Are QR codes safe to scan?
A QR code is a link in picture form. Scanning one doesn't harm your phone by itself. What matters is where the link goes and what you do when you get there. A few habits cover almost every risk.
Check the address before you tap
Most phone cameras show the address a code leads to before you open it. Read it. If it doesn't match what you expect, or the spelling looks odd, close it and don't continue.
Watch for stickers placed over real codes
One known trick is to stick a fake code over a real one on a sign, parking meter, or poster. If a code looks like a sticker that has been added on top, or its edges are peeling, don't scan it. Ask a staff member instead.
Be careful what you type
Never enter a password or payment details on a page you reached from a code you weren't expecting. For anything involving money or an account, type the company's address into your browser yourself, and install apps only from your phone's official store.
If you make codes for other people
Point codes only at pages you control, use https:// addresses, and place codes where staff can see them so any tampering is noticed. Check them from time to time by scanning them yourself.
What our codes show
A ThreeDollarQRCode code opens a page that shows the address it goes to, with a button to continue, so a visitor can see the destination before they leave. We accept only https:// addresses and refuse link shorteners and raw IP addresses. Every code page has a link to report misuse, and we can switch off any code that breaks our terms.
Questions
Can scanning a QR code hack my phone?
Scanning alone only reads text. The risk comes from the page that opens and what you do there, so don't enter passwords on a page you didn't expect.
How do I spot a fake QR code?
Look for a sticker placed over the original, an address in the preview that doesn't match the business, and pages that ask for payment or a password right away.
Should a business worry about tampering?
Place codes where staff can see them, and check them regularly by scanning them. Replace any code that looks covered or damaged.
Get a dynamic QR code for $3
Pay once. Pick the page your code opens, print it wherever you need it, and change the page whenever you like.