QR Code Not Scanning? 10 Common Causes and Fixes

First, find out whether it is the phone or the code

1. Scan a different QR code you know works, such as one on a product in your kitchen. If that fails too, the problem is the phone. See the guides for iPhone and Android.
2. Scan your code with a second phone, ideally one iPhone and one Android. If one reads it and the other does not, the code is close to the limit and one of the causes below applies.
3. Check the original file. Open the image on a computer and drop it into our QR code scanner. If the file reads but the print does not, the problem is in printing. If even the file fails, the problem is in the design or the content.
4. If the code scans but nothing useful opens, the problem is the link, not the pattern. Skip to cause 10.

1. The print is blurry or low resolution

Scanners need sharp edges between dark and light squares. A small image stretched to a large size, a screenshot pasted into a layout, or a JPG compressed many times all blur those edges. The code may look fine from afar and still fail.

Fix: use the original file at the right size. Download an SVG for print, because it stays sharp at any size, or a PNG of 2048 pixels for smaller items. Never enlarge a small PNG or print a screenshot.

2. The code is too small for the distance

Each square has to be large enough for the camera to see from where people stand. A code that works on a business card fails on a poster across a room.

Fix: print the code at least 2 cm (0.8 in) wide for anything held in the hand, and about one tenth of the scanning distance for signs and posters. A code read from 3 meters needs to be around 30 cm wide. The chart in QR code size for printing covers common cases.

3. The contrast is too low

Light gray on white, yellow on cream or pastel on pastel looks elegant but leaves the scanner too little difference between dark and light. Gradients that fade toward the background color cause the same problem.

Fix: use a dark pattern on a light background. Brand colors are fine as long as the pattern is clearly darker. Our generator warns you when the contrast between the pattern and the background is low.

4. The colors are inverted

A light pattern on a dark background can look striking, and some phones read it. Many scanners, however, expect dark squares on a light background and miss inverted codes.

Fix: switch to a dark pattern on a light background, or put a light box behind the code. The generator shows a warning when the pattern is lighter than the background.

5. The quiet zone is missing

Every QR code needs an empty margin around it, four modules wide, so the scanner can see where the code starts. Designers sometimes crop it to save space, or place text, lines or a photo right up against the pattern.

Fix: keep the margin. Downloads from this site already include it, so do not crop it away, and keep other elements out of it. On a colored or busy background, put a light box behind the code that includes the margin.

6. The logo is too large

A logo covers part of the pattern. Error correction can rebuild a limited amount of missing data, and a large logo, or one placed off center over the corner squares, can take more than that.

Fix: keep the logo small and in the middle, with a light area around it. Codes made here use the highest error correction level, H, and the logo is kept to a small area in the center with a white box behind it. A QR code with logo is checked like any other design before download.

7. The code holds too much data

A static code stores its content in the pattern. A long web address with tracking tags, a full contact card or a paragraph of text makes the code dense, with many tiny squares. Dense codes need to be printed much larger and fail first on older phones.

Fix: use a dynamic code. It holds only a short link, so the pattern stays simple whatever the destination is. You can read more in Dynamic vs static QR codes. If the code must be static, shorten the content.

8. The surface is glossy or curved

Glossy paper, lamination, metal and glass reflect light, and a bright spot over the code hides part of it. Bottles, cups and poles bend the code, so the squares at the edges look smaller to the camera.

Fix: choose a matte finish for the area with the code, and avoid foil or spot gloss over it. On curved items, make the code larger and place it where the curve is gentlest. Test in the real lighting.

9. The code is damaged or covered

Scratches, fading in the sun, water damage, a fold across the code, a sticker over one corner or a price tag stuck on top all remove data. Error correction can repair some damage, but the three large corner squares are hard to recover if they are lost.

Fix: replace worn codes, use durable inks and lamination with a matte finish outdoors, and keep the corners clear. Check outdoor codes every few months.

10. The link is broken or the code has stopped working

Sometimes the camera reads the code fine, but the page does not load, shows an error or says the code is inactive. The website may have moved, a temporary file link may have expired, or the service that runs a dynamic code may have stopped the short link.

Fix: open the link yourself and check the page. With a dynamic code made here, you can change the destination in My QR Codes and every printed copy opens the new page. A code you paused shows a notice saying it is paused until you start it again. Codes keep working as long as they exist in your account.

Causes and fixes at a glance

How our generator helps you avoid these problems

The check covers the file, not the printed result. Always print one proof at the real size and scan it in the place it will hang.

• Before every download, we read the finished image back with a QR decoder. If it does not scan, the download is blocked and you are asked to try more contrast, a simpler pattern or a different logo.
• The design step warns you when the contrast between pattern and background is low, and when the pattern is lighter than the background.
• Every code uses error correction level H, so frames, rounded patterns and a centered logo keep a safety margin.
• Downloads include the quiet zone, and frames are drawn outside it.
• Codes are dynamic, except Wi-Fi, so the pattern holds a short link and stays simple. You can change the destination at any time.
• SVG downloads stay sharp at any print size, and PNG and JPG come in 512, 1024 or 2048 pixels.

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