By Sheraz Khan
An SMS QR code turns a phone number and a ready text into a square code that any phone camera can read. When someone scans it, their phone opens the messages app with the number and the text already typed in. They only have to press send. It is the fastest way to collect a booking, an order, a question or a vote by text.
This free SMS QR code generator makes a code in seconds. Type the number, add a short message, then download the code as a PNG or SVG. There is no sign-up, no watermark and no expiry date. The code is static, so the number and message stay inside the code for good, and it works for as long as the number is in service.
Use it on a business card so people can text you without typing the number, on a shop counter so a customer can order by text, on a table so a diner can ask for the bill, on a flyer so readers can vote or ask a question, or on a poster so people can join a raffle. One scan is all it takes to start the text.
Scan this and it opens the website link.
Example: https://example.com
Scan this and it shows your text on the phone.
Example: Welcome to our cafe
Scan this and your phone joins the WiFi, no typing the password.
Example: Network: MyHomeWiFi, Password: hello123
Scan this and your contact saves to the phone.
Example: Sarah Jones, Bloom Bakery, +1 555 123 4567, sarah@bloombakery.com
Scan this and a chat opens with your message ready.
Example: +1 555 123 4567, Message: Hi, I want to order
Scan this and it opens a new email to your address.
Example: hello@example.com, Subject: Hello
Scan this and it calls the number.
Example: +1 555 123 4567
Scan this and it opens a text message to the number.
Example: +1 555 123 4567, Message: Hi there
Scan this and it opens the place on a map.
Example: 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View
Scan this and it saves the event to the calendar.
Example: Birthday Party, 25 Dec 2026, 6 PM
Scan this and it opens a Bitcoin payment with the amount ready.
Example: 1A1zP1eP5QGefi2DMPTfTL5SLmv7DivfNa
Scan this and it opens the payment link.
Paste your payment link. A plain number on its own will not open inside a bank app. For payments inside a bank app, use the QR code your own bank app gives you.
Example: https://example.com/pay
Example
How to Use the Free SMS QR Code Generator
Let people text you in one scan. The code opens a new text message with your number and a message already filled in.
- You are on the SMS tab already. If you are not, click the SMS tab at the top of the tool.
- Pick your country from the country list. The code fills in by itself, so you only type the local number.
- Type the phone number in the box called Phone number. Leave out the country code; the list adds it for you.
- Type the message in the box called Message. Keep it short so it is easy to send.
- Download the code. The preview updates by itself as you type. When it looks right, click Download PNG or Download SVG.
Worked example
Try it with these details:
- Country: United States (+1)
- Phone number: 555 123 4567
- Message: Hi there
Example SMS QR code for +1 555 123 4567
Result: Scan the code and a new text message opens, addressed to +1 555 123 4567, with the message Hi there already filled in.
How it will look:
See the steps
What the code holds: SMSTO:+15551234567:Hi there
How to make an SMS QR code
Follow these steps to make your first code. It takes less than a minute.
- Open the tool above. The SMS tab is already picked for you.
- Pick your country from the dropdown at the top of the SMS panel. The country code is added for you. The examples on this page use the United States, which has the country code +1.
- Type the phone number in the box called Phone number, for example 5551234567. Do not type the country code twice, because it is already in front of the number.
- Type a short message in the box called Message, such as Hi there. Keep it short, so the person reading it knows what to do. A long message makes a dense code that is hard to scan.
- Check the live preview on the right. It updates by itself as you type, so you can see the code change in real time.
- Pick a download size. 512 pixels is right for most screens. Pick 1024 pixels or the SVG download for print.
- Pick an error correction level. Medium is the normal choice and works for most codes. Pick High if the code will be small or printed on rough paper.
- Download the code as a PNG for screens and print, or as an SVG for sharp, large prints. You can also copy the link or share the code straight from the tool.
Worked example
Here is a real example made with the tool above.
Country: United States (+1)
Phone number: 5551234567
Message: Hi there
Result: You get a QR code that opens the messages app with a text to +1 555 123 4567 already typed in, ready to send.
What the code holds: SMSTO:+15551234567:Hi there
Try it yourself. Pick the country, type the same number and message and you will see the same code appear in the preview above.
Why use an SMS QR code?
