Why did my QR code stop working?
Most often, the code never held your link at all. Many QR websites put their own short link in the code, which then forwards to your page. If that forwarding is switched off, say when a free trial ends or a plan lapses, every printed copy stops working. A plain QR code that holds your link directly can't expire.
Check which kind you have
- Scan the code with your phone camera, but don't open it yet.
- Read the address the phone shows.
- If it's your address (say
yourshop.com/menu), it's a plain code. It works for as long as that page exists. - If it's the QR website's address (a short code on their domain), it depends on that website and your account with it.
The two kinds of QR code
| Plain (static) | Short link (often called "dynamic") | |
|---|---|---|
| What's inside | Your link or text, directly | The QR website's short link |
| Can it stop working? | Only if your own page goes | Yes, if the forwarding is switched off |
| Change the destination later? | No, make a new code | Yes |
| Scan counts? | No | Usually |
| Needs the internet? | Not for Wi-Fi, contact or text codes | Always |
Other reasons a code stops scanning
- The page it points to is gone: the website moved, the domain wasn't renewed, or the link had a typo all along.
- It's too small for the distance: a common rule of thumb is that phones scan from up to about ten times the code's width. A 3 cm code is fine on a table, not on a wall across the room. Test at the real distance.
- No margin: the QR standard asks for a blank border four modules (squares) wide around the code. Text or patterns right up against the edge can stop phones finding it.
- Low contrast or reversed colours: pale codes, and light codes on dark backgrounds, trip up some scanners, especially older apps. Dark on light is safest.
- Damage or glare: scratches, folds and shiny laminate over the three big corner squares can stop a phone locking on.
- The Wi-Fi password changed: a Wi-Fi code holds the password itself, so it needs remaking after a change.
How to fix a dead one
If it's a short-link code, only the service that owns the link can bring it back, usually by reactivating the plan. Otherwise make a new plain code that holds your own link, and reprint.
Want to change where it points later, without a middleman? Point the code at a page on your own website (say yourshop.com/menu) and update that page instead. The code never changes, and nobody else can switch it off.
Questions
Do QR codes expire?
A plain (static) QR code can't expire: it holds your link or text directly. Codes from many QR websites hold the site's own short link instead, which forwards to yours; if that forwarding is switched off, for example when a plan lapses, the printed code stops working.
How do I check what's inside my QR code?
Scan it with your phone camera and read the address the phone shows before opening it. If it's your own website, it's a plain code. If it's the QR website's address, it depends on that site.
Can I fix a printed QR code that stopped working?
Only the service that owns the short link inside it can bring it back, usually by reactivating the plan. Otherwise make a new plain code that holds your own link and reprint.