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A
Andross Moonah
Known Participant
April 24, 2018
Question

I created a QR code with InDesign CC and it doesn't do anything

  • April 24, 2018
  • 2 replies
  • 7487 views

I created a QR code with a website URL inside of it, when I use my phone to scan it to see if it works, it doesn't do anything. But I scan another QR code with the same phone and app and it brings up the website from that other QR code.

Any advice? Thanks.

      2 replies

      Kelsey_C.2828
      Kelsey_C.2828
      Participant
      July 2, 2025

      Try Adjusting the Display Performance from Typical to High Quality:  View > Display Performance > High Quality View

      BobLevine
      Community Expert
      BobLevineCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      July 2, 2025

      I'm afraid that has nothing to do with any of this and since this discussion is so old I'm going to lock it.

      Bill Silbert
      Community Expert
      Bill SilbertCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      April 24, 2018

      The other QR codes which you successfully scanned—were they also created in InDesign? If so then I would suggest checking to make sure that you have the correct URL for the one that isn't working. If they were created through some other means then try using one of their URLs to generate a QR code in InDesign. I have found this feature to be relatively simple to use. You don't even need the "https://" or "www." in the URL. For instance I tested it by just putting in "amazon.com" and it worked fine.

        M
        Marley C.
        Inspiring
        December 15, 2021

        The only other thing I can suggest is that some phones do not work with QR codes. All Android phones should workfine, and all devices running iOS 11 or later will be natively compatible with QR. Some older devices might not have that capability.

        Also, if the QR code is too small, your phone will not be able to read the details. 

        James Gifford—NitroPress
        James Gifford—NitroPress
        Legend
        December 15, 2021

        Apps have been available for years for phones and OS versions that don't have native QR capability. In the (old) OP, though, it was claimed that some codes worked but ones generated in ID did not — so the ability to read QR codes wasn't the issue.

         

        I wonder if — now or three years ago — the OP was selecting the wrong QR code model (text block instead of URL) and if that caused the code to be invalid for automatic decoding.

         

        PSA: malware is rampant in QR codes, especially those used in restaurants in place of a paper menu. I'd recommend setting your phone to DISPLAY the link for manual activation rather than automatically following it.

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