How do I create an SMS QR code?
Updated September 14, 2026 · 2 min read
Open Create new → Create a QR Code, click More under the type grid and pick the SMS tile. Enter the Phone Number and a Message (optional), then design the code and click Download ✓. A dynamic SMS code opens a Send SMS page showing the number and the message, with a Send SMS button and a Call Instead button. The text is not sent by scanning.
Video transcript
Here is how to create an SMS QR code. One scan shows your number with a Send SMS button, and the message already written.
Use it where a text is quicker than a call. A cab flyer, an appointment card, or a for sale sign. Because the code is dynamic, you can change the number or the message later and the printed code keeps working.
In the dashboard, click Create new, then Create a QR Code. Click More, pick SMS and leave it on Dynamic. Give the code a name, type the phone number, then the message you want prewritten. Choose a theme for the code itself, then Download. The code is saved and ready to print.
Three things matter. First, the phone number. Start with a plus sign and the country code. Second, the message. The scanner can edit it before sending. Third, the page it opens. It shows the number, the message, Send SMS, and Call Instead.
Try it on the seven-day free trial. No credit card, five dynamic QR codes. Link in the description.
When to use an SMS QR code
- Taxi and delivery flyers. Customers text the booking line from the leaflet without typing the number.
- Appointment cards. A ready-written message to confirm or move a slot.
- Property and vehicle listings. The sign says scan to enquire, and the text arrives with the listing already named.
SMS codes can be Dynamic or Static. Dynamic shows the hosted Send SMS page, can be edited later and records scans. Static encodes an sms: link directly, so the messaging app opens straight away — but the number is fixed for the life of the print and no scans are recorded.
Steps in the dashboard
- Start the wizard. Click Create new, then Create a QR Code.
- Pick the type. On the Type step click More, choose SMS ("Send a text message") and leave the toggle on Dynamic.
- Name it. On the Content step type a QR Code Name such as "Cab booking line".
- Phone Number. The line that receives texts, written with a plus sign and the country code — for example
+1 555 0188. Without the country code the message fails for anyone roaming. - Message. The text the scanner sees prewritten, such as "Cab needed at:". They can edit it before sending.
- Design and download. Click Next →, pick a theme on the QR Design step, then Download ✓ and choose a format in Save as....
You can build the same code without signing in on the SMS QR code generator page.
After you download
A dynamic SMS code points at a short link we own. Open it and click Edit to change the number or the message — handy when a booking line moves or the wording needs to be clearer. The printed code does not change.
Scans on dynamic codes are recorded with time, device, operating system, browser, referrer and country, and shown under Full analytics. We never see the message that gets sent: it goes from the scanner's own phone over their carrier.
Common problems
The message body is empty on some phones
Not every messaging app accepts a prewritten body from a link. The message is still printed on the page above the button, so the scanner can copy it, and the number always carries through.
The text fails to send abroad
The number is missing its country code. Edit the code and rewrite it as + followed by the country code and the rest of the number.
The wizard says "Please enter a valid phone number"
Remove brackets, letters or extension digits. The field accepts digits, spaces and a leading plus sign.
Texts cost the sender whatever their plan charges, and a short code or a premium number may cost more. Say on the printed material which number they are texting.
Frequently asked questions
Does scanning send the text automatically?
No. The scan opens a page showing the number and the message; the person taps Send SMS to open their own messaging app, and can edit the text first.
What does Call Instead do?
It dials the same number instead of texting it. It appears on the hosted page for every dynamic SMS code, so one code covers both.
Can I change the number after printing?
Yes on a dynamic code — open it, click Edit, save. Static SMS codes have the number baked into the pattern and cannot be changed.
Do I see the replies in the dashboard?
No. Messages go to your phone or your business line. We record only the scan: time, device, browser and country.
Related articles
How do I create my first dynamic QR code?
Click Create new, pick a type, leave the toggle on Dynamic, fill in the content, style it, then click Download. The code is saved with its redirect built in.
How do I edit a QR code's destination after printing?
Open the code, click Edit, change the destination on the Content step and click Update. The printed pattern keeps working. Static codes cannot be edited.
How do I create a Phone QR code?
Pick Phone in the wizard, type the number with its country code, then download. A dynamic code opens a page with Call Now, Send SMS and Copy Number.
How do I create a WhatsApp QR code?
Pick WhatsApp in the wizard, enter your phone number with the country code and an optional first message, then download. One scan opens a chat with you.
Static vs dynamic QR codes in QRCodeStack: which should I choose?
Dynamic encodes a redirect, so it can be edited and tracked. Static embeds the content in the pattern: no edits, no analytics, and it needs a paid plan.
Still stuck?
Email support@qrcodestack.com with the email on your account and, if it is about one code, its name or short link. A person replies within one business day, usually sooner.