QR code stopped working? Here's why, and what to do.
A QR code is just a pattern, so it can't wear out. When one stops working, it's almost always one of three things: where it points, the service in between, or how it's printed.
First: is it a static or a dynamic code?
Scan it, and look at the address your phone shows before it opens.
- It shows your own website, Wi-Fi network or phone number: it's a static code. What it opens is stored in the pattern itself. It can't expire or be switched off by anyone.
- It shows a short link on another company's address (often a few letters after a slash): it's a dynamic code. Scans go through that company's service, which then sends people on to your page.
If it's a static code
The code is fine; what it points to has changed. Check:
- The web page moved or the site is down. Open the address in a browser. A redesign often changes page addresses.
- The Wi-Fi password or network name changed. A Wi-Fi code holds the old one. Make a new code.
- The phone number or email changed. Same: the old one is inside the code.
The only fix for a static code is a new code. If the destination might change again, make the new one editable, so you can change it without reprinting.
If it's a dynamic code
The service in the middle has stopped sending people on. The usual reasons:
- A free trial ended. Some services deactivate codes, or show their own page, when a trial or subscription ends.
- A scan limit was reached on a free plan.
- The account was closed, or the payment card on it expired.
- The link was flagged as unsafe and switched off.
- The service closed down. Then every code it made stops at once.
Sign in to the account that made it. Renewing, or removing a limit, usually brings the same printed code back. If the service no longer exists, or you can't get in, the printed codes can't be saved: make new ones with a service whose rules you've read.
If it never scans at all
Then it's usually how it's printed. Try it with two different phones, in good light.
| Problem | Fix |
|---|---|
| Too small for the distance | About one tenth of the scanning distance, never under 2.5 cm wide. See the printing guide. |
| Too pale, or light on dark | Dark code on a light background. Avoid yellow, pastels and inverted codes. |
| Shiny surface or glare | Matte paper or matte lamination. Move the light or tilt the sign. |
| The white border was cropped | Keep a clear margin around the code (the quiet zone), at least four dots wide. |
| Too much content | Long text makes dense codes. Use a short link instead. |
| Logo too big | Keep the logo to about a fifth of the width. |
| Damaged, folded or curved | Reprint it flat, somewhere it won't be scratched. |
How to avoid it next time
- Test the actual printed code with two phones before printing hundreds.
- For anything that might change, use an editable code, so a new link never needs a reprint.
- Before choosing a service for dynamic codes, read what happens when a trial ends, when you go over a limit, and if the company closes.
How QR Code Spot handles this
- Static codes from the free generator never expire: what they open is inside the code.
- Editable codes on the Free plan don't expire. Codes over a plan's limit are paused, never deleted, and upgrading switches the same printed codes back on.
- Your 3 chosen editable codes never pause, even on the Free plan.
- If QR Code Spot ever closes, we'll give at least 6 months' notice by email, your codes keep redirecting during that time, and you can download every code's destination to move it elsewhere.
Questions
Can a QR code expire?
The pattern itself can't. A static code works for as long as what it opens still exists. A dynamic code works for as long as the service behind it keeps redirecting.
Can I fix a printed code without reprinting it?
Only if it's a dynamic code and you can still sign in to the account that made it. A static code can't be changed.
My code opens someone else's page. Why?
A dynamic code's service may show its own page when a trial or plan ends. Sign in to that service, or replace the code.
Make a code that keeps working
Free static codes that never expire, or editable codes you can change after printing. Your 3 chosen editable codes never pause, even on the Free plan.