App to read RFID tag

k5map · January 2, 2026, 5:46pm

Has anyone found an app or method whereby you can scan the RFID tag on the Bambu filament spools and get the type and color?

Thud-oops · January 2, 2026, 6:04pm

Assuming you mean other than the AMS.
If you mean something like being able to hold your phone next to the tag and get a reading, not that I am aware of (but I could be wrong).
But if you do a browser search on something like “how to read a bambu lab filament rfid tag” you will get several hits. I can not offer pro/con on any of the offerings.

Edit: there are things like this:

but I have never used one so don’t know how well they work and the BL tags are encrypted so that could be another layer. (amazon has a long list of different devices like this, $ to $$$$)
There are Ytubes that cover specifically reading the tags.

Bratling · January 2, 2026, 6:52pm

Sure:

and detailed guide:

github.com/queengooborg/Bambu-Lab-RFID-Tag-Guide

docs/ReadTags.md

main

# Hacking a Bambu Lab Tag and readout of its data

This document describes the various approaches for scanning Bambu Lab RFID tags.
If you have a Proxmark3 device, the easiest way to scan tags is using the built-in `bambukeys` function. Otherwise, if you have another RFID scanning device like a Flipper Zero, a Python script is provided in order to derive the keys from the UID of the tag.

> [!NOTE]
> Please consider submitting your scanned tags to the [Bambu Lab RFID Library](https://github.com/queengooborg/Bambu-Lab-RFID-Library) repository!

# Table of contents

<!-- prettier-ignore-start -->

<!--ts-->
   * [Dumping Tags using Proxmark3](#dumping-tags-using-proxmark3)
   * [Deriving the keys](#deriving-the-keys)
   * [Proxmark3 fm11rf08s recovery script (legacy method)](#proxmark3-fm11rf08s-recovery-script-legacy-method)
   * [Sniffing the tag data with a Proxmark3 (legacy method)](#sniffing-the-tag-data-with-a-proxmark3-legacy-method)
<!--te-->

<!-- prettier-ignore-end -->

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While encryption is used, it’s only used to sign the data and verify it was written to the tag by Bambu. You can read the data perfectly fine, and you can clone existing Bambu tags, you just can’t create new tags that work with Bambu’s AMS systems.

There’s an active market of used tags on eBay for the less technically inclined.

k5map · January 2, 2026, 7:05pm

Thanks for the info/link. It would great if Bambu Labs added the abilty to scan a spool to their iPhone app but until they do, I’m looking to find a way to scan a spool without having to place it in my AMS. The main reason I am searching for a means to scan a spool is I usually have 30+ spools in inventory and Bambu Labs now has multiple variations of color (which is not noted on the spool decal).

Thud-oops · January 2, 2026, 7:30pm

I’m not near as active in printing as it sounds like you are but if I had that much inventory and my printers were so busy I couldn’t easily get access to an AMS and an idle printer I’d probably just start numbering the spools with a sharpie (or a stick on label) and maintain a spread sheet with all the info I needed. A pain but for me it would work.

mugglesmuggle · January 3, 2026, 1:30am

If you are on android try 3DSpoolScanner

k5map · January 3, 2026, 2:42am

Unfortunately, I am using an iPhone.

k5map · January 3, 2026, 2:44am

Currently I am placing a piece of paper in each PLA Basic and PLA Matte listing their color but was hoping there was an option to read the tag.

Bratling · January 3, 2026, 4:11am

Early on I looked into using spool RFID tags, but then took a different approach. I use https://3dfilamentprofiles.com to make labels with QR codes I scan with my phone to jump to the spool info editor. This has the advantage of not being tied to any specific vendor, too.

I use a Phomemo M110 printer to print them on 30x40mm labels.

k5map · January 3, 2026, 6:05am

Oh, that’s a VERY interesting solution… thanks!

ThomasHermans · January 3, 2026, 9:57am

I hope BL will ditch its RFID system and switch to an open-source solution, like Prusa’s OpenPrintTag, which has already attracted the support of some filament manufacturers.

Since it’s completely open source, the first DIY solutions will surely appear soon, allowing everyone to tag their own spools. The appropriate stickers are already available, along with adapters for various spool types that can be printed at home.

