Plain text QR code

When to use it

Serial numbers and asset tags, a locker or table identifier, an inventory label, a treasure hunt clue, a message on a gift tag, a short poem on a poster. Anything where the reader needs the words themselves, not a web page, and especially anywhere without signal: a warehouse, a basement, a festival field.

How it behaves on phones

iPhone: the Camera app shows the first line in a banner. Tapping it opens a card with the full text, a copy button, and a “Search web” option. Nothing is opened or sent.

Android: most Android scanners show the text in a results card with copy, share and search actions. Google Lens may also offer to translate it.

Gotchas

Capacity. The theoretical maximum is 2,953 bytes at level L in a version 40 code, 177 modules on a side. In practice a version 10 code at level M holds 213 bytes and is 57 modules wide, about the limit for a code that scans comfortably from a phone at arm’s length. Beyond that people struggle to hold the camera steady enough.

Encoding. Text is stored as bytes and scanners assume UTF-8 unless told otherwise. That handles every language. The older ISO-8859-1 default in some generators shows “é” for “é” on modern phones, so check your generator.

Numbers are cheap. Digits alone use numeric mode, which packs about three digits into ten bits. A 40 digit serial number fits version 1 at level M, 21 modules. The same 40 characters of mixed text needs version 3.

Capitals are cheaper than lower case. Capital letters and digits use alphanumeric mode. TABLE 12 is smaller than Table 12.

No formatting. Line breaks survive; bold, links and fonts do not.

Print advice

Level M for short text. Because plain text codes are often labels that live on a shelf or a machine, and the text does not change, consider level H for anything under 50 characters; the code stays small and survives scuffs. Print the key part of the text beside the code too. A table number or asset tag should be readable by a human without a phone.