The Complete Guide to NTAG215 chips

by Doc, Owner, Founder, Man Who Enjoys Writing Complete Guides

NTAG215 chips serve one purpose in life, and only one. They’re the chips that are in the base of amiibo figures and cards. There’s a lot that you need to know about NTAG215 chips before you move on to amiibo cards, so keep reading.

(Please note that some links in this post are Amazon Affiliate links).

What are NTAG215 chips?

NTAG215 chips are a type of Near-Field Communication chip. They’re only known for being used in amiibo figures and cards, and they’re very cheap. You can order them in bulk from Chinese companies for hardly anything at all.

NTAG215 chips are not the same as NTAG213 chips. There are no substitutes for NTAG215 chips – if it doesn’t have the chip in some format (i.e. cardstock format, a small disc format) then it won’t work as an NTAG215 chip.

How do I use NTAG215 chips?

Most people use their NTAG215s in the same way: they make amiibo cards with them. They take an amiibo bin file, use an app called Tagmo to put the file on the NTAG215 chip, and then sell the chip as a functioning amiibo card.

Are there alternatives to using NTAG215 chips?

Not if you want to make it a functional amiibo. Amiibo data is specifically designed to use the formatting of NTAG215 chips, so any attempt to write a file to a non-NTAG215 chip will result in a nonfunctional amiibo. You could use the Powersaves for Amiibo, which uses a proprietary chip that emulates NTAG215 chips, but that isn’t something reproducible enough to make amiibo cards with. However, if you’re only making amiibo for yourself, you should get the Powersaves instead of the NTAG chips.

Are NTAG215 chips/Tagmo legal?

Please note that I am unqualified to give an expert opinion on this topic.

The chips themselves are just chips, there’s nothing illegal about having a computer chip. Tagmo itself is another question, but Nintendo has never pursued amiibo card manufacturers in American court systems, so it’s mostly a moot point. In theory you could be found liable for making amiibo with Tagmo because of encryption patents, but there’s nothing clearly stating that to my knowledge.

Take note that this issue has not been addressed by courts in the West (as with most intellectual property questions), so this could change at a later date.

How do you make a blank NFC card?

If you had the cardstock materials and such needed to insert an NTAG chip into a blank card, then… that would be how you make it. You’re better off just ordering it as well, because the chips will be included and it’ll be more expensive and difficult for you to figure out how to make them yourself.

Which NTAG215 chips are the best?

They’re all the same – every single one. Every gimmick chip you see on Amazon that says “Works with Tagmo”, “NTAG215”, “amiibo chip”, whatever, are all NTAG215 chips. It doesn’t matter who you buy them from, only that you buy the format (card, adhesive chip, coin, keychain, etc) that you want.

Can you rewrite NTAG215 chips?

No.

Once you write the amiibo’s character to your chip, it is set in stone. There is no way, ever, to change the character. You can format it for a different game – say, if you have a Wolf Link amiibo that you’ve used for Breath of the Wild but now you want to use in Smash – but that will still always be a Wolf Link.

If you’re wanting to use amiibo just for yourself, get the Powersaves for Amiibo instead. It’s far superior to NTAGs if you don’t plan on sharing amiibo.

How do I reprogram my NTAG215 chip?

You can’t. Read the above paragraph.

How Large are NTAG215 file sizes?

540 bytes, but the amiibo bin files can be anywhere from 532 bytes to 570 bytes, oddly enough. There’s some leeway in there because of how different chip readers operate.