Typing a phone number and a message by hand is slow and easy to get wrong. One wrong digit sends the text to a stranger. An SMS QR code removes that risk. The whole number and message travel inside the code, so the message opens with the right number and the right words every time.
An SMS QR code also makes people far more likely to text. The step from reading to sending is a single scan, not a search for a number and a careful retype. For bookings, votes, orders and questions, that small push turns readers into senders.
An SMS QR code works where a number cannot be tapped. Print cannot be tapped, but it can be scanned. That is why QR codes sit on business cards, shop counters, tables, flyers and notice boards. A printed number is dead text. A printed SMS QR code starts a text in one scan.
The code is free and private. This generator makes the code in your browser, so your number is never sent to our server and never stored. We do not ask for your email and we do not put a watermark on the code. The code is static, so it never expires and never stops working.
Where to use an SMS QR code
Put an SMS QR code on a business card so people can text you without typing the number. Put it on a shop counter so a customer can send an order by text. Put it on a table card so a diner can text for the bill. Put it on a flyer so readers can vote by text. Put it on a poster so visitors can send a question by text.
Cafes can put one on the table so customers can text an order. Clinics can put one in the waiting room so patients can text to check in. Schools can put one on a notice board so parents can text for news. Charities can put one on a collection box so donors can text to give.
Event organisers can put one on a ticket so visitors can text a photo or a question. Real estate agents can put one on a for sale board so buyers can text for a viewing. Wherever you print a phone number, an SMS QR code makes people far more likely to actually text it.
For other one-scan actions, try the phone QR code generator to open the dialer, the WhatsApp QR code generator to open a chat, and the email QR code generator to open a mail draft. Our guide on how to create a QR code for free shows the same steps for any code type.
How to print and share your SMS QR code
Download the code at 1024 pixels or as an SVG for print, because a bigger file stays sharp. Print it at least 2 centimetres wide for close use, like a business card, and larger for posters or signs that people scan from a distance. A code should be at least one tenth as wide as the distance people will scan it from.
Use dark code on a light background for the best contrast, and leave a quiet zone of plain space around the code, at least four modules wide on each side. Do not print a code on a busy pattern or over a photo, and do not stretch it. If the code looks squashed or faded, scanners will struggle.
Always test before you print a big run. Print one copy, open your phone camera, point it at the code and check that it opens the messages app with the right number and the right message. If it opens correctly on your phone, it will open correctly on others.
Common mistakes to avoid
Do not use a wrong or old phone number. A static code cannot be edited after you print it, so check the number twice before you download the code. If the number might change, use a main line or a number that stays in place rather than a personal mobile.
Do not type the country code twice. The country dropdown adds it for you, so type only the local part of the number. Do not type a long message, either. A long message makes a dense code that is hard to scan, so a few words are enough, such as Hi there, or I would like to book a table. And do not forget a short caption, such as Text us, so people know that the code starts a text.
Finally, do not skip the test scan. A code that was never tested can fail on a customer’s phone and cost you a booking, a vote or an order. Test the printed code, not only the version on your screen.
FAQs
Is this SMS QR code generator free?
Yes, every text code is free. Make one for the counter, one for the table, and one for every poster, with no account, no watermark, and no limit on how many you make.
Does an SMS QR code expire?
No. The number and message live inside the code, so it still drafts that text for as long as the line is live. If the number changes, print a new code with the new one.
Will it work on iPhone and Android?
Yes, on both. An iPhone camera opens the draft text with a tap, and on Android the camera or Google Lens does the same thing, with no extra app to download.
Can I change the number or message after I print the code?
No. A static code holds the number and message inside it, so they cannot be edited after printing. If the number or message might change, print a new code. Our guide on static vs dynamic QR codes explains the difference.
Does the text cost money?
Scanning the code is free. The text itself is charged by the reader’s phone network in the normal way, just as if they had typed the number and message by hand.
What size should I download?
Match the download to the use. A 512 pixel PNG is fine for cards and screens. For posters and big prints, choose the SVG or the 1024 pixel PNG so it scans cleanly from steps away.
Can I add my logo to an SMS QR code?
Yes. Add your mark in the centre using the logo upload above, or build the branded version in our logo QR code generator. Keep it small and use High error correction so the text still opens.