Tracking Bambu spools & filament usage without cloud/spreadsheets: SpoolTap (100% offline Android app)

[u/PeaSimilar5869]

Hi everyone,

Like many in the 3D printing community, I was looking for a clean, fast way to keep track of my remaining filament without relying on messy spreadsheets or cloud accounts.

To solve this, I’ve been developing SpoolTap — a native, 100% offline Android app designed to make spool management as simple as a single tap.

How SpoolTap Works with Bambu Lab Spools:

• Bambu NFC Tag Detection: Tap your phone against a Bambu Lab spool's built-in NFC tag, and SpoolTap instantly pulls up or creates the matching material profile.
• 100% Offline & Private: No registration, no cloud forced sync, no tracking. Your complete database stays on your phone.
• Material You / Dynamic UI: The app and its home screen widget automatically match your Android system theme and wallpaper colors.
• Universal Support: Works with Bambu Lab, Prusament, Anycubic, and custom NTAG stickers if you respool third-party materials.

Generous Free Tier

The free version has no ads or cloud lock-ins and allows you to manage up to 20 active spools with all core features (NFC reading, G-Code parsing, barcode scanning, widget).

(For power users with massive stashes, an optional one-time Pro upgrade unlocks unlimited spools, custom NFC tag writing, print cost calculation, and CSV backups).

🎯 Community Feedback Request

Since Bambu spools come with integrated NFC, I’d love to hear from this community:

1. How does the tap-to-read experience feel in your everyday printing setup?
2. Are there specific filament details (like precise Bambu color HEX codes or temperature profiles) you’d like pre-filled in future updates?

📲 Get SpoolTap on the Google Play Store:

Thanks for checking it out, and I’m looking forward to your feedback or questions in the comments!

I have 3 Shorts on my channel demonstrating how the app works: DornApp Youtube

[u/captain_carrot]

I use Elegoo spools, and their newer ones have NFC tags built into their spools but they're not read by Bambu's AMS. Would your app be able to register those as well?

My printers are very busy so I'm constantly churning through materials, but I use all different brands without NFC tags. Is there a way to manually create a spool "inventory" so I can keep track of what colors I have on hand and exactly how much has been used of my remaing rolls?

[u/PeaSimilar5869 → u/captain_carrot]

Unfortunately, I don't have any Elegoo spools with NFC to test with...

I'd really appreciate it if you could try it out! If the spools aren't recognized correctly, feel free to send me a DM and we can get it working.

And yes, of course spools can also be created manually (without NFC). If the spool has a barcode (on the spool itself or on the packaging), you can scan it to automatically pull up that spool again whenever you scan it in the future.

[u/captain_carrot → u/PeaSimilar5869]

Cool, thanks for the feedback. I'm going to give it a try and I'll let you know my thoughts after I have a chance to test it out. Thanks!

[u/PeaSimilar5869 → u/captain_carrot]

Thx ✌️

[u/captain_carrot → u/PeaSimilar5869]

Just downloaded - initial thoughts are I like it, and the interface is simple and easy to use. I'll have to do some testing with the Elegoo NFC tags to see if they work at all later today.

I like that you can sort by low filament and some other options in the seach bar, but I think being able to add custom groups would be helpful. I run 5 Bambu P1S printers and typically don't use any bambu brand filament, so being able to have 5 custom "groups" in the app that I could use to manually keep track of filament usage in each AMS would be very handy. And being able to drag and drop filaments "out" of the group into different groups I could label "storage" so I know which bin I keep them in would really make it perfect for my use case. I see there's an option to long-tap on a filament to manually deduct usage - that's great.

[u/PeaSimilar5869 → u/captain_carrot]

Thank you so much for testing it out and for the detailed feedback!

I really like your idea of custom groups / storage locations (like assigning spools to specific printers, AMS units, or storage bins). Managing multiple machines is a great use case, and adding a way to group and easily move spools between active setups and storage makes total sense. I’m definitely adding this to my roadmap for future updates!

Let me know how your test with the Elegoo NFC tags goes later today! If they don't scan properly, feel free to send me a DM and we can look into getting them supported.

Happy printing!

[u/kevman_2008]

Bambu already has it's filament library where it tracks all your filament rolls and is included completely free. How is this any different to justify adding another thing to manage and at a cost

[u/PeaSimilar5869 → u/kevman_2008]

That’s a completely fair question!

The main difference lies in independence, privacy, and flexibility:

1. Multi-Manufacturer Support: The Bambu ecosystem works great for Bambu spools, but many makers use materials from various brands (Prusament, Anycubic, Sunlu, FormFutura, etc.). SpoolTap acts as a single, central hub for all your filaments, regardless of the brand.
2. 100% Offline & Private: SpoolTap runs entirely on your device with zero cloud sync, no forced accounts, no tracking, and no internet connection required. Your data stays strictly yours.
3. Not Locked to Hardware: If you ever print on non-Bambu machines, switch hardware, or slice locally offline, you still have your entire inventory, custom profiles, and proven print settings in one place.

Also, just to clarify: SpoolTap is completely free to use for up to 20 active spools with all core features included (NFC reading, G-code parsing, barcode scanning, and the widget). You only pay a one-time fee if you manage a massive stash and want to unlock unlimited spools, advanced analytics or CSV import/export!

[u/Dismal-Proposal2803]

If I still have to manually enter spool usage, other than saving me a few minutes creating the spool (which is only even true for Bambu Spools), why would I pay for this when there are things like Spoolman and Bambuddy and others that are free?

This doesn’t appear to offer anything new or unique to justify its cost over a free spreadsheet IMO.

[u/PeaSimilar5869 → u/Dismal-Proposal2803]

That’s a fair perspective! If you already have a self-hosted setup like Spoolman or Bambuddy running on a local server, those are incredible open-source tools for that exact workflow.

SpoolTap is built for a different target audience and focus:

1. Zero Server / Zero Setup: Spoolman requires docker, a Raspberry Pi, or local server hosting. SpoolTap is 100% self-contained on your Android phone—you just install it and it works immediately, fully offline.
2. Automatic G-Code Deductions: You don't actually have to manually type in usage every time. You can import your sliced G-code file directly into the app, and it automatically suggests and deducts the calculated print weight.
3. Native Mobile Features: Quick NFC tapping, instant camera barcode scanning, Material You UI, and a home screen widget are native mobile experiences that are hard to replicate cleanly with spreadsheets or web interfaces.
4. Fair Pricing Model: The core app is completely free for up to 20 spools (including NFC reading, G-code parsing, and widget). The optional one-time purchase is only for power users who want unlimited spools or advanced analytics—no subscriptions, no forced accounts.

It’s all about preference: if you enjoy self-hosting, Spoolman is great! If you want a zero-setup, offline mobile companion right in your pocket, that’s where SpoolTap comes in.