My dog and I are both, officially, microchipped, which means our contact information is easily accessible when scanned by the appropriate devices. The only difference is that my 90-pound mutt, Scorpion, has a chip implanted underneath his skin; mine is in my manicure—and you don’t need to take me to a vet to get my number. Just hold your phone up to my NFC nails and within seconds you’ll be directed to my Instagram page, my phone number will sync to your contacts, and you’ll have access to my entire creative portfolio via my website. All it took was my nail artist applying an NFC chip during a 60-minute manicure.
NFC, or Near Field Communication, is much more common in everyday life than you may think. It's the same technology you use to buy your morning coffee with Apple Pay or unlock a hotel room with the wave of a key card. Now, these electronic communication capabilities are infiltrating the beauty industry. “NFC nails are the future of manicures, [meaning that we] integrate NFC chips into nail designs to enable interaction with smartphones,” says Janet Lau, a nail artist based in Vancouver, Canada. “Nails have always been about self-expression, and adding NFC technology creates a perfect blend of functionality and fashion."
The ability to program a manicure with scannable information is proving to be much more than a conversation-starting gimmick; these microchip nails have joined the ranks of other high-tech modern conveniences. They just happen to look really cute with your outfit.
Interest in the most tech-heavy manicure known to man is also exploding. Searches for "NFC nails" increased by 100 percent this month alone, according to Google Trends. Soon, everyone from your coworker to that beautiful stranger you met at a party could have a microchipped manicure, and with it the ability to share information faster, and more easily, than ever before.
What Are NFC Nails?
Picture sitting down at a cafe and striking up a conversation with someone at the next table. With a wave of a beautifully adorned nail, you can instantly share your contact info with them —you don't even need to pull out your phone to AirDrop your number. This may sound like a scene from Kim Possible, but it’s a present-day reality thanks to the ultra-thin NFC chips that can be embedded into press-on nails or a gel manicure.
Since 2014, when Japanese nail sticker brand 2LumiDecoNail launched nail wraps featuring battery-free, NFC-enabled LEDs that flash when near a phone, nail artists and small businesses have continued to explore all of the design and tech possibilities for microchip manicures. Nail artists have used NFC chips to add light-up elements to their creations, and tech-forward companies have pushed the boundaries of link-sharing functions as the microchip's functionality improves. For that very reason, beauty, fashion, and wearable tech expert Janey Park says that NFC nails have quickly become a powerful business tool for content creators, executives, and, quite frankly, anyone who wants to improve their personal networking. “These aren't just pretty nails,” she says. “They put digital connectivity right at your fingertips. One tap shares all my links from my Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, podcast—whatever I want.”
Leah Winberg, the founder of Chipped, initially entered the NFC nails space with this exact purpose. In 2023, she gave herself an NFC-enabled manicure before attending a tech conference. After seeing how easily she could share her contact info, Winberg wore NFC nails to more events, and eventually her friends started requesting their own futuristic manis. “There was no way I was subjecting them to my terrible attempts at acrylics,” Winberg says. “So I started to figure out supply chains and how to put NFCs into press-on nails because no one had ever done that at a retail level.” Chipped launched in July 2024, making it feasible for anyone in the US to access NFC press-on nails for $64. (To date, the company has shipped roughly 4000 units.)
As many specialty nail salons add NFC offerings to their menu for an added cost (usually around $10), there is also a growing number of impressive press-on options on the marketplace, including Chipped, What If Nails, and Kiki World. And while may nails embedded with NFC chips are slightly chunkier (about 0.02 inches thick), they are no heavier than other 3D nail embellishments, like crystals and charms. In fact, some chips are purposefully visible, while others are camouflaged by trendy designs, making their NFC capabilities appear as something of a magic trick to strangers. But NFC nails are no gimmick—they're arguably the future of wearable beauty technology.
NFC Nails Are More Than a Trend
“We’ve all used QR codes or NFC cards to share information, but NFC nails are more stylish, efficient, and interesting,” says Mai Shi, a former Estée Lauder executive who now runs a Web3-focused marketing agency. Plus, the tech-savvy tips combine two rapidly growing industries—press-on nails and NFC—in a creative, accessible way. “The press-on nail market continues to grow, and NFC technology is a natural next step in that evolution,” she says, adding that the artificial nail industry is projected to grow from $1.64 billion in 2024 to about $2.42 billion by 2032.
