Remember when QR codes first started appearing in the public eye, and nobody really knew what they were, and you had to download a separate app on your device, just to be able to scan them?
We’ve come a long way since then, with some really momentous usability improvements along the way. The first, and most important, was the addition of QR code scanning functionality to the native camera apps on iOS and Android beginning in 2017. Since then, QR code adoption by the general public has increased dramatically. But while integrated scanning was the first domino to fall, it was hardly the last.
Far be it from us to capitalize on a global tragedy, but the COVID-19 pandemic didn’t hurt QR codes’ adoption rate either. Who knew there would suddenly emerge a need to not touch anything other people had touched? A few years on, though, while masks and elbow bumps have largely faded into the past, QR codes have become firmly cemented as part of our everyday interactions in the US, and their reach globally is expanding every year.
Of course, there are some other important factors that have contributed to this growth rate.
Mobile internet speeds are a rapidly disintegrating barrier to QR code adoption. High-speed mobile internet access has increased dramatically over the last 7 years. Between 2017 and 2023, the average speed of cellular networks in the US more than doubled. This makes scanning a QR code a much faster process, and means that the content behind a QR code can be more robust without affecting the consumer experience.
Public wi-fi has also become more commonplace, which means that the outside-the-home spaces where a consumer is likely to encounter a QR code are now friendlier for accessing web-based resources. In fact, public wi-fi hotspots have almost quadrupled in the same timespan. That means when you’re at a hospital, grocery store, hotel, gym, or somewhere else, you’re less likely to need to be concerned with data overages.
The percentage of mobile phone plans that include a data cap is also dwindling, with unlimited data quickly becoming the de facto standard for mobile plans. Again, this increases the likelihood that consumers don’t need to be concerned that scanning a QR code is going to hit their wallet.
Of course, some consumers remain resistant to QR codes. Older generations, who aren’t as quick to adapt to emerging trends in technology use, continue to avoid interacting with QR codes. However, unless you’re in a niche industry, you’re likely not targeting the 65 and up demographic and don’t need to be too concerned about serving that population more than you are now. Critically, the largest percentage of QR code users (at least in the US) is in the 18-46 demographic. If that group matters to you, your ears might be perking up a little bit right now.
QR codes also aren’t that popular in some regions globally. QR code adoption rates are a little laggier in Mexico. On the other hand, in places like China and India, QR codes, particularly for sending and receiving payments, have become ubiquitous. They’re also popular with young people in the US, especially since they became an easy way to share contact information in Facebook’s Snapchat app.
On the whole, QR code adoption rates are continuing to increase globally. In 2019, a whopping 75% of consumers said they planned to use and interact with QR codes in the future. Now, obviously the world has changed dramatically since then – see our note about a little global pandemic above – but, if anything, it means that statistic is likely higher now than its ever been.
We’ve also seen some profoundly effective, high-visibility QR code implementations in the last several years that have brought them further forward in the public consciousness- think the giant QR code made of drones over Shanghai for a video game anniversary celebration, a Yeezy product line being teased by QR code, Pizza Hut printing QR codes on boxes as a Pac-Man maze, or even Coinbase’s bouncing QR code commercial during the 2023 Super Bowl. So many people scanned that QR code at once that Coinbase’s website temporarily stopped working. Doesn’t that just sound like the best problem to have in the entire world?
Everyone is probably familiar at this point with the most basic and widespread use of QR codes: using them to direct to a website URL. While this makes giving consideration to the mobile optimization of the website behind the QR code an important point for those using them, it’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to how QR codes can be used.
At its most basic, a QR code is just digitized information that can be processed by a scanner. But QR codes are more robust than any barcode that came before them. In fact, a QR code can contain up to 3KB of data. That’s just about enough to play the classic game Snake, but that’s not really that useful of an implementation. Instead, here are some other really cool ways businesses can use QR codes:
- Virtual business cards: these .vcf files contain contact information that can be easily added to the user’s device with just a single tap after scanning.
- App installs: by supplying a QR code to a service like branch.io, businesses can encourage downloads of their app by taking users to a mobile site that will prompt an app download via smart banner.
- Wi-fi connectivity sharing: the information for a wireless internet hotspot can be contained within a QR code to make it easily accessible.
- Sharing text files: text files that don’t contain a lot of metadata information are easily encoded in a QR code.
- Sharing links to social media or payment services: Venmo and Cash App both use QR codes to share information- and any web-based social media service URL is easily placed behind a QR code.
- As part of an inventory management system: the very first implementation is still one of the most interesting, since you can also include information like location, sales data, production date, and more beyond just the item number and description.
- Sharing location information: links to location data through Waze or Google Maps can make finding a location or sharing directions incredibly easy.
What are some of the ways you’d like to use QR codes? Drop us a line at support@liiingo.com with your suggestions on ways you’d like to be able to use a QR code, and who knows? You just might see that feature appear on our roadmap in the near future!
Liiingo is the go-to solution for styleable print- and digital-friendly QR codes for businesses all over the world. So whether you’re just looking to get more people to your website, looking for something that lets your customers take your information on the go, or you want to know more about our patented flexible content delivery and automatic translation services, come check out liiingo.com.