Help: frequently asked questions

Yes. The QR code generated here is free and lasts indefinitely: the content is stored in the code itself, with no monthly fee and no scan limit. The 9 types, the colors, the shapes, and the PNG and SVG downloads are free too, no catch.

No. A static (fixed) QR code stores its content in the pattern itself, so it has no expiration date. The “free” QR codes that stop working on other sites are dynamic: they go through a provider's link, which gets switched off when the free trial ends. Just remember that if your QR code leads to a website, that website has to stay online.

A static QR code doesn't. It doesn't go through our server: the phone reads the content straight from the code, whether the site is up or not. The exception is the App store QR code, the only type that goes through our server to send each phone to the right store.

No. You pick the type, fill it in, customize it, and download it, with no account and no email. The free account (just sign in with Google) is only asked for when you want to add your logo to the QR code and, soon, for trackable QR codes.

Yes. Commercial use is allowed: packaging, labels, menus, flyers, signs, or ads, with nothing to pay and no permission to ask for. The technology itself is free: Denso Wave, the Japanese company that invented the QR code in 1994, released it for royalty-free use.

No. Make as many QR codes as you like, and each one can be scanned as many times as needed, by as many people as needed. Since a static QR code doesn't go through any server, there's no counter to hit a limit and no quota to run out.

Pick the type (link, WhatsApp, Wi-Fi, and others), fill in the fields, and your QR code is ready instantly. If you want, change the colors and shapes, check the scan test, and download it as PNG or SVG. Everything works in your phone or computer browser, with no app to install. The detailed step-by-step is in how the generator works.

Yes, and it's free: pick any color by hex code (like #1B5E20) for the dots and for the background. The golden rule is contrast, with dark dots on a light background. An inverted QR code (light on dark) works on newer phones but may fail on older readers, and similar colors, like yellow on white, make scanning harder.

Yes. You can change the shape of the dots and of the corners, those three big squares the phone uses to find the code. After changing them, check the scan test, because a very bold shape can make the QR code harder to scan.

Yes. Turn on the transparent background and place the QR code right on top of your artwork. Just make sure what's behind it is light and plain, with no texture, and leave a clear margin around the code.

It's an automatic check: the site tries to scan the QR code you just created and warns you if it might fail, for example because of low contrast. It helps a lot, but it doesn't replace the final test with a phone, at the size and on the material where the QR code will be printed.

Yes, with the free account: sign in with Google, open Customize, and choose the logo and its size. The logo is processed only on your device, never uploaded or stored, and the site automatically turns on the strongest error correction and tests the scan. Colors, shapes, and transparent background work without signing up. One rule that applies to any QR code with a logo: it should take up no more than about 20% to 25% of the area, with error correction at level H.

Not with a static QR code: the content is stored in the pattern itself, so to change it you have to generate another one. Changing the destination of an already printed QR code is what dynamic QR codes do, and they're coming with Pro. A tip for link QR codes: point to an address you update yourself, like your menu page, and the printed QR code stays valid.

PNG is a regular image, good for screens, social media, documents, and everyday printing, and here you choose the size from 200 to 4,000 px. SVG is a vector: it scales up without losing quality and is what print shops usually ask for with banners, signs, and packaging. When in doubt, download both.

For quality printing (300 dpi), every 1,000 px comes out to about 3.3 in (8.5 cm). Quick math: inches × 300 = pixels, or centimeters × 118 = pixels. A 2-inch (5 cm) QR code needs about 600 px. The 4,000 px maximum gives about 13 in (34 cm); to print bigger, use the SVG.

About 0.8 × 0.8 in (2 × 2 cm), for scanning up close, like on a business card. For longer distances, use the ÷10 rule: the side of the QR code is roughly the scanning distance divided by 10 (scanned from 1 m (3 ft), about 10 cm (4 in); from 3 m (10 ft), about 30 cm (12 in)). A QR code with a lot of content has more little squares and needs a bit more room.

Yes. A QR code needs a clear margin around it, the “quiet zone,” 4 modules wide (4 of the code's own little squares). Text, a border, or an image touching the QR code is a classic way to make it stop scanning.

Yes: paper, stickers, fabric, acrylic, wood, T-shirts. What matters is contrast, enough size, and a surface without strong glare or too much curve. Print a proof and test it with your phone before running the whole batch.

