How much text fits in a QR code?

Up to about 4,000 characters, but readability drops fast past 300. Links and Wi-Fi credentials are nowhere near the limit.

Can a QR code be tracked?

Only if it points to a tracking redirect. A code with the direct link cannot.

Is the camera image uploaded?

No. Frames are decoded on the device and dropped.

QR codes: make one, read one, share Wi-Fi

Updated October 29, 2026

A QR code is just text drawn as squares: a link, a Wi-Fi password, a contact card, a payment reference. It does not need a service to "host" it, and it never expires unless the thing it points to does.

This guide covers the four things people actually do with QR codes, and the free tools on this site that do them without an account.

Make a code that lasts

Many generators give you a short link that redirects to your page, and charge when it stops working. Encode the real link instead: the QR generator here writes the URL itself into the code, so there is nothing to expire. Download as SVG for print (menus, posters) and PNG for screens.

Keep URLs short; a 40-character link gives a sparse code that scans from across a room. Add a logo only with high error correction.

Wi-Fi and contact cards

A Wi-Fi code contains the network name, the password and the security type; phones join the network when they scan it. Print one for the guest room or the shop counter. A vCard code holds a name, phone, email and address, and opens the "add contact" screen when scanned.

Read a code from an image

A code in a screenshot, a PDF or a photo cannot be scanned with the camera app. The QR reader tool decodes it from the image, and from the camera on a laptop. Several codes in one picture are all listed. It also reads barcodes (EAN, Code 128).

Scams

A sticker on a parking meter or a restaurant table can cover the real code with one that leads to a payment page. Before paying, check the domain the code shows; the reader tool displays the raw content before you open anything.

Tips

Test the printed code with two phones before ordering 500 flyers.
Dark on light only; inverted codes fail on many readers.
Codes made here contain only what you type; nothing is stored or tracked.

Questions

How much text fits in a QR code?: Up to about 4,000 characters, but readability drops fast past 300. Links and Wi-Fi credentials are nowhere near the limit.
Can a QR code be tracked?: Only if it points to a tracking redirect. A code with the direct link cannot.
Is the camera image uploaded?: No. Frames are decoded on the device and dropped.