottle if the cap is metal, still under a foil seal you cannot peel, or so small and domed that a sticker will not sit. On the body, pick the flattest panel. Cheap stickers lift on a tight curve; a smaller 20–25 mm round tag sits better than a large oval on a skinny bottle. Leave the label barcode alone if you still scan it. Do not park the sticker on a metal cap or under a thick foil seal — NFC is short-range and metal blocks it. If the bottle lives in a gym bag or a steamy bathroom, dry the surface first. ## Open LidTap and write the tag 1. Open LidTap. 2. Add the supplement (a name you choose — LidTap does not read the label for you). 3. Choose to add a tag, then hold the **top** of the iPhone to the lid until LidTap writes the link. LidTap writes a Universal Link of the form `https://lidtap.app/t/{id}`. That address exists so iOS can open LidTap from the lock screen. It is meaningless without the copy of LidTap on your phone. About ten seconds the first time. You do not re-write the tag every morning. ## Lock screen and Background Tag Reading Hold the top of the iPhone to the lid. You do not have to unlock first. That is the whole morning gesture: bottle in one hand, phone in the other, tap. On iPhone XS, iPhone XR, and later, iOS can read an NFC tag without you opening an app. Apple calls this Background Tag Reading. A URL on the tag is enough. You do not launch a reader, hunt for LidTap, or type. The phone notices the lid, shows a notification, and LidTap logs the dose on the device. - If LidTap is already open, you get a confirmation. - If it isn’t, you get a quiet notification. The dose is still logged on the phone. If a tap does nothing, check Low Power Mode — it can pause background NFC — and hold the **top** of the phone to the tag, not the camera bump. Opening the same URL in a browser does **not** log a dose. This website does not record that you took anything. ## Setup FAQ **Which tags?** Any cheap NTAG213 or NTAG215 sticker. NTAG213 has enough space for a short URL that opens LidTap. You do not need NTAG216. You do not need a Pulse box or any other branded hardware. [Amazon packs](https://www.amazon.com/s?k=NTAG213+NFC+stickers) work. **Do I need a special NFC reader app on iPhone?** No. For a URL tag, iPhone reads NFC on its own. Background Tag Reading on iPhone XS, iPhone XR, and later can pick up the lid from the lock screen. LidTap is what writes the bottle link and records the log. You do not install a separate NFC reader just to tap. **Does it work from the lock screen?** Yes. The tag holds a Universal Link, so iOS can open LidTap without you unlocking. Background Tag Reading is what makes a bottle tap a reflex instead of a chore. **Do I need waterproof stickers?** For a dry kitchen bottle, a normal NTAG213 sticker is enough. For a gym bag, a shaker, or a bathroom bottle, buy waterproof PET or PVC NTAG213 stickers. Wipe the lid dry, press hard, give the adhesive a minute before the first tap. Paper-faced tags peel. **Is this medical?** No. LidTap is a convenience logger, not a medical device, and not advice. A tap is a timestamp next to a name you typed. It does not mean the right bottle was tapped or that anything was swallowed. Do not rely on it for medication or an emergency. **Does the site log my doses?** No. `lidtap.app/t/…` is only a door into the app on your iPhone. There is no LidTap account. History stays on the device. ## Skincare and cosmetic bottles Same sticker, same tap. A serum, moisturizer, or sunscreen you keep losing track of gets an NTAG213 on the cap, a name in LidTap, and a lock-screen tap when you use it. It is not a skincare routine and not a beauty app — it is the same “did I already use this bottle?” log as creatine. ## Pulse? Pulse sells a box with NFC inside. LidTap uses the sticker on the lid. Different product. Honest comparison: [LidTap vs Pulse](https://lidtap.app/pulse-alternative/). ## Download [LidTap on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/lidtap-nfc-supplements/id6805485149)