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Phone number QR code generator

One scan starts a call to your number, with nobody typing the digits.

Include the country code. Scanning this starts a call rather than placing one, so nobody is dialled by accident.

Your QR code appears here

Start typing and it updates as you go.

PNG is 2048px. SVG scales to any size, which is what print wants.

Design
Colours

Or start from a pair that scans well:

Module shape

The empty border around the code. 4 is the standard.

Recovers about 15% damage. The usual choice.

Centre logo

Optional. Keep it simple - a mark reads better than a wordmark at this size.

What is actually in a phone number QR code

A phone QR code holds a tel: link and nothing else: the scheme, then the number with the spaces and brackets stripped out. The camera reads it, shows the number, and offers to call. Tapping that opens the dialler with the number already in it, or on some phones starts the call directly - but the tap always belongs to the person holding the phone. Scanning alone never places a call.

That is worth stating plainly on the sign, because people hesitate over a code that might ring somebody. "Scan to call us" tells them what will happen and what will not.

The other useful property is size. A phone number is about fifteen characters, which is the smallest payload of any QR type here. Fewer characters means fewer squares, and fewer squares means each one is bigger at the same printed size. A tel: code survives being printed small on a van door, photocopied onto a notice, or scanned from across a forecourt in a way that a long link simply does not.

The text inside the code

tel:+441134960123

Good for

  • A taxi rank sign
  • A trade counter window
  • A tow-away notice in a car park
  • A call-for-service sticker on a machine
  • An out-of-hours contact card
  • A property board outside a listing

Worth knowing before you print it

  • Extensions are handled, but not every phone dials them

    Type it the way you would say it - "+1 415 555 0123 ext 200", or "x200", or "#200" - and the extension is stored separately from the number rather than glued onto the end of it. Phones that understand the notation dial and then send the extension; the rest simply dial the main number, which still reaches a human. A direct line is better where you have one.

  • Start with the plus and the country code

    A number written in local format works for a local caller and fails for a visitor whose phone is on a foreign network. +441134960123 works from anywhere. This matters most on exactly the signs where scanning wins: hotels, airports, hire desks and tourist attractions.

  • Print the number in readable digits too

    Some people will be on a laptop, some on a phone with no SIM, and some just want to write it down. The printed number is also your proof-read: if the digits under the code do not match what the scan shows, the code is wrong and you will see it before the print run.

  • Tablets and desk phones behave differently

    A Wi-Fi-only tablet has no dialler, so the tap may offer a calling app, a video call or nothing at all. If the code is going on a kiosk screen or a lobby tablet, test it there. On a sign meant for phones, this is not an issue.

Common questions

No. The scan shows the number and an option to call, and the person has to tap it. On some phones that tap opens the dialler with the number ready instead of ringing immediately. Either way nobody is connected without deciding to be, so a code on a poster cannot generate accidental calls.

In international format, starting with a plus and the country code. Type it with spaces or brackets if you find that easier to check - they are removed automatically - but the plus and country code need to be there for the code to work outside your own country.

Yes. Write it as "ext 200", "x200" or "#200" after the number and it is stored as a separate extension field rather than being joined onto the digits. Whether the phone then dials it automatically depends on the phone: some send it after the call connects, others just dial the main number. Because of that, printing "then dial 200" beside the code is still worth doing on anything important.

It depends on the device. A phone always has a dialler; a Wi-Fi-only tablet or a desktop may offer a calling app, or may do nothing. Most scans come from phones, so this rarely matters, but it is worth knowing before you put a tel: code on a kiosk.

Not directly. A tel: code uses the normal phone network. WhatsApp has its own link format at wa.me, which you can paste into the URL type instead. FaceTime uses its own scheme and works only on Apple devices, so it makes a poor choice for a public sign.

No. The number lives inside the code, so a new number means a new code. If your number might change, a diverted line or a virtual number you control is the thing to encode, since you can repoint that without touching the print.

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