How to Identify MIFARE & NFC Access Cards Using an Android Phone

Identifying an access card is often the first step when replacing cards, selecting compatible blanks, or troubleshooting an access-control system.

An NFC-enabled Android phone can be a useful starting point. Apps such as NFC TagInfo and NFC Tools can display information about a card's NFC technology, SAK, ATQA, UID, memory and other technical parameters.

However, remember that identifying a card does not necessarily mean that the card can be copied or that another card with the same chip will work in the access-control system.

1. What Do You Need?

You will need:

• An Android phone with NFC
• An NFC scanning application
• The access card you want to identify

Turn on NFC and open the scanning application.

Place the access card against the back of the phone, normally around the area containing the NFC antenna.

Once detected, the application will display the information available from the card.

2. The Most Important Information

When scanning an NFC access card, look for these fields:

Technology

This tells you which NFC/card technology is being detected.

Examples include:

• MIFARE Classic
• MIFARE Ultralight
• MIFARE DESFire
• MIFARE Plus
• NTAG
• ISO 14443
• ISO 15693

SAK

SAK, or Select Acknowledge, is one of the values that can help identify the card technology.

ATQA

ATQA is another protocol-level value that can help distinguish card technologies.

UID

The UID is a card identifier returned during the NFC communication process. It is useful for identification and troubleshooting, but a UID by itself does not tell you the exact card model or whether the UID is the credential used by the access-control system.

Memory

Memory information is particularly useful for distinguishing different card models.

3. MIFARE Card Families

"MIFARE" is not one single card type. It is a family of contactless technologies with very different capabilities.

Here are the major families you may encounter:

MIFARE / NFC Type	Typical Memory / Capacity	Security	Common Applications
MIFARE Classic 1K (S50)	1 KB	Sector keys / Crypto1	Older access control, transport
MIFARE Classic 4K (S70)	4 KB	Sector keys / Crypto1	Access control, transport
MIFARE Classic Mini	320 bytes	Sector keys / Crypto1	Small legacy applications
MIFARE Ultralight	48 bytes user memory	Limited	Tickets, disposable applications
Ultralight C	144 bytes user memory	3DES authentication	Tickets, NFC applications
Ultralight EV1	48 / 108 bytes user memory	Enhanced security options	Tickets, NFC applications
NTAG213	144 bytes user memory	Password protection/features	NFC tags, products, smart posters
NTAG215	504 bytes user memory	Password protection/features	NFC tags, digital applications
NTAG216	888 bytes user memory	Password protection/features	Larger NFC data applications
MIFARE Plus	1K / 2K / 4K	AES migration/security	Access control, secure systems
MIFARE DESFire EV1	2K / 4K / 8K	AES/3DES options	Modern access control
MIFARE DESFire EV2	2K / 4K / 8K	Advanced cryptography	Secure access, payments
MIFARE DESFire EV3	2K / 4K / 8K	Modern AES security	Modern secure access systems

Important: The exact memory figures and features vary by product generation and configuration. A scanner's identification should therefore be considered together with the card's other reported parameters.

4. MIFARE Classic 1K - S50

One of the most commonly encountered older MIFARE cards is the:

MIFARE Classic 1K

Also known as:  S50

It provides: 1,024 bytes of memory

The memory is organized into sectors, with authentication keys controlling access to protected areas.

A typical scanner may report information such as:

• MIFARE Classic
• SAK: 0x08
• Approximately 1 KB memory

This combination is commonly associated with MIFARE Classic 1K.

Common applications

• Older access-control systems
• Employee cards
• Hotel systems
• Transport systems
• Legacy identification systems

5. MIFARE Classic 4K - S70

The larger member of the Classic family is: MIFARE Classic 4K

Also known as: S70

It provides: 4,096 bytes of memory

A scanner may commonly report:

• MIFARE Classic
• SAK: 0x18
• Approximately 4 KB memory

This is commonly associated with MIFARE Classic 4K.

The larger memory capacity allows more sectors and data than the 1K version.

6. MIFARE Classic Mini

Another member of the older Classic family is:

MIFARE Classic Mini

The Mini has substantially less memory than the 1K and 4K versions.

It was designed for applications where only a small amount of data was required.

Because it is less common today, don't assume that every small-memory card is a Classic Mini. Use the technology and protocol information reported by the scanner to confirm the identification.

7. MIFARE Ultralight

MIFARE Ultralight is a different family from MIFARE Classic.

It is designed for applications where a small amount of memory is required.

Common applications include:

• Event tickets
• Transit tickets
• Disposable credentials
• NFC applications

Unlike MIFARE Classic, you should not identify an Ultralight card simply by looking at the memory size. Check the technology information and protocol parameters reported by the NFC application.

8. MIFARE Ultralight EV1

The MIFARE Ultralight EV1 family provides additional features compared with the original Ultralight.

Two commonly referenced memory configurations are:

• 48 bytes user memory
• 108 bytes user memory

It can include features such as password protection and originality/security-related functions depending on the version.

These cards are more commonly associated with tickets, NFC products and limited-data applications than traditional high-security access-control systems.

9. MIFARE Ultralight C

MIFARE Ultralight C provides: 144 bytes of user memory

It adds 3DES-based authentication compared with the simpler Ultralight products.

This makes it suitable for applications requiring more protection than basic NFC tags.

10. NTAG213, NTAG215 and NTAG216

NTAG cards are frequently confused with access-control MIFARE cards because they are also NFC-compatible.

The three popular models are:

Model	Total Memory	User Memory
NTAG213	180 bytes	144 bytes
NTAG215	540 bytes	504 bytes
NTAG216	924 bytes	888 bytes

The easiest way to distinguish them is generally their memory capacity and the technology reported by the scanning application.

