How to make a location QR code
- Type the latitude and longitude, or tap Use my current location (your browser asks first, and the location stays on this device).
- Tap Check on a map to make sure the pin is in the right place.
- Download PNG or SVG.
- Scan it with the kind of phone your visitors will use.
Good uses
- Event venues, wedding invitations and meeting points
- Car parks, entrances and delivery drop-off points
- Walking routes, geocaching and field sites
- Holiday lets: "the key safe is here"
What goes in the code
geo:51.500700,-0.124600A standard geo: link with the latitude and longitude to six decimal places (about 10 cm). To find a place's coordinates, long-press it in a maps app and copy the numbers.
Good to know
- Android phones open geo: codes in their maps app. Support on iPhone is patchier, and some scanners just show the numbers. If most people will scan with an iPhone, make a Link code with a map link instead: Check on a map gives you one.
- Latitude runs from -90 to 90 and longitude from -180 to 180; numbers outside that don't make a code.
Static codes: no expiry, no tracking
Codes made here are static: the place's latitude and longitude are written into the code itself, not kept on a server. So the code never expires, works without an account or subscription, and nobody, Yuzool included, sees who scans it or when.
The trade-off is that a static code can't be edited after it's printed: make a new one instead. Dynamic codes from other services point to a short link they control, so they can count scans and change the destination, but they stop working if the service or your subscription ends.
Printing, size and error correction
- Size: at least 2 cm (about 0.8 in) square for anything held in the hand. For posters and windows, make it about a tenth of the scanning distance: 20 cm across to scan from 2 m away.
- Contrast and border: a dark code on a light background, with the plain border (the quiet zone) kept clear of text and pictures. The app warns you about low contrast and light-on-dark codes.
- Error correction (in Style and size) lets a code still scan when part of it is dirty, scratched or covered: Low recovers about 7%, Medium 15% (the default), Quartile 25% and High 30%. Higher levels make the code denser, so keep Low or Medium for small prints with a lot in them, and choose Quartile or High for stickers, outdoor signs and things that get handled.
- File: SVG stays sharp at any size, so use it for print. PNG (up to 2048 pixels) suits screens, documents and slides.
- Test with two different phones before you print a batch.
Questions
How do I find the coordinates of a place?
In most maps apps, long-press the spot and the latitude and longitude appear, ready to copy. Or stand there and tap Use my current location.
Does a location QR code work on iPhone?
Android opens it in maps. On iPhone, support for geo: codes is limited, so for iPhone users a Link code with a map link is the safest choice.
Is my location shared with anyone?
No. If you use your current location, it is read by your browser on this device and only goes into the code you make.