Google Chrome offers a feature to generate the QR code on computers and mobile devices. The QR code help shares the link of the webpage and can be pasted on any print media for sharing. We can also download and send the code to our friends and family. Chrome also has a built-in scanner to read the QR and open it in the browser.
Transferring or sharing content between two different platforms has always been challenging for end-users, especially if they aren’t part of the Apple ecosystem.
These included sharing that content’s link via WhatsApp Web, mailing it to myself, or adding it to the Bookmarks tab (using the sync feature).
While they seem viable approaches, they weren’t among the most feasible as they required quite a little effort. Then
You could easily create a QR Code for any website you visit via the Chrome browser. Once created, pick up your device and scan the code, which shall directly take you to that site. Furthermore, you could also save this QR Code locally and scan it as and when required.
Earlier, this feature was part of the browser’s experimental section chrome://flags/#sharing-qr-code-generator, but now it has made its way over to the stable build for the web and the mobile variant of Chrome.
So with that in mind, let’s check out sharing QR codes from the Chrome browser and its usage instructions —
On this page, you can find and jump to:
Generate on Computer
Thankfully, we do not have to install a Chrome extension to generate the sharing QR code in Chrome. But ensure that Chrome is updated to the latest version for this feature to display.
Here are the required steps to generate a QR Code:
- Launch the Chrome browser on your PC and open the desired site.
- Click on the Share
option in the URL bar.
- Select the QR Code option menu.
It will also display the URL of that page just beneath the QR Code. - Hit on the button.
The QR Code will be saved to the Downloads folder as an Image file having the PNG extension. The name of that file will be qrcode_websiteurl.png.
Alternatively, you can right-click on the context menu’s web page and select the Create QR code option for this page.
Generate on Android
Like its PC build, you could create a QR code for any site directly from your Android device. You can share this generated QR code using any social or communication app. Here are the steps to generate a QR code:
- Open the Chrome app on your device.
- Tap on the More
icon situated at the top right. - Select Share from the drop-down menu.
- Choose the QR Code option from the share sheet.
It will generate and bring up the QR code associated with that URL. - Hit the button.
The QR code file will be saved as a PNG image in the Downloads folder. It will be named chrome_qrcode_number.png.
Generate QR on iPhone
Chrome for iOS does offer the sharing QR code generator just like Chrome Android. We can select the Generate QR code menu to allow sharing.
Here are the steps to generate and share QR codes:
- Launch the Chrome app on iOS.
- Open a website to generate and share a QR code.
- Tap on the Share for sharing options.
- Select the Create a QR code option menu from the list.
It will generate a QR code for the website page. - Hit on the button to share the QR code.
The generated QR code can be shared externally using any app and communication medium.
Scan QR Codes
There are many third-party apps and sites you could try out to scan these codes. Regarding their usage instructions, you need to open that app/site, give it the required camera permissions, and point your device’s camera to that QR Code.
The scanning shall take a few seconds, and the code’s embedded URL will be correct. Just tap on it, and it will take you to that website.
However, if you don’t wish to take the help of any app or site, then there’s another way out. You could directly scan the QR code from the Chrome browser itself.
Here are the steps to scan and open QR Codes:
- Launch the Chrome browser, and open any random site of your choice.
- Tap on More for the options menu list.
- Select the Share menu, followed by the QR Code option.
- Switch the tab from Share to Scan from the top menu bar.
- Allow the Camera permissions and scan the QR code.
While this method requires a few additional steps, it’s much more secure. This is because it isn’t generally advised to allow unknown third-party apps and sites to access your device’s camera. On the other hand, Chrome’s in-built scanner still stands as a much more secure alternative.
Bottom Line
We conclude the guide on using the new Generate QR Code feature in the Chrome browser. The lack of an inbuilt option to share URLs across devices always seemed a major missing piece of the otherwise perfect puzzle. And now that it has been implemented, Google seems to have check-marked another valuable feature of the priority list.
Creating the code via PC and scanning it via mobile was relatively easy to execute, but the same isn’t true when switching roles. It is because it gets pretty challenging to perfectly align the laptop’s webcam to scan the QR Code displayed on the smartphone.
What are your views on the same? Are you considering trying this new addition to the browser? Or do you have some other methods already lined up your sleeves?
Lastly, if you've any thoughts or feedback, then feel free to drop in below comment box. You can also report the outdated information.
