SMS (QR Code)
For customers' phones: Apple's and Google's camera guides describe QR codes. Text in UTF-8; the sample needs 18.8 mm with its quiet zone.
Create SMS (QR Code) ›Used by 700,000+ people
Free SMS QR code generator.
An SMS QR code holds a ready-to-send text message: your number plus the words a customer would otherwise type. Enter both, then download it.
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How to create an SMS QR code
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01
Enter number and reference
Write the number with + and country code, as RFC 5724 requires for numbers reachable from abroad: 07700 900123 in the UK becomes +447700900123. Put a reference such as a machine number in the text.
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02
Print 6 dots per module
Set Resolution to 300 dpi and Module width to 6 Pixel: 0.508 mm per module. Export PNG, place it at 100% and leave 2.03 mm (4 modules) free around it: the PNG has none.
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03
Scan, send, check
Scan a printed proof with an iPhone and an Android phone, send the message, and check the reference arrives intact.
Text message QR code: what the scan opens
An SMS QR code stores a number and a pre-filled message in one line, such as smsto:+447700900123:Service request, machine 4711. Reader apps that support it open a new message with both filled in. Customers confirm before sending, as RFC 5724 expects; service requests, opt-ins and orders then reach you from their phones.
Machines, receipts, shelves, events: where SMS codes work
A sticker on a pump, lift or coffee machine pre-fills “Service request, machine 4711”, so the service desk knows the unit before replying. On receipts and posters, a keyword such as JOIN collects opt-ins for updates; table cards collect a rating with the table number.
A code on a storage shelf pre-fills a reorder for the article stored there. At an event entrance, it checks visitors in: each text arrives from the visitor's phone, with the hall named in the message.
Requests with a reply address, and the print size
Each request arrives as a text naming the machine, table or campaign, with a reply address attached. RFC 5724 adds that the receiver need not be a phone: a server can forward messages to email or parse them.
The sample needs 29 × 29 modules: 14.7 mm at 0.508 mm per module, 18.8 mm with the 4-module quiet zone. DENSO WAVE recommends at least 4 printer dots per module and printing as large as the space allows.
One code per machine: formats and automation
Without an account, the generator makes one code at a time: PNG, GIF or JPG, or SVG with a plan. After a free sign-in, put one number:text per row in a data sheet and download the codes as one ZIP file.
Other tools need the full smsto: line in a plain QR Code, which adds no prefix. TBarCode Office takes it from an Excel cell, Barcode Studio from a CSV file, and the TBarCode API from each HTTP request.
SMS QR code at a glance
- Data
smsto:number:text, prefixed by the generator- Number
- + and country code, up to 15 digits (ITU-T E.164)
- Character set
- UTF-8 (QR Code); Latin-1 (Semacode, Aztec)
- Size of the sample
- QR Code 29 × 29, Data Matrix 24 × 24, Aztec 23 × 23 modules
- Quiet zone
- QR Code 4 modules, Data Matrix 1, Aztec 0
The smsto: line, part by part
| Part | Rule |
|---|---|
smsto: | Added by the generator; not standardised, says the open-source reader ZXing |
+447700900123 | + and country code, no spaces (RFC 5724) |
:Service request, machine 4711 | Optional; readers such as ZXing split at the first colon. Stored as typed, colons and % included |
How much text fits in one SMS
| Characters | One SMS | Per part, if split |
|---|---|---|
| GSM 7-bit default alphabet: Latin letters, digits, é, ü, ñ | 160 | 153 |
| UCS-2, for Cyrillic, for example | 70 | 67 |
The characters € [ ] { } ~ \ ^ | count twice. A full 160-character English text grows the QR Code to 49 × 49 modules.
Mistakes that misroute or expose a message
- The national format. 07700 900123 works only inside the UK, where 0 is the trunk prefix. Enter +447700900123.
- smsto: in the number field. The code then reads
smsto:smsto:, and ZXing takes “smsto” as the number. Enter the number alone. - Private data in the text. RFC 5724 warns that SMS lacks privacy and integrity protection, and delivery between networks can take hours or fail. Ask for a reference only.
Text, call or web form
Phone number QR code ›
A phone number QR code starts a call; an SMS waits until someone reads it.
QR Code ›
A plain QR Code can open a web form with more fields than one SMS.
Three symbols for one message
SMS (Semacode)
Data Matrix ECC 200 under its old mobile-marketing name: 13.2 mm for the sample with its 1-module margin, Latin-1 text only. For tested scanners or apps.
Create SMS (Semacode) ›SMS (Aztec)
Needs no quiet zone: the sample takes 11.7 mm, the least of the three. Latin-1 only; Google's ML Kit library for app developers reads it.
Create SMS (Aztec) ›Frequently asked questions
Learn more about SMS QR code.
Does scanning an SMS QR code send the message automatically?
It should not: RFC 5724 says opening an SMS link should not send a message before the user confirms, and costs must be acknowledged by the user. Apple's iPhone guide and Google's Pixel help show a link to tap after the scan.
What is an SMSTO QR code?
It is an SMS QR code in this generator's format:
smsto:, the number, a colon and the text. The ZXing project, whose reader parses it, knows no official specification. The standardised form is the sms: link of RFC 5724, with the text percent-encoded after ?body=.
Can I reply to people who scan the code?
Yes. The SMS standard makes the sender's address a mandatory part of every delivered message, along with the time the message centre received it, so replies reach the sender. Customers may edit the pre-filled reference before sending, so treat it as a hint.
Can the text contain accents, € or Cyrillic?
In the QR Code variant, yes: the text is stored as UTF-8. Semacode and Aztec take Latin-1 only; a € returns an error image. In the SMS itself, € counts twice and Cyrillic needs UCS-2, which fits 70 characters instead of 160.
More resources
Guide
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