Runs in your browser: nothing you enter or choose is uploaded.

This free QR code generator turns a web link, plain text, an email, a phone number, a text message or a contact card into a QR code that iPhone and Android cameras can scan. Download it as a PNG for screens or an SVG for print, or print it straight from the page.

The code is made in your browser. Nothing you type is uploaded, there is no sign-up, and the codes point straight at your content, so they never expire.

How to use the QR code generator

Under What should the code do?, pick a type: Link, Text, Email, Phone, Text message or Contact card.
Fill in the boxes for that type. For a link you can leave out https://: the tool adds it.
Optional: open Size and error correction. Choose Large if you will print the code, and a higher error correction level if it may get scuffed or dirty.
Select Make QR code. The code appears with the exact text it contains, so you can check it.
Scan the code with your own phone to test it.
Select Download PNG, Download SVG or Print.

Want guests to join your Wi-Fi without typing the password? Use our Wi-Fi QR code generator instead. It builds the special Wi-Fi format and prints a guest card.

Which type of QR code should you choose?

A QR code only stores text. What happens when someone scans it depends on how that text starts. Each type in the tool writes a format that phone cameras recognize:

Type	What the code holds	What the phone offers to do	Good for
Link	`https://example.com/menu`	Open the page in the browser	Menus, sign-up forms, reviews, product pages
Text	The words you typed	Show or copy the text	Short notes, serial numbers, instructions
Email	`mailto:` with an address, subject and message	Open a new email, ready to send	Feedback, support requests, RSVPs
Phone	`tel:` and the number	Start a call	Flyers, vehicle signs, business cards
Text message	`SMSTO:`, the number and a message	Open a new text message	Sign-ups by text, quick replies
Contact card	A vCard with name, phone, email, company and website	Add a new contact	Business cards, name badges, event booths

If you are not sure, choose Link. A link to a web page is the most widely supported type, and you can change what the page says later without reprinting the code. The other types are handy, but the person scanning still has to tap to send the email, start the call or save the contact.

Write phone numbers with the country code, such as +1 for the US, if anyone abroad might scan the code. The tool removes spaces, dashes and brackets from numbers so every phone reads them the same way.

Error correction and size

QR codes carry spare data so they still scan when part of the code is dirty, torn or covered. That spare data is the error correction level:

L (low) makes the smallest, simplest code. Use it for long text that would otherwise be too dense.
M (medium) is the default and suits most uses.
Q (quartile) and H (high) survive more damage, which helps outdoors or on things that get handled a lot. They make the pattern denser.

The tool may raise the level for you when it can do so without making the code any bigger. The more text you put in, the denser the pattern gets. If the tool warns that the code is dense or too long, shorten the text or point the code at a web page that holds the details.

The Image size option sets the pixel size of the PNG. For print, choose Large, or download the SVG: it is a vector file, so it stays sharp at any size in Word, Canva, Illustrator or a print shop’s software.

Printing tips: size, contrast and placement

Keep the white border. QR codes need a blank margin, called the quiet zone, that is four modules (four of the small squares) wide on every side. The downloads include it. Don’t crop it off or put text right up against the code.
Keep strong contrast. This tool draws black on white. If you recolor the code, keep it dark on a light background.
Don’t stretch it. Resize the code evenly so the squares stay square.
Size it for the distance. A code on a poster across the room needs to be far bigger than one on a business card. Print a test copy and scan it from where people will actually stand.
Avoid glare. Matte paper scans more easily than glossy paper or a laminated sheet under bright lights.
Say what it does. A short line such as “Scan for the menu” next to the code tells people what to expect and makes it easier to spot a fake sticker over it.

QR code scams (quishing): what to watch for

Because people can’t read a QR code by eye, scammers use them to hide bad links. This is sometimes called quishing. The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) warns that scammers stick their own codes over the real ones on parking meters and send codes by text and email with an invented reason to scan, such as a missed delivery, a problem with your account or suspicious activity.

