SMS QR Code Generator
Create a QR code that opens a pre-filled text message.
How to use the SMS QR Code Generator
- Enter the phone number and an optional message.
- Download the QR code.
About the SMS QR Code Generator
An SMS QR code opens the phone’s messaging app with your number in the To field and, if you set one, a message already typed. The person just taps send. It works well for keyword campaigns, feedback prompts, opt-ins and “text us to book” signs, because it removes both the number and the wording — two places where people give up. This tool encodes the widely-recognised SMSTO:number:message format.
Worth knowing honestly: there are several competing conventions for SMS in QR codes (SMSTO:, sms: and variants), and no single one is universally handled. SMSTO: is the most broadly recognised, but behaviour still differs between phones and scanner apps — some open the composer with the text filled in, some only fill the number. If an SMS QR code is central to a campaign, test it on both an iPhone and an Android before you print anything. Nothing is ever sent automatically; the person always sees the draft and chooses to send.
Include the country code so the number works for everyone, keep the pre-filled message short (it goes straight into the code and makes it denser), and leave the quiet-zone margin clear. If you want a more reliably-handled route, a WhatsApp QR code or a simple phone QR code is often the safer choice.
Frequently asked questions
Does it send the text automatically?
No, and no QR code can. It opens a draft in the messaging app; the person reads it and sends it themselves.
Does it work on every phone?
Mostly, but not perfectly. SMSTO: is the most widely recognised format, yet some phones and scanner apps fill in the number without the message, or handle it differently. Test on a real iPhone and a real Android before printing.
How long can the pre-filled message be?
Technically as long as you like, but every character is encoded into the code itself, so a long message makes a dense code that is harder to scan. Keep it to a short line.
Should I include the country code?
Yes. Without it, the number only resolves correctly for people in your own country.
Can the person change the message before sending?
Yes. It is an ordinary draft — they can edit or delete your text entirely. Treat the pre-filled wording as a helpful default, not a guarantee.