How to make an SMS QR code
- Type the phone number the message should go to, ideally in international format (+44 …).
- Type the message to fill in, such as a keyword or "Please call me back".
- Download PNG or SVG.
- Scan it with a phone to check the message app opens with your number and text.
Good uses
- Text-to-join lists and competitions with a keyword
- Taxi, delivery and tradesperson call-back requests
- Feedback at events and in shops
- Booking requests for small businesses
What goes in the code
SMSTO:+447700900123:Please call me backThe widely used SMSTO format: the number, then the message. iPhone and Android cameras open the Messages app with both filled in.
Good to know
- The message is not sent automatically: the person scanning presses Send, and their usual text rates apply.
- Use the full international number so the code works for visitors from abroad.
Static codes: no expiry, no tracking
Codes made here are static: the number and message 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
Does scanning send the text automatically?
No. It opens the messages app with the number and text filled in, and the person decides whether to send it.
Does it work on iPhone?
Yes. The iPhone camera reads SMS codes and opens Messages. Android phones do the same with their messages app.
Can I use it for WhatsApp?
Not this type: it opens normal text messages. For WhatsApp, make a Link code with a wa.me link to your number.