The FTC’s advice, in short:

Before you open a scanned link, look at the web address for misspellings or switched letters.
Don’t scan codes in unexpected emails or texts, especially when they push you to act right away.
If a code says it is from a company you deal with, contact the company using a phone number or website you know is real.
Keep your phone updated, and protect your accounts with strong passwords and multi-factor authentication.
If you think you scanned a bad code, report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. If you typed a password into the page, change it right away and watch your bank and card statements.

Making codes for your own business? Check them now and then. A sticker over your real code is easy to miss, and your customers can’t tell the difference.

Our guides to stopping spam texts and avoiding holiday shopping scams cover more of the tricks that arrive by message. For everything else, see the security hub.

How to scan a QR code on iPhone and Android

iPhone and iPad

Apple says to open the Camera app from the Home Screen, Lock Screen or Control Center, hold the device so the code is in view, then tap the link that appears. You can also tap the Scan Code button in Control Center. If it isn’t there, touch and hold the Control Center background, tap Add a Control, and choose Scan Code.

Android phones

Google says you need Android 9 or later to scan QR codes with the built-in camera: open the camera app, point it at the code and tap the banner that appears. On a Pixel, Google’s help adds that you can turn on camera scan suggestions in the Camera settings, use the Scan QR code tile in Quick Settings, or use Google Lens.

On a Samsung Galaxy, point the Camera app at the code. If nothing happens, check that QR code scanning is turned on in the Camera app’s settings. More phone guides are on our Android hub and iPhone hub.

If it doesn’t work

Problem	Likely cause	Fix
The phone doesn’t react	Too close, blurry, too dark, or scanning is off in the camera	Move back and closer slowly, add light, and check the camera’s QR setting
The tool says the code is too long	More text than a QR code can hold	Shorten it, choose error correction L, or put the details on a web page and link to it
The link opens the wrong page	A typo in the address	Compare the text shown under the code with the real address and make it again
The printed code won’t scan	Printed too small, cropped border, glossy paper or low contrast	Print it larger in black on white matte paper, with the white border
The contact saves without a last name	One-word name entered	Type first and last name; the last word becomes the last name

Putting a code into a document on Windows 11 or a Mac? Download the SVG and insert it like any picture. Word, PowerPoint, Google Docs and most design apps accept PNG files too. If an app refuses the SVG, use the PNG at the Large size.

Privacy and how long the codes last

Everything happens on your device: the code is drawn by a script in your browser, and nothing you type is sent to Being Tricky or anyone else. The tool only counts, anonymously, that someone used it.

Some QR services make “dynamic” codes that send every scan through their own short link first. That lets them count scans or change the destination, but the code stops working if the service shuts down or your subscription ends. Codes from this tool are static: they hold your link or text directly, so they keep working for as long as the content they point to exists. To change where a printed code goes, make the link point to a page you control and update that page.

Limitations

There are no scan counts. That is the price of codes that don’t pass through a tracking service.
You can’t edit a code after you print it. Make a new one, or point the code at a page you can update.
Logos in the middle and custom colors aren’t offered. Covering part of a code relies on error correction, so test any edited code before you print it.
Very old phones may need a separate scanner app.

Related free tool: our link safety checker.

FAQ

Is this QR code generator really free?

Yes. There is no sign-up, no watermark and no limit on how many codes you make, and the codes never expire.

Do these QR codes expire?

No. They hold your link or text directly, without a redirect, so they work for as long as the page or details they point to stay the same.

Should I download PNG or SVG?

Use PNG for websites, slides and messages. Use SVG for print, because it stays sharp at any size.

Can I make a QR code for my Wi-Fi?

Yes, with our separate Wi-Fi QR code generator. It writes the special Wi-Fi format that lets phones join without typing the password.

Is it safe to scan QR codes?

Scanning itself only reads the text. The risk is the link inside. Check the address your phone shows before you open it, and be wary of codes in unexpected messages or stuck over other codes.

Free QR Code Generator (Link, Text, Contact Card and More)