Shi was quick to see the industry white space, launching What If Nails in March 2024, her own line of reusable NFC press-on nails complete with a rotating assortment of hand-painted nail art. She notes that most of What If Nails’ customers use the NFC capabilities to exchange contact information, but her clients are getting creative; one engineer linked her NFC nails to her Tesla for convenient unlocking. “Small business owners have also started using them to receive payments via Venmo or Zelle at street fairs, myself included,” Shi says.
For nail artists like Lau, NFC nails can also revolutionize their business strategy. By offering an NFC chip to their clients’ manicures as a fun, futuristic add-on, nail artists can market themselves by simply allowing their work to speak for itself, Lau says. “Potential clients who admire a design can tap their phone on the nails to access the nail tech’s information." And that’s just how they’ll impact the nail industry. NFC nails have the potential to have a seismic impact on countless industries, particularly the content creator economy.
As Park explains, influencers can link products to earn affiliate income; artists can share their portfolios and sell their work; musicians can promote their latest single; brands can even capture emails and drive sales—all with a tap of a nail. “NFC nails take business strategy to a new level by merging style with digital functionality,” Park says. “They’re perfectly fit for today’s social media-connected, digitalized world.”
Winberg adds that NFC nails take all the best parts of the attention economy and create a net positive from social interactions. Several creators have even gone viral on TikTok just by showing off how they use their NFC nails, including Winberg herself when she revealed Chipped's press-on prototypes on TikTok, as well as nail artist Amina Chelloug, who created brat-inspired nails that are programmed to pull up Charli XCX’s album on Spotify, and content creator Blue Kim, who showed how she can instantly share her Instagram with someone passing her on the street.
If press-ons aren’t your thing, you can go the gel manicure route at your local nail salon. Lau recommends researching nail artists who are familiar with NFC technology so you don’t have to worry about sourcing and programming the chip yourself. Those who feel comfortable doing the latter can also buy their own chip (Lau gets hers for $1 each from Dynamic Nail Supply) and work with a nail artist who is comfortable creating designs around it.
Lau typically layers her NFC chips between the base coat and the first coat of color. “The ones I use have a larger surface area, so I cover them with 3D art, like juicy cherries and flowers, to seamlessly integrate them into my designs,” she says. Also, no need to worry about the NFC chip damaging your nail bed in any way. “The chips are safe to wear for a long time,” Lau adds. “They’re weightless and don’t heat up.”
Are NFC Nails Safe?
Although you can find cheap NFC chips on Amazon, it’s hard to tell if they’re from a reputable supplier or the right size for your fingernail. Plus, they are more difficult to set up—you have to be familiar with NFC writing apps or you need to have an NFC reader if you want to encode your chip on your computer. “This technology is pretty foreign to some people,” Winberg says. “We’re used to being users of [NFC], not implementors.”
NFC-driven beauty brands like Chipped and Kiki World remove these obstacles with an app that not only makes it foolproof to add your info to your nail but also prevents people from using their nails to share phishing links to hack your information. The app also allows you to disconnect your NFC nail if you ever lose it. These types of functions are much harder to come by with Amazon-sourced chips. “People can put malicious links in these chips, so you don’t know what you’re tapping,” Winberg explains. “Doing everything through our app allows us to give our users freedom by maintaining security.”
What If, on the other hand, and other reputable suppliers allow users to create their own business card-like profiles with a simple activation code inputted via an encrypted website that can be accessed on a phone or computer.
The Future of NFC Nails
Sharing links and contact information is just the beginning for NFC nails. Park predicts they will soon be used for immersive, personalized experiences. “Imagine if Taylor Swift fans could buy NFC nails loaded with perks,” she explains. “Swifties would be able to access exclusive merchandise, a personal message from Taylor, and even virtually try on their favorite Eras Tour outfit with a TikTok or Snapchat filter.”
Shi believes NFC nail capabilities will continue to expand into more areas of daily life, such as paying subway fares, connecting to WiFi, and unlocking home security systems. “We’re also experimenting with how NFC nails can interact with brands—storing loyalty points, redeeming exclusive offers, and even offering users access to special promotions,” she adds.
Winberg has taken Chipped around the world—most recently to Bangkok—and has seen firsthand how excited women are by the brand’s “feminization of technology in a way that is so unapologetic,” she explains.
And as someone who has been wearing a pair of NFC nails for the past few weeks, I promise you: there’s power in a microchip manicure. I’m so ready for my keys and cards to be always at my fingertips. It’s about as close as I’ll get to my childhood dream of being Sabrina the Teenage Witch.
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