These are commonly used for:

• NFC business cards
• Smart posters
• Product information
• Marketing tags
• Authentication/verification applications
• NFC-enabled products

They are not interchangeable with MIFARE Classic simply because both use NFC.

11. MIFARE Plus

MIFARE Plus was developed as a more secure evolution of MIFARE Classic.

It is available in different memory configurations, including:

• 1K
• 2K
• 4K

One of its important characteristics is the ability to support migration toward stronger security mechanisms.

This makes MIFARE Plus relevant to access control and other systems where improved security is required.

A key lesson for beginners:

A 1K card is not automatically a MIFARE Classic 1K.

Other MIFARE families can also have similar memory capacities.

12. MIFARE DESFire

MIFARE DESFire is a much more advanced family and is widely used in modern secure applications.

You may encounter:

• DESFire EV1
• DESFire EV2
• DESFire EV3

Depending on the model, DESFire supports modern cryptographic security mechanisms such as AES and can support multiple applications and files within the card.

Common applications include:

• Modern access control
• Identification systems
• Transportation
• Campus cards
• Secure credentials
• Multi-application cards

Important difference

A DESFire card should not be treated like a MIFARE Classic card.

Although both are contactless cards, their architecture, communication, authentication and data structures are significantly different.

13. SAK Is a Clue - Not the Whole Answer

A common mistake when learning NFC card identification is: "SAK 08 = MIFARE Classic 1K."

This is a useful starting point, but it is not a universal rule.

Different card products can return overlapping protocol values, and some cards may use configurations that make simple SAK-based identification misleading.

Therefore, use this approach: 

Technology + ATQA + SAK + Memory + Application information

rather than:

SAK = Card Model

This will give you a much more reliable identification.

14. A Practical Identification Workflow

When you receive an unknown access card, follow these steps.

Step 1 - Scan the card

Use your Android NFC application.

Step 2 - Record the technology

For example:

MIFARE Classic

or

MIFARE DESFire

Step 3 - Record ATQA

Write down the ATQA value shown by the application.

Step 4 - Record SAK

For example:

0x08

or

0x18

Step 5 - Check memory

Determine whether the card reports:

• Approximately 1 KB
• Approximately 4 KB
• 144 bytes user memory
• 504 bytes user memory
• 888 bytes user memory
• etc.

Step 6 - Look for manufacturer/model information

Some NFC applications can identify additional information that makes the identification more reliable.

Step 7 - Compare all results

Don't make the identification based on one number.

15. Example Identification

Example A

Scanner reports:

Technology: MIFARE Classic
SAK: 0x08
Memory: 1 KB

Likely identification:

MIFARE Classic 1K / S50

 

Example B

Scanner reports:

Technology: MIFARE Classic
SAK: 0x18
Memory: 4 KB

Likely identification:

MIFARE Classic 4K / S70

 

Example C

Scanner reports:

Technology: NTAG
Memory: 180 bytes
User memory: 144 bytes

Likely identification:

NTAG213

 

Example D

Scanner reports:

Technology: NTAG
Memory: 540 bytes
User memory: 504 bytes

Likely identification:

NTAG215

 

Example E

Scanner reports:

Technology: DESFire

In this case, do not try to identify the card as Classic 1K/4K based simply on a memory figure. DESFire uses a fundamentally different card architecture.

16. Does the Chip Type Tell You Which Blank Card to Buy?

Not necessarily.

This is particularly important when replacing access cards.

For example, two cards might both be:

13.56 MHz contactless cards

but use completely different technologies.

Likewise, two cards may both have approximately 1 KB capacity but still not be compatible with the same access-control system.

Before purchasing replacement cards, you should determine:

1. Card technology
2. Card frequency
3. Supported protocol
4. Card model/family
5. Required security/authentication
6. Whether the access-control system supports that card
7. Whether the system requires card enrollment/programming

17. Quick MIFARE Identification Chart

If the scanner shows...	Possible identification
MIFARE Classic + ~1 KB + SAK 0x08	Classic 1K / S50
MIFARE Classic + ~4 KB + SAK 0x18	Classic 4K / S70
MIFARE Mini technology	MIFARE Classic Mini
MIFARE Ultralight	MIFARE Ultralight family
Ultralight C + 144-byte user memory	Ultralight C
NTAG + 144-byte user memory	NTAG213
NTAG + 504-byte user memory	NTAG215
NTAG + 888-byte user memory	NTAG216
MIFARE Plus	MIFARE Plus family
MIFARE DESFire	DESFire family

Final Training Tip

When learning to identify access cards with an Android phone, remember this simple rule:

Don't identify a card from one value alone.

Start with the technology, then check ATQA, SAK, memory, manufacturer information and other parameters reported by the scanner.

Most importantly, distinguish between card identification and credential duplication. Modern access-control cards can use authentication and cryptographic security that an ordinary NFC scan will not reveal.

This approach will help you determine what type of card you are dealing with and what replacement technology you should investigate, without assuming that every 13.56 MHz NFC card is interchangeable.

 

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© 2026 GSQ8.com. All rights reserved.

All product names, trademarks, logos, brand names, and company names mentioned or displayed in this article are the property of their respective owners. MIFARE, MIFARE Classic, MIFARE DESFire, MIFARE Plus, MIFARE Ultralight, NTAG, and other referenced trademarks belong to their respective trademark owners.

GSQ8.com is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by the manufacturers or trademark owners mentioned in this article unless explicitly stated.

This article is provided for general educational and informational purposes only. Product specifications, compatibility, memory capacities, and technical characteristics may vary depending on the specific product, manufacturer, version, or configuration. Always verify the manufacturer's official specifications before purchasing or deploying products.

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