The ADATA Urban Tapsafe is worth considering only if NFC unlocking, physical attachment, and controlled file sharing matter more to you than encryption or sustained performance. It is a clever 20 Gbps portable SSD, but its NFC system controls access to the drive rather than encrypting the files stored on it. Add a premium US price and a steep drop during long writes, and this becomes a specialized purchase—not a universal upgrade.
The short verdict: convenience, not encryption
ADATA offers the Urban Tapsafe in 1TB and 2TB capacities. Its USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 interface supports a 20 Gbps connection, and the drive is rated for sequential read and write speeds of up to 1,900 MB/s.
That headline number is real in the right conditions. Short sequential testing reached 1,985.39 MB/s read and 1,904.20 MB/s write after the tested 2TB unit was securely erased and reformatted. But application-style performance was less impressive: the drive scored 936 points in a PCMark 10 data-drive comparison, and its sustained-write speed fell dramatically once its cache filled.
So the buying rule is simple: buy the Urban Tapsafe for its access workflow, not because it is the fastest or safest SSD in its class.
What makes the Urban Tapsafe different
The drive locks when disconnected. While locked, it remains unrecognized by the host computer until you unlock it through the Urban Tapsafe app and tap a compatible Android or iOS phone against the NFC area.
That approach is more convenient than entering a password every time you reconnect the drive—assuming your phone is nearby and the tap lands in the right spot. A red LED indicates the locked state; blue indicates that the drive is unlocked.
The app also supports controlled sharing. You can authorize up to nine additional users, assigning each person read-only or read/write permission. Shared users need the app and physical access to the drive, so this is useful for handing storage between collaborators, family members, or devices—not for creating a remote cloud-style file share.
The hardware has a metal clip with silicone grip pads and interchangeable magnetic decorative covers. The clip is integrated into the chassis, while the package included an additional gradient-colored cover. That combination gives the Urban Tapsafe more personality and practical attachment options than a plain rectangular portable SSD.
How the phone-unlock workflow works
Setup involves adding the drive in the app, creating a password, connecting the SSD, and tapping the phone to the drive. Once access is granted, the host can see the storage normally. Disconnect it, and the drive returns to its locked state.
The workflow is especially appealing if you move files between a laptop, phone, tablet, console, or camera and want one physical drive with simple access management. The catch is equally clear: the phone is part of the access routine, and the drive must be physically present.
The app also includes QR-based sharing controls for adding users and choosing normal or read-only access. That is the product's strongest original idea. It turns a portable SSD into a small, permission-controlled handoff tool without requiring special software on the host computer after the drive has been unlocked.
Security: access control is not file encryption
Is the ADATA Urban Tapsafe encrypted? No. Its NFC mechanism controls whether the drive is visible over USB, but the stored files are not encrypted or decrypted during unlocking. That makes the feature useful for casual access control, not a replacement for an SSD with hardware or software encryption.
This distinction matters. If the drive contains ordinary work files and you want to stop someone from casually opening it after it is unplugged, the NFC lock adds a useful barrier. If the drive holds sensitive information that requires cryptographic protection, choose storage with an encryption feature designed for that purpose instead.
The Urban Tapsafe's lock should therefore be understood as a visibility and access mechanism. Do not read “tap to unlock” as “the data is encrypted.” Those are very different claims.
Performance in short bursts and long transfers
The Urban Tapsafe can reach its rated speed during short sequential transfers when connected to a compatible USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 port. The independent CrystalDiskMark results were close to, and slightly above, ADATA's 1,900 MB/s rating:
- Read: 1,985.39 MB/s
- Write: 1,904.20 MB/s
Other results were similarly close to the advertised ceiling, including 1,974.63 MB/s read and 1,895.34 MB/s write. These are burst-style sequential figures, not a promise that every workload will run at 1,900 MB/s.
Long transfers tell a different story. In a 15-minute sustained-write test, performance stayed around 1,800–1,900 MB/s for roughly five minutes. It then dropped to about 250 MB/s and later fell below 70 MB/s. That behavior makes the drive a good fit for short transfers, game libraries, routine backups, and mainstream creator work. It is a weaker choice for repeated, large writes such as long video exports or huge disk images.
A separate application-style result reinforces the point: the 2TB Urban Tapsafe scored 936 points in the PCMark 10 data-drive chart, while its DiskBench read result was 897 MB/s. Its write result was stronger than its read result in that comparison, but the drive was not a class leader overall.
Price, alternatives, and the buying decision
US listing snapshots put the 1TB ADATA Urban Tapsafe at $219.99 and the 2TB model at $391.99 in ADATA's US store. A separate 1TB listing was shown at $229.99. These are time-sensitive retail prices, not permanent pricing guarantees.
At the 2TB capacity, the premium is significant compared with other 20 Gbps drives:
| Drive | Interface class | 2TB price snapshot | Performance context |
| ADATA Urban Tapsafe 2TB | USB 3.2 Gen 2x2, 20 Gbps | $411 | Strong short bursts; sustained write falls to about 250 MB/s and later below 70 MB/s |
| Crucial X10 2TB | USB 3.2 Gen 2x2, 20 Gbps | $368 | Rated better than the Urban Tapsafe in sustained testing |
| Team Group PD20 2TB | USB 3.2 Gen 2x2, 20 Gbps | $235 | The Urban Tapsafe performed better in sustained-write testing |
The table makes the trade-off plain. The Crucial X10 and Team Group PD20 offer a more conventional value proposition, while the Urban Tapsafe charges for its NFC workflow, integrated clip, magnetic covers, and multi-user permissions.
Who should buy the ADATA Urban Tapsafe?
Choose it if you regularly share one physical drive, want phone-based unlocking, or value the integrated clip and compact workflow enough to pay extra. The nine-user permission system is genuinely useful for controlled handoffs.
Skip it if your priority is encrypted storage, the best sustained performance per dollar, or a simple high-capacity drive with no app-dependent access routine. The Urban Tapsafe's premium is difficult to justify on speed alone.
The bottom line: ADATA Urban Tapsafe is an inventive access-control SSD, not an encrypted security drive. Its NFC convenience and sharing tools are distinctive, but the sustained-write drop and high US price narrow its audience to buyers who specifically want that workflow.
