One QR code for the App Store and Google Play

An app download QR code is one code that opens the App Store on an iPhone or iPad and Google Play on an Android phone. A standard QR code cannot do this by itself, because it holds a single fixed link. The device has to be checked at the moment of scanning, which is what a dynamic code with smart redirects does.

Why one static code is not enough

A static QR code contains one address. If you print a code for your App Store link, Android users land on a page they cannot use, and a Google Play link has the same problem in reverse. There are two free workarounds, and both have a cost.

• Two codes side by side. Print one code for each store with a clear label. It works, but it takes twice the space and people sometimes scan the wrong one.
• One code to a web page. Point a static code at a page on your site that shows both store badges. It works on every device, but everyone has to make an extra tap.

Both are reasonable on a zero budget, and you can make either with the free URL QR code generator. A smart redirect removes the extra step.

How smart redirects work

An EndureQR dynamic QR code holds a short link. When someone scans it, EndureQR checks what kind of device opened the link and forwards it to the matching address.

The code opens your store listing, not the app itself. If the app is already installed, the store page usually offers to open it. If you leave the iPhone/iPad or Android link empty, those devices get the main link instead.

Finding your store links

Copy each link from your store listing, either with the share option in the store app or from the address bar when the listing is open in a web browser.

• App Store links start with apps.apple.com and include your app's name and its numeric id.
• Google Play links start with play.google.com/store/apps/details?id= followed by your app's package name, such as com.example.app.
• Check both on a phone. Open each link before you save it, to make sure it shows the right app in the right store.
• Only on one store? Leave the other link empty and use the main link for a page that explains when the other version is coming.

Choosing the main link

The main link catches every scan that does not come from an iPhone, iPad or Android device. Make it a page on your website about the app, with a short description and both store badges. Nobody hits a dead end, and someone who opens the link on a laptop can still find the app and install it on their phone.

Designing and placing the code

Your app icon makes a natural logo, because it is already square and recognisable. Add it in the dashboard editor along with your colours and a frame with a clear call to action, such as "Get the app". The same rules as for any QR code with a logo apply: keep the icon modest in size and the contrast high.

• Packaging and inserts. Put the code where the customer first uses the product.
• Shop counters and windows. A code by the till invites people to install a loyalty or ordering app. Our page for retail has more ideas.
• Posters and event signs. Make the code large enough to scan from a distance; see QR code size for printing.
• Receipts and business cards. Small codes work if they are printed sharply with a clear margin around them.

Measuring scans and installs

EndureQR analytics show how many people scanned the code, split by iPhone and iPad, Android and computers, along with daily totals, approximate location and the busiest times of the week. That tells you which placements create interest. Scans are not installs, though. The stores report downloads in App Store Connect and the Google Play Console, so compare the two to see how many scanners go on to install. Our guide on how to track QR code scans has more on reading the numbers.

If you withdraw the app for a while, you can pause the code. Scanners then see a friendly page with your message and an optional date when it will be back. Smart redirects are part of Pro, at $3.99 a month or $29 a year, and Lifetime, at $79 once; see pricing for details.