If BL decides to do this (though I doubt it), the whole thing could certainly be integrated into the printers/AMS via a firmware update.

For me, RFID tags haven’t been a reason to buy BL filament for a long time, because I can load a third-party filament into the printer just as quickly as it takes the printer to scan the spool.

Dragster43 · January 3, 2026, 10:07am

I love my Bambu Lab printers (I own 5 H2 series and 6 of the X1 series of them) but the ability to easy determine the particular variant of filament is maddening. Ultimately, I ended up writing the 5-digit filament code and color on the spool with a sharpie. In a perfect world, Bambu Lab would put this on their oval decal.

k5map · January 3, 2026, 1:37pm

I agree with the previous poster about BL adapting/switching to something like OpenPrintTag. If they did, as a retired IT professional, I would look at writing an app to read the RFID tag.

But until then, I think I’ll go with your solution of using a label and writing the color & color code on it (i.e., Ivory White, Bone White, etc.).

ThomasHermans · January 3, 2026, 1:58pm

The Prusa smartphone app can already read OpenPrintTags, but I haven’t been able to write to them yet. There’s no ready-made software or app for that, and the generated BIN files can’t be used with standard NFC software.

There is a way to do it via the command line, but I haven’t tried that yet.

Bratling · January 3, 2026, 2:58pm

If you want to give it a spin, here’s the printer I use:
https://www.amazon.com/Phomemo-M110-Portable-Bluetooth-Thermal-Printer/dp/B0BR6ZWLFM/

Prints via bluetooth and their phone app, or you can connect to a Mac or PC via USB.

I, too, would like to see it… but I don’t think it’ll happen.

Arboreal_Trout · January 6, 2026, 11:01pm

This. It works beautifully.

The labels are cheap. So are the printers.

We print a swatch of each filament and put a QR code label on it. Everything in which a spool could go has a swatch holder, including the AMS Lite, AMS 2 Pros, filament dryers, storage bins, and external spool holders for each printer, and each spot has a QR code label. Each storage bin has 4 QR code labels so there’s always one easy to find for any orientation of the bin. The swatch follows a spool wherever it goes until it dies, then it goes with the replacement spool. Filament labels are specific to a manufacturer, material, and color. Spool labels are unique to one specific spool.

Just whip out the phone, scan the label on the spool, then scan the label of wherever it’s going. We use the site 3dfilamentprofiles site to track what we have and what’s where.

I keep thinking I want something that’ll use the NFC chips the way we use the QR codes, but since the majority of non-Bambu filaments don’t come with NFC that would mean creating and connecting NFC tags for each one. For us, the adhesive labels work well, they work for any manufacturer, size, and spool material. and we don’t need any tech other than a label printer and our smartphones.

The site is, at least currently, free. Since I’ve started using it, there have been significant updates and frequent feature additions,

ElektroQuark · January 7, 2026, 8:01am

What editor is that?

Bratling · January 8, 2026, 4:48pm

In the 3dfilamentprofiles.com site I linked, you can not only look up & add new filament profiles, but save them to your personal profile and maintain a list of them. I mostly use the editor to update spool location; I have too many drawers to remember which went where

Here is a screenshot of my spools list:

And the spool editor, where I track location and keep notes like “0.2mm min layer height” or “DO NOT BUY AGAIN, extreme warping”. (Just added that second one to a spool one last night…)

It also makes it easy to customize the labels with the info you want. They can download as image files or as LabelLife files (I just use the PNGs).

This site is a result of someone scratching their own itch (figuratively) and sharing the result with the world. Give it a try, it’s free, and if you like it you can toss a coin to your Witcher.

krellboy · January 8, 2026, 7:59pm

Yeah I try to buy through his amazon links when I remember. Unfortunately I can’t use his inventory tracking due to his terms of service which I can’t agree to, but otherwise it’s worth supporting.

h2d2 · January 15, 2026, 12:11pm

If you own a Flipper Zero, you can now scan the tag through a Flipper Zero NFC plugin and it would show the filament code, production date and other details.

I’ve just worked on it over the past few days and release it. The forum does not allow links, you can find it at GitHub - uzyn/flipper-bambu: 🐬🎋 Flipper Zero NFC parser for Bambu Lab's filaments.