Every chore-tracking system dies the same death: logging becomes a chore itself. You finish unloading the dishwasher, your hands are wet, your phone is in the other room, and the app wants you to unlock it, find the right list, and tap through three screens. So you skip it “just this once,” the record drifts from reality, and within a month the whole system is abandoned.
NFC tags fix the friction problem completely: you tap your phone on a small sticker next to where the chore happens, and it's logged. No unlocking, no app navigation, no typing. Two seconds, done.
What NFC is (and why it's perfect for chores)
NFC (Near Field Communication) is the same short-range radio tech behind contactless payments and hotel key cards. A passive NFC tag is a coin-sized sticker with a tiny chip and antenna. It needs no battery and no pairing: hold a phone within a few centimetres and the phone reads it instantly. Every iPhone since the XS reads tags in the background, no app open, and virtually every modern Android phone has NFC built in.
The chore use-case is ideal because chores happen at fixed locations. The dishwasher doesn't move. Stick a tag on it once, and “I emptied the dishwasher” becomes a physical gesture performed exactly where and when the chore ends.
Which tags to buy
- Chip type: any NTAG213 tag works (NTAG215/216 also work; they just have more memory than a chore link needs). They're the standard, cheapest option and are compatible with both iPhone and Android.
- Price: around €8–12 for a pack of 10–20 stickers on Amazon. There is no reason to buy premium tags for this.
- Form factor: plain white stickers are fine for most spots. For humid places (above the sink, in the bathroom) or metal surfaces, get “on-metal” / waterproof variants: standard tags misread on metal appliances like dishwashers and washing machines, so on-metal tags are worth it there.
Where to put them
The rule: put the tag where the chore ends, so the tap is the natural last step.
- Dishwasher door — tap after unloading.
- Washing machine — tap when the load goes in (or the drying rack, when it comes out).
- Under-sink cupboard — tap after taking the bins out.
- Vacuum cupboard — tap when the vacuum goes back.
- Bathroom mirror edge — tap after cleaning the bathroom.
- Litter tray / food station — tap after pet duties.
Placement matters more than people expect: a tag you have to reach for reintroduces the friction you were removing. Eye-level and en-route beats hidden and tidy.
Setting it up with Ottr
Ottr has NFC logging built in: create a chore in the app, write it to a tag from the chore's settings, and stick the tag up. From then on, anyone in your household taps the tag and the chore is logged to their name: ripples awarded, standings updated, no screens involved. iPhones read the tag in the background; on Android, a tap opens the confirmation directly.
You can also rig this up yourself without Ottr: write a URL or a shortcut trigger to a tag and wire it to a spreadsheet with iOS Shortcuts or Tasker. It works, but you'll be maintaining the plumbing yourself, and the log won't give you the shared fairness view that makes tracking worth it for two people.
Does it actually change behaviour?
Surprisingly, yes, and the benefit goes beyond reliable logging. The tap itself becomes a micro-ritual: a small, physical “done” that marks the end of the task, like ticking a box but better, because it happens at the scene of the crime. And because logging is effortless, the record stays honest, which is what makes the shared balance trustworthy. The system only removes arguments when nobody has to remember to maintain it.
Total setup cost: about a tenner and fifteen minutes on a Saturday. As home-automation projects go, it's hard to beat the friction-removed-per-euro.