The usual suspects are low contrast, inverted colors (light on dark), a cut-off margin, a size too small for the distance, and a blurry print. Check the content too: a link with a typo makes a perfect QR code that leads to the wrong place. The generator's scan test warns you when the QR code might fail, before you print.

Point your phone camera at the QR code on screen and see whether it opens the right destination. Then print a proof at actual size and test again, from the distance people will scan it, ideally with both an iPhone and an Android. Only then send it to the print shop.

On an iPhone, the camera has scanned QR codes since iOS 11, from 2017: just point it and tap the notification that appears. On Android, use the camera or Google Lens, which come on most recent phones. If it still won't scan, clean the lens, move the phone back a little, and find more light.

Often, yes, thanks to error correction. Depending on the level (L, M, Q, or H), the QR code still scans with about 7%, 15%, 25%, or 30% of the code damaged. A small scratch is fine, but damage over one of the three corner squares usually stops it from scanning.

Nine, all free: Link, App store, WhatsApp, Contact, Wi-Fi, Location, Event, Email, and Phone. Each has its own page, with the right fields for that use. For inspiration, see these QR code use ideas.

Whoever scans the WhatsApp QR code lands directly in a chat with your number, with the message you set up: all they have to do is tap send. They don't even need to save your contact first. The generator even has an emoji picker with search, so the message comes out your way.

Yes: iPhones with iOS 11 or newer and Androids with Android 10 or newer connect through the camera, without typing the password. Just avoid hidden networks, because the iPhone can't connect to them through a QR code. If you change your Wi-Fi password, generate a new Wi-Fi QR code, because the password is stored in the code.

It's one QR code for your app: on an iPhone, it opens the App Store; on an Android, Google Play; on a computer, a page with both stores. It's the only type that goes through our server, and the code carries only the app's ID and package name, never an arbitrary address. It works with apps published in the official stores: make yours in the App store QR code generator.

The contact QR code uses the vCard format: whoever scans it taps “Add to contacts” and saves name, mobile number, email, company, job title, website, and address all at once. It's the business card nobody loses in a drawer.

With a static QR code, the content is stored in the code itself: it doesn't expire, doesn't depend on anyone, and doesn't change after printing. With a dynamic one, the QR code leads to a short link that redirects to the destination, so you can change the destination and count scans, but it only works as long as the service is up. Here, static is free forever and dynamic is coming with Pro.

Pro is the plan that's coming for people who need more: dynamic QR codes (change the destination after printing), a scan counter with stats (how many, when, city, iPhone or Android), a custom short link, saved QR codes and logos, no ads, bulk generation, ready-made pages like a digital menu, and priority support. The static QR code stays free forever. To be notified when it opens, join the Pro waitlist.

No. What's free today stays free: the 9 QR code types, colors, shapes, transparent background, scan test, and PNG and SVG downloads. Pro only adds new features for people who need more. The site is called QR Code Free Forever, and we take the name seriously.

The price hasn't been set yet. If you join the waitlist, you'll get a notice when Pro opens.

No. The QR code is generated in your browser: the link, the Wi-Fi password, or the contact details you type stay on your device and never reach our server. The only exception is the App store QR code, which goes through the server to send each phone to the right store. The details are in the privacy policy.

Only an anonymous count: the system (iPhone or Android), the approximate city, and the time of each scan. The IP address is not stored, and none of this identifies who scanned.

Generally, yes, but scams exist: “quishing” is a fake QR code sticker pasted over the original, in a parking lot, on a menu, or on a bill. Before opening, check the address that appears on screen; before paying through a QR code, check the name of the person receiving the money, which your banking app shows. If the QR code is yours and sits in a public place, take a look every now and then to make sure nobody has stuck another one on top.

Only the necessary ones: right now the site uses no advertising or tracking cookies. Only a few preferences stay in your browser (like the emojis you used last in the WhatsApp picker) and, if you have an account, the cookie that keeps you signed in. If the site ever starts showing Google ads, the cookie policy will be updated first, with everything explained.

Because they pay the bills and keep everything free, for everyone. The ads live on the site: the static QR code you download goes straight to its destination, without passing through us. And the Pro page has no ads.

If it's an App store QR code, which goes through our server, let us know through the contact page: we can deactivate it. Static QR codes don't go through us, so the report should go to the destination website, bank, or social network. If you lost money, call your bank right away and file a police report.

Through the contact page: questions, suggestions for a new QR code type, requests about your data, or problem reports all arrive there. We reply to the email address you give us.