Text QR code generator

How to make a text QR code

1. Type or paste your message into the box. Line breaks are kept.
2. Read it back and cut anything that isn't pulling its weight. Shorter text makes a simpler code.
3. Choose your colors and style, then download.
4. Scan it with an iPhone and an Android phone to see how each one shows the message.

What people see when they scan it

The phone reads the text straight out of the pattern. There's nothing to load, so it works in a basement, on a plane or in a field with no bars. What happens next depends on the scanner. Many camera apps show the text in a small banner or preview card, and some offer to search the web for it. Google Lens and dedicated scanner apps usually show the whole message with a copy button.

Because some previews show only the first line or two, put the important part first. Lead with the instruction or the answer, then add detail below it.

Keep it short

A QR code can technically hold a few thousand characters, but a code that full is a dense grey blur that only scans up close with a steady hand. For a code people can scan comfortably at a normal printed size, stay under a few hundred characters. A message the length of a text to a friend is a good target.

Any language works, and so do emoji. Characters beyond basic English letters take more room, though. An accented letter, a Chinese or Arabic character or an emoji uses two to four times the space of a plain letter, so the code fills up faster.

If your message keeps growing past a short paragraph, put it on a web page and make a website QR code instead. The code stays simple and you can edit the page later.

Good uses for text codes

• Instructions on shared equipment: how to reset the printer, which breaker runs the kitchen
• Serial numbers, asset tags and maintenance notes on tools and machines
• Scavenger hunt clues, where the next hint appears only when someone finds the code
• A short note tucked into a gift, a card or an invitation
• Classroom activities, where students scan to reveal an answer or a prompt

What a text code can't do

The text is fixed once printed. You can't update it, see who scanned it or hide it from anyone with a camera. Treat a text code like a sticky note anyone can read: fine for instructions and clues, wrong for alarm codes, account passwords or anything private. For sharing a network, the WiFi generator is built for the job.

Type your message above and scan it on your own phone. If the first line doesn't make sense on its own, rewrite it until it does.