A text message QR code opens the messaging app on someone's phone with your number and a short message already filled in. They scan, check the message, and tap Send. It is a quick way to collect quote requests, sign-ups, feedback or RSVPs from a flyer, a sign or a table card, without asking anyone to type your number or think of what to write.
This guide shows how to make a scan-to-text QR code for free with QR Studio, which format to use, how to keep the code easy to scan, and how to test it before you print.
How a text message QR code works
A QR code just stores text. For a text message code, that text follows a simple pattern that phone scanners recognize. The most widely recognized one looks like this:
SMSTO:+12025550143:Hi! I would like a free quote.
It has three parts separated by colons:
- SMSTO tells the scanner this is a text message.
- The phone number that will receive the text, in international format.
- The message that appears in the text box, ready to send.
When a phone scans it, the camera app offers to open Messages. Nothing is sent automatically. The person sees the number and the message, can edit it, and decides whether to tap Send. Normal messaging rates from their phone plan apply, just like any other text.
Step by step: make a text message QR code with QR Studio
- Open the QR code generator and choose the Text tab.
- Type the SMSTO line:
SMSTO:, your number with a plus sign and country code, a colon, then your message. For example: SMSTO:+12025550143:Hi! I would like a free quote. - Check the preview. The line under the code shows the exact text that was encoded and how many characters it has.
- Adjust the size and colors if you like, keeping a dark code on a light background.
- Download the PNG and test it on an iPhone and an Android phone before printing.
Use the Text tab, not the URL tab. The URL tab adds https:// in front of anything that does not start with http or mailto:, which would turn your text message into a broken web link.
Write the number in international format
As with a phone number QR code, the safest format is a plus sign, the country code, then the full number, with no spaces, brackets or dashes.
| Number as printed | What goes in the code |
|---|
| (202) 555-0143, U.S. | +12025550143 |
| (305) 555-0172, U.S. | +13055550172 |
| 07700 900123, U.K. mobile | +447700900123 (drop the leading 0) |
Make sure the number can actually receive texts. Many landlines and some business phone lines cannot, so test with a real message before you print.
Short codes for sign-ups
If you use a texting service with a short code (the short numbers, usually five or six digits in the U.S., used for "Text JOIN to..." campaigns), put the short code in place of the phone number, with no plus sign:
SMSTO:12345:JOIN (example short code)
Short codes work only within the country they are registered in, so a visitor from abroad may not be able to use them. If you run a marketing text program, follow your provider's rules for consent and opt-out messages.
Keep the message short
Every character you add becomes part of the code. More characters mean the code needs a larger QR version, with more, smaller squares packed into the same printed size. Version 1 is a grid of 21 × 21 modules, and each version adds 4 modules per side, up to 177 × 177 for version 40. Smaller squares are harder to scan from a distance or on a crumpled flyer.
A few tips:
- Aim for one short sentence. "Hi! I would like a free quote." is plenty. People can add details after the app opens.
- Use a keyword when you need to know the source. For example,
Quote - Truck sign and Quote - Flyer tell you where each lead came from. - Skip line breaks and special symbols. Plain letters, numbers and basic punctuation are the most predictable across phones.
Our example code above is 49 characters, which still makes a small, easy-to-scan code.
The sms: link alternative
There is a second format based on a standard link scheme:
sms:+12025550143?body=Hi!%20I%20would%20like%20a%20free%20quote.
Spaces have to be written as %20, which makes it longer (64 characters for the same message) and easier to get wrong. It is useful on websites, where an sms: link can sit behind a "Text us" button. For a printed QR code, the SMSTO format is shorter and simpler. Whichever you choose, test it on both iPhone and Android, because scanner apps differ in how they handle each format.
Test before you print
- Scan with an iPhone and an Android phone using the built-in camera app.
- Check that Messages opens with the right number and the full message.
- Send a real test text and confirm it arrives on the right phone or texting service.
- Test the printed proof at its final size, from the distance people will scan it.
If the code does not scan, see why a QR code is not scanning for fixes like contrast, quiet zone and size.
Print it so it scans
- Size for the distance. A widely used guideline is about one tenth of the scanning distance. Our QR code size guide and QR code size for print have tables.
- Keep the quiet zone, the empty margin around the code. Do not crop it or crowd it with text.
- Use strong contrast, such as black on white. Avoid pale colors and busy backgrounds.
- Add a clear label like "Scan to text us for a quote", and print the number too for people who prefer to type it.
Good uses for a scan-to-text code
- Quote requests on vehicle signs, yard signs and door hangers for contractors and service businesses.
- Appointment requests on salon, clinic or studio windows.
- Feedback on restaurant table cards or receipts, with a message like "Feedback - Table 4".
- Event RSVPs on invitations or posters.
- Club or list sign-ups with a keyword for a texting service.
Text code vs other options
Privacy
A text message QR code contains your number and message in plain text. Anyone who scans or photographs it can see them, just like a number printed on a poster. For public signs, a business line or texting service is usually a better choice than a personal mobile number.
Frequently asked questions
Can a QR code send a text message automatically?
No. Scanning opens the messaging app with the number and message filled in, but the person must tap Send. Nothing is sent without their action.
What is the format for an SMS QR code?
The most widely recognized format is SMSTO:number:message, for example SMSTO:+12025550143:Hello. Type it into QR Studio's Text tab.
Why does my text QR code open a web page instead?
It was probably made in a URL field that added https:// in front. Make it again in the Text tab and check the encoded text under the preview.
Does a text message QR code expire?
No. A code made with QR Studio is static: the number and message are stored in the code itself, with no redirect. It works as long as the number can receive texts.
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