diff --git a/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/GameUtils.java b/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/GameUtils.java
index 03be71b10..59e482470 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/GameUtils.java
+++ b/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/GameUtils.java
@@ -548,19 +548,27 @@ public class GameUtils {
         if ( null == inviteID ) {
             inviteID = makeRandomID();
         }
-        Uri gameUri = NetLaunchInfo.makeLaunchUri( activity, room, inviteID,
-                                                   lang, dict, nPlayers );
-        if ( null != gameUri ) {
+        String msgString;
+        if ( DlgDelegate.NFC_BTN == chosen ) {
+            msgString = NetLaunchInfo.makeLaunchJSON( activity, room, inviteID,
+                                                      lang, dict, nPlayers );
+        } else {
+            Uri gameUri = NetLaunchInfo.makeLaunchUri( activity, room, inviteID,
+                                                       lang, dict, nPlayers );
+            msgString = null == gameUri ? null : gameUri.toString();
+        }
+
+        if ( null != msgString ) {
             if ( DlgDelegate.NFC_BTN == chosen ) {
-                DbgUtils.logf( "wants to launch NFC" );
                 NfcAdapter nfcAdapter = NfcAdapter.getDefaultAdapter( activity );
                 NdefMessage msg = new NdefMessage( new NdefRecord[] {
                         new NdefRecord(NdefRecord.TNF_MIME_MEDIA,
                                        "application/org.eehouse.android.xw4"
                                        .getBytes(Charset.forName("US-ASCII")),
-                                       new byte[0], "Beam me up, Android!"
-                                       .getBytes(Charset.forName("US-ASCII")))
-                        ,NdefRecord.createApplicationRecord("org.eehouse.android.xw4")
+                                       new byte[0], msgString.
+                                       getBytes(Charset.forName("US-ASCII")))
+                        ,NdefRecord.
+                        createApplicationRecord("org.eehouse.android.xw4")
                     });
                 nfcAdapter.setNdefPushMessage( msg, activity );
                 Utils.showToast( activity, "Tap the receiving device now" );
@@ -569,7 +577,7 @@ public class GameUtils {
 
                 int fmtId = choseEmail? R.string.invite_htmf : R.string.invite_txtf;
                 int choiceID;
-                String message = activity.getString( fmtId, gameUri.toString() );
+                String message = activity.getString( fmtId, msgString );
 
                 Intent intent = new Intent();
                 if ( choseEmail ) {
diff --git a/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/GamesList.java b/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/GamesList.java
index 59d3e815d..bbc802f6d 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/GamesList.java
+++ b/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/GamesList.java
@@ -1135,8 +1135,12 @@ public class GamesList extends XWExpandableListActivity
             // only one message sent during the beam
             NdefMessage msg = (NdefMessage) rawMsgs[0];
             // record 0 contains the MIME type, record 1 is the AAR, if present
-            String txt = new String( msg.getRecords()[0].getPayload() );
-            DbgUtils.logf( "got message: %s", txt );
+            String data = new String( msg.getRecords()[0].getPayload() );
+
+            NetLaunchInfo nli = new NetLaunchInfo( data );
+            if ( nli.isValid() ) {
+                startNewNetGame( nli );
+            }
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/NetLaunchInfo.java b/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/NetLaunchInfo.java
index 878316cf1..df416e93a 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/NetLaunchInfo.java
+++ b/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/NetLaunchInfo.java
@@ -57,6 +57,21 @@ public class NetLaunchInfo {
         bundle.putBoolean( VALID, m_valid );
     }
 
+    public NetLaunchInfo( String data )
+    {
+        try { 
+            JSONObject json = new JSONObject( data );
+            room = json.getString( MultiService.ROOM );
+            inviteID = json.getString( MultiService.INVITEID );
+            lang = json.getInt( MultiService.LANG );
+            dict = json.getString( MultiService.DICT );
+            nPlayersT = json.getInt( MultiService.NPLAYERST );
+            m_valid = true;
+        } catch ( org.json.JSONException jse ) {
+            m_valid = false;
+        }
+    }
+
     public NetLaunchInfo( Bundle bundle )
     {
         lang = bundle.getInt( LANG );
@@ -134,6 +149,25 @@ public class NetLaunchInfo {
         return ub.build();
     }
 
+    public static String makeLaunchJSON( Context context, String room,
+                                         String inviteID, int lang, 
+                                         String dict, int nPlayersT )
+    {
+        String result = null;
+        try {
+            result = new JSONObject()
+                .put( MultiService.ROOM, room )
+                .put( MultiService.INVITEID, inviteID )
+                .put( MultiService.LANG, lang )
+                .put( MultiService.DICT, dict )
+                .put( MultiService.NPLAYERST, nPlayersT )
+                .toString();
+        } catch ( org.json.JSONException jse ) {
+            DbgUtils.loge( jse );
+        }
+        return result;
+    }
+    
     public boolean isValid()
     {
         return m_valid;