What the scanner actually sees
The code opens a small app page, not a raw store redirect. That page carries:
- App icon — instant brand recognition, the single strongest install cue in print
- App name and description — the sentence that says why this is worth 40 MB
- Store buttons — only the ones you filled in, ordered so the scanner's own platform comes first
Sending straight to a store URL loses that. The page costs one extra tap and pays for it in intent: someone who read a line about the app and then chose to continue installs at a much better rate than someone dropped cold onto a store listing.
Three stores, one square
Fill in whichever apply:
- App Store URL — for iPhone and iPad
- Google Play URL — for the bulk of Android
- AppGallery URL — for Huawei devices, which have no Google Play at all
Huawei is the one teams forget. In several markets it is a meaningful share of Android, and those users hit a dead end on a Play Store link. Filling in one extra field removes that dead end permanently.
Where an app QR belongs
- Packaging and inserts — the moment right after purchase is peak install intent
- In-store signage and receipts — "manage your booking in the app"
- Posters, transit ads, and billboards — nobody types an app name off a bus
- Conference stands and slides — scanned from the seat, installed before the talk ends
- Onboarding letters and paperwork — utilities, banks, and gyms convert well here
Sizing and testing
- Posters: follow the 10:1 rule — scan distance ÷ 10 = minimum code width. Three metres away means a 30 cm code.
- Packaging: 2–3 cm is enough at arm's length.
- Always export SVG for print; PNG at low DPI is the most common cause of a fuzzy printed code.
- Test on one iPhone, one Android, and if you can, one Huawei before signing off a print run.
Related tools
If you want to send scanners to a specific screen inside an already-installed app rather than the store, that is a different mechanism — see the deep link QR code generator. For the store-redirect-only variant without an app page, see the App Store QR code generator.
How to make an app QR code in 4 steps
Pick the App Download type
Choose it in the generator above, then upload your app icon and add the app name and a one-line description.
Paste your store links
Add the App Store, Google Play, and AppGallery URLs you have. Each one you fill in becomes a button; the scanner's own platform is offered first.
Brand and export the code
Apply your colours and centre logo, then download SVG for print or PNG for screens and slides.
Test on every platform you support
Scan with an iPhone and an Android — and a Huawei device if you listed AppGallery — before the artwork goes to print.
Frequently asked
Do I need separate codes for iOS and Android?
No — that is the problem this solves. One code opens an app page that offers the right store for the device scanning it, so you print a single square.
Why not link straight to the store?
You can, but you lose the icon, the name, and the reason-to-install line. The extra tap filters for intent and typically converts better from print than a cold store listing.
What if the user is on desktop?
They see the app page with all the store buttons, so they can pick the one matching their phone or send it to themselves.
Should I bother with the AppGallery link?
If you publish on Huawei, yes. Huawei devices have no Google Play, so a Play-only code is a dead end for those users — one extra field removes it.
How big should the code be on a poster?
Use the 10:1 rule: expected scan distance divided by ten. Three metres away means about 30 cm wide.
Read next
Need a different QR type? Browse all 48 QR types on the home page.