QR code questions, answered

Yes. Every code type, design option and download size is free, with no sign-up and no trial, and the codes you make keep working for good.

The static codes made here never expire, because everything they hold is written into the pattern itself. Codes from paid dynamic services can stop working if the subscription ends. Our guide on whether QR codes expire explains the difference.

No. A static code's content is fixed once it's made. If you point a website QR code at a page you control, you can change that page whenever you like and the printed code keeps working.

A static code holds your content directly, so it works forever but can't be changed. A dynamic code holds a short link to a service that redirects to your content, which lets you edit it and count scans, as long as you keep paying for the service. See static vs dynamic QR codes.

Not with codes made here. Scan tracking needs a dynamic code that sends every scan through a redirect server, and these codes go straight to your content with nothing in between. If your code opens a website, add campaign tags to the link and your own analytics will show the visits.

Open the Camera app, point it at the code and tap the banner that appears. This works on any iPhone running iOS 11 or later, and there's also a Code Scanner you can add to Control Center. Full steps are in how to scan a QR code on iPhone.

On most recent Android phones, open the camera, point it at the code and tap the link that pops up. If nothing happens, use Google Lens or the QR scanner in Quick Settings. See how to scan a QR code on Android.

About 2 cm (0.8 in) square is the practical minimum for something held in the hand, like a business card. For anything farther away, allow roughly 1 cm of width for every 10 cm of scanning distance. The size and printing guide has a full table.

SVG for print, because it scales to any size without going blurry. PNG for websites, slides and documents, at 1024 or 2048 px if it will be shown large. Our file formats guide covers when to use each.

Yes. Upload a PNG, JPG, SVG or WebP up to 2 MB and adjust its size with the slider. Adding a logo switches the code to high error correction so it still scans with the center covered, and custom QR code design explains how to test it before printing.

You can set the pattern, corner and background colors, or make the background transparent. Keep the pattern darker than the background, since some phones struggle with inverted light-on-dark codes, and the generator warns you when contrast is too low.

Enter your network name, password and security type in the WiFi QR code generator. Anyone who scans it can join without typing the password. The network name is case-sensitive, so copy it exactly.

Yes. A contact card QR code holds your name, phone numbers, email, company, job title, website and address, and the phone offers to save them as a new contact.

Yes. Use them on packaging, menus, signs, ads, business cards and anything else you sell or print. No fee, no sign-up.

Yes. Codes are made in your browser, so the text, links, WiFi passwords and logos you enter are never uploaded to our servers.

The usual causes are a code printed too small, low contrast, light-on-dark colors, a missing blank margin around the edge, or a glossy surface catching the light. A typo in the link or WiFi details can also make it scan but fail. The size and printing guide walks through each fix.

The largest QR code holds up to 2,953 bytes of text, or 7,089 digits, at the lowest error correction, but a code that full is too dense to scan reliably in print. Keep content short, since a short web address makes a simpler pattern that scans faster. More in what is a QR code.

A QR code can only open what it holds, so the risk is where it sends you. Check the address your phone shows before you open it, and be wary of stickers placed over codes in public. Our guide on QR code safety has more.