SMS QR Code Generator
Type the number with its country code, write the message or the opt-in keyword, and choose the code format. The page tells you what iPhone and Android document about each format, and what is only known from use.
- Free
- No sign-up
- Runs in your browser
Texting a keyword is how people join an SMS list. Consent rules apply and vary by country: check with your SMS provider what you must print next to the code (who is sending, how often, how to stop) before you publish it. This tool only makes the code. It does not send or receive messages.
The form defined by RFC 5724. Opening a message to the number is documented by Apple and Android. The ready text is not: it is known to work from use, so test it.
What you type stays in this browser. This page does not send any message.
What the code contains
Type a number to see your QR code.
This QR code is static: the number and the text are written into it. Scanning does not send anything. The person still taps send, and their plan's SMS rates apply.
If the number changes, a printed SMS code has to be printed again. A VISU Link page holds your phone, WhatsApp, email and links in one place, and a dynamic VISU QR pointing to it keeps working: you edit the destination in your account, and VISU shows how many times the code was scanned.
Create a free VISU LinkNeeds a free VISU account. Dynamic QR codes count toward your plan's limit.
What each phone does with an SMS code
There are three ways to write an SMS into a QR code. Only the first is documented by both Apple and Android. The other two work on the phones people report testing, but no manufacturer promises it, so scan your printed code with an iPhone and an Android phone before you hand it out.
Number only
sms:+14155550100Documented: By Apple (SMS Links) and by Android (Common intents). It opens a new message addressed to the number.
Observed: Nothing to add. It is the safest choice when you do not need a ready text.
Standard link with a message
sms:+14155550100?body=Hello%20thereDocumented: By RFC 5724, which uses this kind of example. Apple documents sms: with a number only and says the link must not include message text. Android documents the sms: scheme and takes the text as a separate field, not inside the link.
Observed: Widely reported to open with the text typed on current iPhone and Android cameras. Not documented by either, so test your printed code.
SMSTO
SMSTO:+14155550100:Hello thereDocumented: No specification exists. The ZXing barcode project lists it as "observed in the wild". Android documents smsto: as a scheme handled like sms:, without the text part.
Observed: The form most QR generators and older scanner apps use. Reported to open with the text typed on phone cameras. Test it like the standard form.
Sources, read on 11 October 2026: RFC 5724, Apple: SMS Links, Android: Common intents, ZXing: Barcode Contents.
How to use it
- Choose a phone number or a short code. For a phone number, pick the country and type it with the area code.
- Write the ready message, or switch to "Opt-in keyword" and type the word people should send.
- Choose the code format. The note under it says what is documented and what is known from use.
- Tap "Test it" on a phone to open the same message in your messages app.
- Download the QR code as PNG or SVG and scan the printed code with an iPhone and an Android phone.
Examples
Join a text list
A poster that says "Scan to get our offers by text": the code opens a message with JOIN already typed, addressed to your short code.
Book or order by text
A card on the table that opens "Hi! I would like to book a table for tonight" to the restaurant's number.
Report a problem
A sticker on a vending machine or a rental bike that opens a text to support with the machine number in the message.
Vote or answer
A screen at an event that opens a text with the option typed, so people only tap send.
Questions
How does an SMS QR code work?
The code holds a number and, if you want, a message. When someone scans it, their phone opens the messages app with a new text addressed to that number and the message typed. Nothing is sent by the scan: the person taps send.
Which format should I choose, sms: or SMSTO?
The standard sms: form is the one defined by RFC 5724, so it is the default here. SMSTO has no specification, but it is the form most generators write and the one older scanner apps expect. If you know which phones your public uses, test both and print the one that works on them.
Will the message be typed on iPhone and on Android?
Opening a new message to the number is documented by Apple and by Android. The ready text is not: Apple's page says an sms: link must not include message text, and Android's page takes the text as a separate field. In practice current phone cameras are reported to show the text typed, in both formats. Treat that as observed behaviour and test your printed code.
What is an opt-in keyword code?
It is a code that opens a text with one word, such as JOIN, addressed to your short code or number. Sending it is how a person joins your SMS list. Consent rules apply and vary by country, so check with your SMS provider what you have to print next to the code.
Why does my message count as two or more SMS?
One SMS holds 160 characters of the basic SMS alphabet. If the message has a character outside that alphabet, such as an emoji or some accented letters, the whole message is sent as Unicode and each SMS holds 70. Longer messages are split into parts of 153 or 67. The counter under the message shows which case applies.
Does scanning send the message or cost anything?
Scanning only opens the message. The person decides whether to send it, and their mobile plan's SMS rates apply, including for short codes that charge.
Can I change the number after printing?
No. An SMS QR code is static: the number is written into the code. If it may change, print a dynamic VISU QR that points to a page with your contact options, such as a VISU Link, and edit the destination later.
Does VISU see the number or the message?
No. The code is built in your browser. Nothing you type here is sent to VISU, and the events this page records never include numbers, keywords or text.