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QR Code

The camera app can scan this. The Zebra app can scan this.

The QR Code was created in 1994 to track car parts quickly and is now the most familiar 2D code in the world. Three square finder patterns let any phone camera locate it instantly, and built-in error correction keeps it readable when partly damaged.

Also called Quick Response Code, QR, QR barcode.

In this family

Specifications

Standard	ISO/IEC 18004
Character set	Numeric, alphanumeric, byte (8-bit/UTF-8), Kanji; ECI
Capacity	Up to 7089 digits, 4296 alphanumeric, 2953 bytes or 1817 Kanji (version 40-L)
Error correction	Reed-Solomon error correction, levels L (~7%), M (~15%), Q (~25%), H (~30%)
Dimension	2D matrix
Origin	Invented by Masahiro Hara at Denso Wave (Japan) in 1994

Where it is used

Marketing, payments, URLs, menus, tickets, Wi-Fi sharing, automotive (origin), manufacturing

Menus, tickets, and printed links use it because a phone can find the three corner patterns quickly.

The camera app returns the raw text. It does not open a website, join a Wi-Fi network, or start a payment. The Zebra app can scan this too.

Example

Hello world!

Scan and create

Create this code Camera app Zebra app

Create this code opens the barcode generator with this symbology and the sample text filled in.

The camera app can scan this. It returns the raw text. It does not open links, look up products, or start a payment. The desktop companion types that text into the focused field.

The Zebra app can scan this. It returns the raw text.

Model 1 and Model 2

Model 2 is the QR Code people scan every day. The camera app can scan Model 2. This page does not say the camera app can scan Model 1. The Zebra app can scan this QR Code. It does not have a separate choice for Model 1.

QR Code Model 1

Model 1 is the first version of the QR Code and supports only smaller symbol sizes. It lacks the alignment patterns of Model 2, so it copes worse with distortion and is rarely generated today.

Character set: Numeric, alphanumeric, byte, Kanji

Standard: AIM ITS/97-001 (historic); ISO/IEC 18004:2000 (Model 1 annex)

Example: Hello world!

QR Code Model 2

Model 2 is the QR Code you scan every day. It added alignment patterns that help readers correct for curved or tilted surfaces and supports 40 symbol versions, up to 177 by 177 modules.

Character set: Numeric, alphanumeric, byte, Kanji; ECI

Standard: ISO/IEC 18004 (2005/2015 editions)

Example: Hello world!

Denso Wave; Model 2 added alignment patterns; ISO certified 2000

Related codes

Questions

How much data can a QR code hold?

A QR Code has 40 versions. The largest, at the lowest error-correction level, can hold 7089 digits, 4296 letters and digits, 2953 bytes, or 1817 Kanji characters. Smaller versions hold less. The camera app returns the text. It does not tell you the version.

What do QR error correction levels L, M, Q and H mean?

L, M, Q, and H are error-correction levels. L can restore about 7 percent of a damaged symbol, M about 15 percent, Q about 25 percent, and H about 30 percent. A higher level survives more damage and fits less data. The camera app returns the text when the symbol is readable. It does not tell you the level.

How do I scan a QR code safely?

The camera app can scan this. The Zebra app can scan this. Both return the raw text. The app does not open a website, join a Wi-Fi network, or start a payment. If that text is then typed into a browser address bar, the browser may open it. Read the text first.