What an app store QR code does
An app store QR code takes a phone straight to your app's listing on the App Store or Google Play, where one tap installs it. It replaces “search for our app” — which loses users to lookalike names and typos — with a scan. The generator builds the correct store URL from your app's identifier for iOS or Android, entirely in your browser, and gives you a PNG or SVG for packaging, posters, receipts and in-store displays.
Finding your app's identifier
| Store | What to enter | Where to find it | Resulting URL |
|---|---|---|---|
| App Store (iOS) | Numeric app ID, e.g. 284882215 | App Store Connect, or the number after id in the listing URL | https://apps.apple.com/app/id284882215 |
| Google Play | Package name, e.g. com.example.app | Play Console, or the id= parameter in the listing URL | https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.example.app |
Copy the identifier from the store listing URL rather than typing it — a single wrong digit or a misspelled package name gives a “not found” page, and the code cannot be fixed after printing.
One code or two?
A store link is platform-specific: an App Store code scanned on Android opens a web page it cannot install from. Options:
- Two codes side by side, each with its platform badge — simple and universally understood on packaging and posters.
- One smart link — a URL on your own site (or a service such as Firebase Dynamic Links' successors, Branch, AppsFlyer OneLink) that detects the device and redirects to the right store. Use the URL QR generator for that link. It also lets you track scans and change the destination later.
- Apple App Clip / Google Instant App codes are a separate technology that launches a lightweight version of the app without installing; they require developer setup and are not generated here.
Where app codes work
- Packaging and manuals — the companion app for a device, on the box and the quick-start card.
- Receipts and table tents — loyalty and ordering apps at the point of purchase.
- Transit and venue signage — ticketing or wayfinding apps where the user needs them.
- TV, video and presentations — the audience scans the screen.
- Business cards and flyers for app-based services.
- Trade-show booths — demo the app on the visitor's own phone.
Design and placement tips
- Put the store badge (“Download on the App Store”, “Get it on Google Play”) next to the code — the badges are free to use under each store's guidelines and tell users what to expect.
- Keep the code at least 2 cm; store URLs are short so the grid is sparse and scans easily.
- Leave the quiet zone clear; do not butt the badge up against the code.
- Test on both platforms, and on a phone where the app is already installed — the store shows “Open” instead of “Get”.
Tracking installs
Direct store links give you no attribution. Apple's App Store Connect supports campaign links (?pt=…&ct=… parameters) that appear in App Analytics; Google Play supports UTM parameters via the referrer field. Attribution platforms go further with device-level matching. If you need to know which poster drove installs, encode a tracked link with the URL generator rather than the bare store URL.