Oliver Haslam·

How To Use AirTag As NFC Trigger For Shortcuts Automation

Apple’s AirTag have been on sale for a week or so now and we’re still learning tons about them as more and more people get to test them out.

We’ve already seen some privacy concerns, including the chip being hacked, but now we’re seeing something altogether more positive – the fact that you can use an AirTag as an NFC trigger for Shortcuts automation.

First reported by iCulture, this means that an AirTag can be used to trigger a Shortcut or a HomeKit automation depending on which you configure. The built-in NFC functionality is there for when a device has been marked as lost, but it turns out it can actually be used for quite a bit more.

Using the NFC tag feature is surprisingly simple and works just like any other tag as pointed out by 9to5Mac. The steps to use an AirTag as an NFC trigger are:

  1. Open the Shortcuts app, tap on “Automation”, and then “+”
  2. Click on “Create Personal Automation”
  3. Scroll down until you see “NFC” and select that
  4. Scan your NFC tag, aka AirTag, and then name it
  5. Now, add actions like “Set Do Not Disturb on until I leave” or “Open Apple Music”
  6. Hit “Next” and that’s it

That’s all there is to it. Given how cheap NFC tags are we’re not sure we’d buy an AirTag instead, but it’s good to know the option exists.

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