What is a QR code and how does it work?

A QR code (short for "Quick Response" code) is a two-dimensional barcode: a grid of black and white squares that encodes information — most often a web address. When a phone camera sees the pattern, it decodes the data in a fraction of a second and offers to open the link.

How scanning works

1. Open the camera app on any modern phone (no separate scanner app needed).
2. Point it at the code. The camera detects the three large squares in the corners — the "finder patterns" — and uses them to orient the grid.
3. The phone decodes the smaller squares into text, usually a URL.
4. A notification appears; tapping it opens the link in the browser.

The anatomy of a code

• Finder patterns — the three large corner squares that tell the scanner where the code is and which way is up.
• Modules — the small squares that carry the actual data.
• Quiet zone — the empty margin around the code. Scanners need it to find the edges, which is why a code should never be crowded by text or graphics.

QR codes also include built-in error correction: a portion of the grid is redundant, so a code still scans when it's partially covered — which is what makes center logos possible.

That's all a QR code is: a link, printed. The interesting part is what happens after the scan — and that's where the rest of this help center comes in.