How to Use QR Codes

Understanding QR Codes

Why Use QR Codes?

Let's say someone says "hey jump on your phone and go to google would you". You will say no prob and whip out your mobile, load a web browser and type in the address "google.com" and be done in a few seconds.

Now let's say someone says "hey jump on your phone and go to https://www.mysqlbot.com/qrfest/index.php" and it's "err how did you spell that last bit again?" not to mention it's going to take a while to type.

This is a basic example of why we use a QR (Quick Response) code. Now imagine you are sharing an even longer link with product information in it too. Sure a QR is still handy to jump to google or to enable others to jump straight to your own or your company's website - but it comes into its own when an address is far too long to manually type.

How to Read QR Codes

Reading QR codes is easier than ever! Most modern smartphones have built-in QR code scanning, and if not, you can use our free online scanner.

Modern Phones (Easiest Method)

iPhone (iOS 11+) and most Android phones (2017+) have QR code scanning built into the camera app:

  1. Open your phone's Camera app (no need to download anything!)
  2. Point the camera at the QR code
  3. A notification will appear at the top of your screen
  4. Tap the notification to open the link

That's it! No app installation needed.

Use My Online QR Scanner

Don't have a phone handy? You can use my free QR Scanner tool on this website:

  • Upload an image containing a QR code, or
  • Use your computer's webcam to scan directly

Open QR Scanner

Older Phones (App Store Method)

If you have an older phone without built-in scanning, you can download a free QR reader app:

  1. Open your phone's app store
  2. Search for "QR code Reader"
  3. Pick a highly-rated free app
  4. Install and open the app to scan QR codes
How to Create QR Codes

Now you are able to read QR codes others make, let's make some QR codes you can share for others to use too.

We create QR codes using "QR code Generators". Below is the QR code generator I provide free to use that is secure and with no adverts.

Create Your QR Code

Quick guide:
  1. Enter a website URL, text, or any data you want to encode
  2. Optionally upload an image to embed in the center of your QR code
  3. Click "Generate QR Code" to create your custom QR code
  4. Download, scan, or share the generated QR code
0/2000 characters
Upload an image to embed in the center of your QR code (PNG, JPG, GIF, WebP - max 5MB)

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