QR Code Making

SMS QR Code Generator

Open a text message to your number with the words already typed.

SMS QR Code Generator: the generator

Content

Design

Error correction

Recovers about 15% of damage. Higher levels make a denser code. Medium suits most prints.

128 to 2048. About 8.7 cm wide at 300 dpi. The SVG scales to any size.

An empty border helps scanners find the code. Keep Standard unless space is tight.

PNG, JPG, WebP, GIF or SVG, up to 4 MB. It stays in your browser. A simple, square logo works best.

Make a QR code that opens a text message addressed to your number, with your words already typed. It works well for sign-up keywords, appointment requests, polls and support lines: the person scans, checks the message and sends it.

How it works

The code stores an sms: link with the number and, if you want, the text: sms:+15550100199?body=Hello. The camera recognizes it and offers to open the messaging app with a new conversation to that number and the text in the message box.

Punctuation, accents and line breaks in the message are encoded so that they survive inside the link. A space becomes %20, and an exclamation mark becomes %21. The person sees the message exactly as you wrote it.

The number is cleaned the same way as in a phone code: the plus sign and the digits are kept and spaces or dashes are dropped. Write it with the country code so it works from abroad.

How to use it

  1. Type the phone number that should receive the text, with the country code.
  2. Type the message you want pre-filled, for example a keyword. This is optional.
  3. Choose colors and a size in Design, and add a logo if it helps people recognise the code.
  4. Download the code and scan it to check that your messaging app opens with the right number and text.

Example

A number and a one-line request, and the link stored in the code. The message is limited to 500 characters in the form.

Text message (SMS)

33 × 33 squares

What is typed in

Phone number
+1 555 010 0199
Message
Hi! Please send me the details.

What the code stores

sms:+15550100199?body=Hi%21%20Please%20send%20me%20the%20details.
QR code of the text message (sms) example. You can scan it with a phone.

Good to know

  • The message is limited to 500 characters. Long messages are split by the phone network into several texts, and a shorter message gives a smaller, easier code.
  • It opens a text message only. Pictures and attachments cannot be pre-filled.
  • The person must press Send, and their carrier's normal rates apply. A code cannot send a message without that tap.

Questions people ask

Does the message send itself?

No. The messaging app opens with your number and text ready, and the person decides whether to send it. Phones never send a message from a scan without a tap.

Can I leave the message empty?

Yes. The code then only opens a conversation with the number, with an empty message box. That is the smallest version of this code.

Does it work on both iPhone and Android?

Yes. The sms: link is a standard that the Camera app on iPhone and the camera or Google Lens on Android both understand. On a few phones a menu asks which messaging app to use.

How do I use it for a keyword sign-up?

Put the service's number in the number field and the keyword, such as JOIN, in the message. The person scans, sees JOIN ready to send to your number, and sends it. Your service then replies as it does to any text.

What is the difference from a WhatsApp code?

An SMS code uses the phone's own text messaging, which works with any mobile number and needs no app. A WhatsApp code opens a chat in WhatsApp, which both sides need to have installed.