How to make a QR code for a phone number
To make a QR code for a phone number, encode it as a tel: link with the full international number, for example tel:+12015550123, then download the code and test-scan it. When someone scans it, their phone opens the dialer with the number filled in, and they tap Call.
The Calling QR Code generator does the formatting for you: pick the country, type the number the way you dial it at home, and download PNG or SVG.
Step by step
- Open the Calling QR Code generator and pick the country the number belongs to.
- Type the number as you'd dial it at home, or paste it starting with +. The box under the code shows the international form it will hold.
- Pick error correction and a size. M (15%) is the usual default; H (30%) survives more scuffing. For print, download 1024 or 2048 px, or SVG.
- Scan the download with two different phones before you print a batch.
The phone number format a QR code needs
A calling QR code holds plain text: tel: followed by the number. RFC 3966, the standard for tel: links, says numbers that start with + and the country code are unambiguous everywhere and "SHOULD be used". The ZXing barcode project's guide to QR code contents gives the same advice: use the most complete number, country code included.
| You have | Put in the code | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 201-555-0123 (US) | tel:+12015550123 | +1 makes it work from outside the US |
| 020 7946 0958 (UK) | tel:+442079460958 | Drop the leading 0 (the trunk prefix) after +44 |
| +1-201-555-0123 | tel:+1-201-555-0123 | Hyphens, dots and brackets are allowed as visual separators |
| A number with an extension | tel:+12015550123;ext=45 | RFC 3966's extension parameter. Phones handle it differently, so test it |
A local number without the country code is the one to avoid. RFC 3966 says local numbers "SHOULD NOT be used" unless there's no way to write the number in global form, because they only work inside one area or network.
The Calling QR Code generator turns what you type into that global form, removing spaces, dashes and the leading 0 of a national number. It doesn't accept extensions; for one, use a QR code generator that takes plain text and type the ;ext= form yourself.
What happens when someone scans it
The phone reads tel:+12015550123 and offers to open the dialer with the number filled in. It doesn't call on its own: RFC 3966 says software "MUST NOT" place a call without the user's explicit consent, and ZXing tells scanner apps to pre-fill the dialer "but not automatically initiate a call".
The number is plain text in the code. Anyone who scans it, or reads it with any QR app, sees the number, so only encode one you're happy to make public.
Before you print it
- Keep a clear margin. DENSO WAVE's QR code site, qrcode.com, says a QR code needs a four-module margin on all sides. The generator's downloads include it; don't crop it off.
- Dark on light. Coloured codes work if the code is clearly darker than the background. See which QR code colours scan.
- Print the number next to it for people who'd rather dial.
- It's static. The number is written into the pattern, with no short link in between, so it won't expire. It also can't be edited: a new number needs a new code.
Make it with the free Calling QR Code generator
- Open the Calling QR Code generator.
- Pick the country and type the number.
- Download PNG or SVG, and test-scan it.
The number never leaves your device: the code is made in your browser.
Open the Calling QR Code generatorFAQ
Can I turn a phone number into a QR code?
Yes. Put tel: and the number in international format in the code, for example tel:+12015550123. Scanning it opens the dialer with the number ready to call.
How can I create a QR code for a contact number?
Use a calling QR code generator, or any generator that accepts plain text and type tel:+, the country code and the number with no leading 0.
Can I create a QR code for my contact details?
Yes, but that is a different code. A contact card uses a format such as MECARD (for example MECARD:N:Owen,Sean;TEL:12125551212;; in ZXing's documentation) or vCard, and scanning it offers to add a new contact. The Calling QR Code generator makes calling codes only.
Does scanning the code call the number straight away?
No. The phone opens the dialer with the number filled in, and the person taps Call. The tel: standard says software must not place calls without the user's consent.
What format should the phone number be in?
International: + and the country code, then the number without its national leading 0. Spaces aren't allowed in a tel: link; hyphens, dots and brackets are.
Can a QR code send a text message instead?
Yes, with an sms: link, for example sms:12345 in ZXing's documentation. The Calling QR Code generator doesn't make those.
Related
Sources
Each page below was read on 27 October 2026.
- IETF, RFC 3966: The tel URI for Telephone Numbers. Global numbers start with "+" and the country code and "SHOULD be used"; local numbers "SHOULD NOT be used" unless there's no global form; visual separators - . ( ); the ;ext= parameter; the example tel:+1-201-555-0123; and that clients "MUST NOT" place calls without the user's explicit consent. Standards Track, December 2004.
- ZXing project, Barcode Contents (wiki). Use a tel URI with the full number, for example tel:+1-212-555-1212; readers should open the dialer and pre-fill it "but not automatically initiate a call"; the MECARD contact format and sms: links.
- DENSO WAVE, Point for determining the code area. A QR code "requires a four-module wide margin at all sides".