Phone number QR code generator
A phone number QR code lets someone call you without typing a single digit: the phone reads the number, shows it with a call button, and dials when they tap. The code is static, so it never expires and nothing routes through a server. It is free with no sign-up, made entirely in your browser, and verified by a real scanner before you download it.
Content: Phone
Include the country code with a leading + so the number works from abroad.
Style
PNG, JPG or SVG up to 2 MB. It stays on your device.
Your codes on this device
Off by default. When on, each downloaded code (type, content, style) is saved in this browser only, never uploaded. You can delete them at any time.
How to make a phone number QR code
- Type the Phone number in international format: a plus sign, the country code and the number with no spaces, brackets or dashes, for example +14155550132.
- Turn on Show encoded text under the preview to confirm the payload reads tel:+14155550132.
- Check the capacity line; a number this short is a version 1 or 2 code, so it can be printed small.
- Optionally open the Style panel to choose a Style preset, a Foreground colour or Upload logo.
- Wait for the badge to read Verified: scans as phone number, then choose Download PNG, Download SVG or Download PDF.
Phone number QR code details
A phone number QR code contains a tel: link, the same thing a tappable number on a website uses: tel:+14155550132. When a phone camera reads it, it shows the number in a banner with a call option; on an iPhone that is a “Call +1 (415) 555-0132” prompt, on Android a similar card from Google Lens. The person taps, and only then does the phone dial. No QR code can place a call on its own.
Formatting the number
The generator writes what you type after the tel: prefix, so the number should be in the E.164 international form: a plus sign, the country code, then the national number without its trunk prefix (the leading 0 in the UK or France), with no spaces, brackets or dashes. +442079460000 is correct for a London landline; 020 7946 0000 works only from a UK phone and may be shown as text by some scanners. An E.164 number is at most 15 digits, so the payload is under 20 bytes and fits in a version 1 or 2 code, 21 or 25 modules across, which is why phone codes print smaller than almost any other kind.
Extensions and special numbers
Extensions are unreliable. The tel: standard defines an ;ext= suffix, but camera apps and dialers handle it inconsistently and some drop it silently, so put the switchboard number in the code and print the extension next to it. Short codes and premium-rate numbers work only within one country and one carrier; use a full geographic or mobile number wherever possible.
Where phone codes earn their place
- Shop windows and doors. “Closed? Scan to call” next to the opening hours.
- Vans and vehicle signage. Someone can capture the number while the van is parked, without retyping it later.
- Business cards and flyers. Next to a vCard code, the quickest route to a conversation.
- Estate agent boards and rental notices. “Call about this property” straight from the sign.
Common mistakes
- A local number. Without the country code it works in one country only and may not be recognised as a number at all.
- Spaces and punctuation. Some scanners treat a formatted number as plain text. Digits after the plus, nothing else.
- Expecting a call log. The code contains only the number; it cannot count scans or calls. Use a dedicated number for a campaign if you need to know where calls come from.
- Skipping the test. Scan the downloaded file with an iPhone and an Android phone and place a real call before you print; the QR code reader shows the number exactly as a phone reads it.
This code never expires
The number is stored inside the code itself, so it keeps working for as long as that number rings. This is a static QR code: the data is written into the pattern, so scanning it needs no server, no account and no subscription. There is nothing to renew and no redirect that can be switched off, which is why a code made here keeps working for as long as the printed copy exists. The trade-off is honest: a static code cannot be edited after printing and does not count scans. If you need either, encode a link to a page you control. Read how static and dynamic codes differ, and if a code you already have has stopped working, see why QR codes expire.
Styling, formats and print size
Every code can be styled in the Style panel: six dot shapes, corner shapes, solid or gradient colours, a transparent background, a quiet zone of 0–8 modules, and your own logo up to 30 percent of the width. A contrast checker warns below 3:1 and blocks downloads below 1.5:1, and after each change the preview is decoded again so the badge tells you whether the styled code still scans.
| Output | Best for | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| PNG | Web, documents, quick prints | 256 to 4096 px; transparent background supported |
| SVG | Designers and print shops | Vector, scales without limit; logo embedded |
| Printing at an exact size | Vector modules at a chosen width in mm or inches, optional caption | |
| JPG | Platforms that reject PNG | White background; no transparency |
| EPS | Legacy print workflows | Vector from the module matrix, no logo |
| Copy / Print | Pasting into a document; a quick paper test | PNG to the clipboard; print view with caption |
Print size: as a rule of thumb the code should be at least one tenth of the scanning distance wide, with the quiet zone included.
| Scan distance | Minimum width |
|---|---|
| 0.5 m (arm's length) | 5 cm |
| 1 m | 10 cm |
| 2 m | 20 cm |
| 5 m | 50 cm |
A phone code is only 21–25 modules wide, so 1.5–2 cm is enough on a card and 10 cm on a window sign scanned from a metre away; a vehicle code read from 3 m needs 30 cm and the vector SVG or PDF.
The QR code size guide has a calculator for module size, DPI and distance.
Frequently asked questions
Does a phone number QR code expire?
No. The number is written into the code as a tel: link and the phone reads it directly, without any server or redirect. It keeps working for as long as the number is in service. If you change numbers, generate a new code; the old one still decodes to the old number.
Will the phone dial as soon as it scans?
No. Every phone shows the number first and waits for a tap on the call button. That protects people from being tricked into calling premium numbers, and no QR code can bypass it. What the code saves is reading the number off a sign and typing it in correctly.
Should I include the country code?
Yes, always. Write the number as a plus sign, the country code and the national number without its leading zero: +49 for Germany, +1 for the US and Canada, +44 for the UK. That form dials correctly from any phone anywhere; a local format works only for phones registered in the same country.
Can I add an extension?
Not reliably. There is an ;ext= syntax in the tel: standard, but camera apps and dialers handle it inconsistently and some ignore it. Put the switchboard number in the code and print the extension beside it, or better, use a direct-dial number that needs no extension.
How big should I print a phone QR code?
It can be small. The payload is under 20 bytes, so the code is 21 or 25 modules wide and reads well at 1.5 cm on a business card. For a shop window scanned from a metre, print at least 10 cm; for a van read from across the street, 30 cm or more, with a white border.
What is the difference between a phone code and an SMS code?
A phone code holds tel:+number and opens the dialer; an SMS code holds SMSTO:number:message and opens the messaging app with a pre-written text. Use the phone code when you want a conversation, and the SMS code when you want a written request or an opt-in keyword. Both are static and never expire.
Can I put more than one number in a code?
No. A tel: link carries a single number, and a phone shows one call button. To offer a choice, make one code per number and label them, or use a vCard code, which stores a mobile and a work number together and lets the person pick from the saved contact.
Does this generator record the numbers or calls?
No. The number is encoded in your browser, the preview is verified locally with a scanner engine, and nothing is uploaded. Calls made from the code go through the person's own network and never touch this site. There is no history unless you turn on Remember my codes on this device, which stores it in your browser only.
Related
Last updated . QR Code is a registered trademark of DENSO WAVE INCORPORATED. Open-source engines are listed on the how it works page.